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Texas
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June 06, 2024
5th Circ. Backs Chevron In La. Drilling Contamination Fight
The Fifth Circuit on Thursday reversed a lower court ruling directing Chevron to submit a plan to clean up Louisiana properties allegedly contaminated by oil and gas development, saying that state law only requires the company to look for potential damage.
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June 06, 2024
MNC Capital Ups Bid For Vista Outdoor To More Than $3B
MNC Capital Partners on Thursday upped its bid to take over outdoor products company Vista Outdoor Inc. to over $3 billion after the company rejected MNC's previous buyout offers on multiple occasions due to its already-inked agreement to sell its sporting products division to Czech defense company Czechoslovak Group AS.
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June 06, 2024
Alex Jones Abandons Ch. 11 Reorg Plan, Moves To Liquidate
Right-wing radio host Alex Jones asked a Texas bankruptcy court to convert his bankruptcy case to a Chapter 7 liquidation, abandoning his proposed plan to reorganize his personal debts in the face of more than $1 billion in defamation claims from the families of Sandy Hook school shooting victims.
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June 05, 2024
Texas AG Sets Up New Team To Enforce Data Privacy Laws
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is "doubling down" on efforts to curb companies' misuse of residents' personal information by establishing a new team dedicated to enforcing the state's data protections, including a comprehensive consumer data privacy law that's set to take effect next month.
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June 05, 2024
Fed. Circ. Judges Skeptical Broadband IP Is Patentable
A Federal Circuit panel seemed ready Wednesday to affirm a Texas federal judge's decision that a Broadband iTV Inc. streaming service interface patent is invalid as abstract, even if one judge eventually said the company was "making close to a persuasive case."
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June 05, 2024
Texas Tamale Co. Wins Partial Injunction In Trademark Case
A Texas federal magistrate judge has found that a Fort Worth tamale outfit called Texas Lone Star Tamales can't use certain phrases in its advertising but limited some language in a requested injunction.
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June 05, 2024
TTAB Rejects Gin Maker's Attempt To Narrow 'Iron Balls' Mark
The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board has refused a gin maker's bid to force a Texas brewery to limit its use of the phrase "Iron Balls" to craft microbrews instead of just "beer," saying such a change wouldn't make confusion any less likely.
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June 05, 2024
Biden Asylum Halt Contradicts Border Wire Suit, Texas Says
Texas tore into the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday, saying a new executive order that halts asylum claims from immigrants who cross the border illegally directly contradicts the agency's argument before the Fifth Circuit over Texas' use of concertina wire fencing at the border.
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June 05, 2024
French Bulldog Breeder Says Partner Conned Her Out Of $95K
A woman has told a federal court that a Houston-area French bulldog breeder inflated the price of four dogs by $95,000 and has refused to pay her her share of breeding fees stemming from their 2022 partnership.
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June 05, 2024
Federal Judges Facing Scrutiny For Clerk-Hiring Boycotts
The federal judiciary must take a look at its judges' hiring practices in the wake of some jurists' public refusal to hire students from certain law schools over on-campus political activity over the Israel-Hamas war, a nonprofit government watchdog said Wednesday.
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June 05, 2024
Houston Law Firm Can't Arbitrate 'Excessive' Fees Claims
A homeowners' association can proceed with its lawsuit against Vethan Law Firm PC in a Texas state court over allegedly "needless and excessive fees" because the firm failed to prove the existence of an arbitration agreement, a Texas state appellate court has ruled.
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June 05, 2024
Texas Atty Accuses Ex-Partner Of 'Unilaterally Doubling' Comp
A Houston-area attorney is suing Bergquist Law Firm PLLC and its owner for nearly $7 million for "unrelenting" violations of their partnership agreement and fiduciary duties.
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June 05, 2024
Texas To Launch Stock Exchange Backed By $120M Capital
TXSE Group Inc. said Wednesday it plans to launch the Texas Stock Exchange, a national trading venue for public companies and exchange-traded products, following a $120 million private capital raise that was guided by Haynes and Boone LLP.
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June 05, 2024
5th Circ. Private Funds Ruling Could Rewrite SEC Agenda
The Fifth Circuit on Wednesday vacated U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission regulations that would have required private fund advisers to provide detailed disclosures to investors, in a sweeping decision that could upend the regulator's approach to promised rules on climate, artificial intelligence and crypto assets.
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June 04, 2024
PE Firm Tells 5th Circ. It Got Pushed Out Of EV Co. Acquisition
Texas-based private equity company Ancor Holdings LP says it got pushed out of an acquisition deal by another private equity group it brought in as backup, arguing in oral arguments at the Fifth Circuit on Tuesday that a binding letter of intent means it's entitled to future profits.
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June 04, 2024
Fed. Circ. Mulls Whether To Undo $13M Jury IP Verdict
NCR Corp. has a "tough burden" on its shoulders if it wants to prove that the evidence a jury relied on to deliver a $13 million jury verdict against the company for infringing two payment processing patents was not substantial enough, a Federal Circuit judge said Tuesday.
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June 04, 2024
CFPB Seeks Traffic Cop For Parallel Small-Biz Data Rule Suits
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Tuesday asked a Kentucky federal judge to stay an industry lawsuit challenging the agency's small-business lender reporting requirements, saying a largely identical challenge filed earlier in Texas should take precedence.
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June 04, 2024
Rep. Gaetz Backs FTC's Noncompete Ban In Court
Rep. Matt Gaetz threw his support behind the Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday in a court battle over the agency's new rule banning employee noncompete clauses, arguing that Congress has repeatedly affirmed the commission's authority to make competition rules.
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June 04, 2024
JPMorgan Accused Of Retaliating Against Indian H-1B Worker
JPMorgan Chase & Co. is facing a new lawsuit accusing it of firing an Indian product manager on an H-1B visa after the former employee confronted his supervisor for allegedly discriminating against him based on his race and nationality.
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June 04, 2024
Removal Of Poaching Suit Backed By Congress, Atty Argues
A former associate of a Houston personal injury firm accused of stealing client files and recording hours of private conversations told the Fifth Circuit on Tuesday that Congress provides "the luxury of a bright-line rule" that allowed him to remove the firm's state court case against him to federal court after he filed a motion to dismiss.
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June 04, 2024
Airbus' Satcom Unit Fined $44K For Anti-Boycott Violations
The U.S. Department of Commerce announced a penalty of $44,750 against Airbus DS Government Solutions Inc. on Tuesday after the company self-reported three violations of federal regulations prohibiting U.S. companies from supporting boycotts against Israel.
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June 04, 2024
Chancery Pauses Meta Suit While Calif., Texas Cases Continue
Delaware's Chancery Court on Tuesday paused a derivative suit seeking potentially massive damages from Meta Platforms Inc.'s leaders for failing to eliminate pedophilia, human trafficking and child exploitation content from its social media sites, pending resolution of direct damages suits in Texas and California.
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June 04, 2024
PQA Tells Fed. Circ. To Deny VLSI's Speculative Stay Bid
One of the companies sanctioned for misconduct while successfully challenging a VLSI Technology LLC patent has told the Federal Circuit that there's no reason to stay VLSI's appeal while unrelated litigation plays out.
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June 04, 2024
Meta, Texas Strike Deal To End State's Biometric Privacy Suit
Meta Platforms Inc. and Texas' attorney general have agreed to settle the state's suit accusing the social media giant of using its facial recognition technology to illegally collect Facebook users' biometric information without their consent, the parties told a state court.
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June 04, 2024
PTAB Upholds G+ Patent After Samsung Challenge
The Patent Trial and Appeal Board has refused to invalidate any claims of a G+ Communications 5G network patent following a review requested by Samsung, which argued they were either obvious or anticipated.
Expert Analysis
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Opinion
Judicial Independence Needs Defense Amid Political Threats
Amid recent and historic challenges to the judiciary from political forces, safeguarding judicial independence and maintaining the integrity of the legal system is increasingly urgent, says Robert Peck at the Center for Constitutional Litigation.
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How Law Firms Can Use Account-Based Marketing Strategies
Amid several evolving legal industry trends, account-based marketing can help law firms uncover additional revenue-generating opportunities with existing clients, with key considerations ranging from data analytics to relationship building, say Jennifer Ramsey at stage LLC and consultant Gina Sponzilli.
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Strategic Succession Planning At Law Firms Is Crucial
Senior partners' reluctance to retire, the rise of the nonequity partner tier and generational differences in expectations are all contributing to an increasing number of departures from BigLaw, making it imperative for firms to encourage retirement among senior ranks and provide clearer leadership pathways to junior attorneys, says Laura Leopard at Leopard Solutions.
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2nd Circ. OT Ruling Guides On Pay For Off-The-Clock Work
While the Second Circuit’s recent holding in Perry v. City of New York reiterated that the Fair Labor Standards Act obligates employers to pay overtime for off-the-clock work, it recognized circumstances, such as an employee’s failure to report, that allow an employer to disclaim the knowledge element that triggers this obligation, say Robert Whitman and Kyle Winnick at Seyfarth.
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FTC's Health Co. Suit Indicates Agency's Private Equity Focus
The Federal Trade Commission's latest lawsuit against an anesthesia company and its private equity investor highlights the agency's willingness to regulate the health care industry even when relevant acquisitions are relatively dated or when the controlling entity's economic interest is under 50%, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.
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Cases Linking Baby Food, Autism Pose Causation Challenges
Major baby food producers are now in the crosshairs of regulators, consumer advocates and plaintiffs attorneys over allegations their products contain heavy metals that harm children's development — but it will be difficult for plaintiffs to establish causation, as shown by the lengthy court battles over tobacco and talc, says Vineet Dubey at Custodio & Dubey.
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Top 4 Antitrust Enforcement Issues In Health Care Today
The Federal Trade Commission's recent lawsuit against U.S. Anesthesia Partners exemplifies antitrust enforcement authorities' efforts to aggressively reshape the health care industry, ranging from new proposed rules to withdrawals of previous guidance, say attorneys at Fried Frank.
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Maximizing Law Firm Profitability In Uncertain Times
As threats of an economic downturn loom, firms can boost profits by embracing the power of bottom-line management and creating an ecosystem where strategic financial oversight and robust timekeeping practices meet evolved client relations, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.
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End To CFPB's Discrimination Rule Is A Boon To Industry
A Texas federal court's recent order, which vacated revisions to a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau manual that expanded its authority to punish purported discriminatory practices, provides much-needed relief to covered entities that experienced increased regulatory uncertainty and compliance costs under the updated standards, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.
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5th Circ. Ruling Reminds Attys That CBP Can Search Devices
The Fifth Circuit’s recent Malik v. Department of Homeland Security decision adds to the chorus of federal courts holding that border agents don’t need a warrant to search travelers’ electronic devices, so attorneys should consider certain special precautions to secure privileged information when reentering the U.S., says Jennifer Freel at Jackson Walker.
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Enforcement Of International Tax Reporting Is Heating Up
Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s February decision in Bittner v. U.S. changed how penalties for failure to report offshore accounts are calculated, recent developments suggest the government is preparing to step up enforcement and vigorously pursue the collection of resulting penalties, say Daniel Silva and Agustin Ceballos at Buchalter.
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Avoiding The Ethical Pitfalls Of Crowdfunded Legal Fees
The crowdfunding of legal fees has become increasingly common, providing a new way for people to afford legal services, but attorneys who accept crowdsourced funds must remember several key ethical obligations to mitigate their risks, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.
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Tornado Cash Saga Presents Thorny Issues For Fintechs
A recent Texas federal court ruling and a U.S. Department of Justice indictment concerning the cryptocurrency mixer service Tornado Cash raise novel and important issues regarding smart contracts that could complicate the development and nature of decentralized crypto projects, as well as the future of fintech business models, say attorneys at Venable.
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How Juror Questions Are Changing Civil Trials In Texas
Jurors in Texas are becoming increasingly involved during civil trials by submitting written questions for the judge or attorneys to ask witnesses — and given this new reality, attorneys must understand best practices for avoiding potential pitfalls at trial and beyond, say Daniella Main and Mia Falzarano at Alston & Bird.
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What Large Language Models Mean For Document Review
Courts often subject parties using technology assisted review to greater scrutiny than parties conducting linear, manual document review, so parties using large language models for document review should expect even more attention, along with a corresponding need for quality control and validation, say attorneys at Sidley.