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Houston Justices: Sexual Assault Isn’t Health Care Liability Claim - Dr. Azul Shirazali Jaffer is being sued by Michelle Maestas in Fort Bend County district court for
allegedly sexually assaulting her as she woke up in the recovery room in October 2022 following a
breast augmentation procedure. A Houston appellate court this week agreed with the Fort Bend
County district judge who declined to dismiss the suit in July 2023. March 28, 2024Michelle Casady
Paul Hastings Chair: ‘A Ton of Opportunity for Us in Texas’ - As eight new corporate finance partners settle into their new Houston and Dallas digs at Paul Hastings this week, the law firm’s leader told The Texas Lawbook that “we are not going to stop there.”
“There are other practice areas we are exploring,” Paul Hastings chair Frank Lopez said in an interview. “There’s a ton of opportunity in Texas. Texas may be our No. 1 priority. It is fertile ground for us.” Just six months ago, Paul Hastings operated a sleepy Houston outpost of 22 lawyers. Since September 2023, however, the law firm has been on a hiring spree in Texas, nearly doubling their numbers in the state with lateral hires from Weil, Gotshal & Manges, Akin Gump and Vinson & Elkins. And firm leaders believe they could be at 60 lawyers in Texas by summer and possibly 100 attorneys within a year. March 28, 2024Mark Curriden
“There are other practice areas we are exploring,” Paul Hastings chair Frank Lopez said in an interview. “There’s a ton of opportunity in Texas. Texas may be our No. 1 priority. It is fertile ground for us.” Just six months ago, Paul Hastings operated a sleepy Houston outpost of 22 lawyers. Since September 2023, however, the law firm has been on a hiring spree in Texas, nearly doubling their numbers in the state with lateral hires from Weil, Gotshal & Manges, Akin Gump and Vinson & Elkins. And firm leaders believe they could be at 60 lawyers in Texas by summer and possibly 100 attorneys within a year. March 28, 2024Mark Curriden
Honeywell, Phillips 66 Finalists for 2024 Houston Corporate Counsel M&A Transaction of the Year - The Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook have selected Honeywell International and Phillips 66 as the finalists for the 2024 Houston Corporate Counsel Award for M&A Transaction of the Year. For 2023, a year that recorded some huge mergers and acquisitions, an independent panel of judges selected by The Lawbook and ACC Houston cited the extraordinary legal work of the in-house counsel and outside lawyers on Phillip 66’s $3.8 billion take-private transaction of DCP Midstream and Honeywell’s $670 million acquisition of Compressor Controls Corporation. March 26, 2024Mark Curriden
Insurer Wins Deposition Fight Against Doctor Facing Suit - In an opinion issued March 20, a three-justice panel of the Fourth Court of Appeals in San Antonio determined Barbara C. Barnett will not have to sit for a deposition in a lawsuit where insurer Texas Medical Liability Trust argues it should not have to cover the cost of defending a fraud lawsuit Barnett filed against her former oncologist, Dr. David J. Friedman. The ruling reversed a Bexar County district judge’s ruling that Barnett could be deposed. March 26, 2024Michelle Casady
Litigation Roundup: Chamber Takes CFPB Fight to Fifth Circuit; SXSW Wins Appeal in Covid-related Coverage Row - In this edition of Litigation Roundup, the Fifth Circuit issues a rare ruling reviving a covid-related coverage fight between SXSW and its insurer, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce takes steps at the Fifth Circuit to enjoin a looming rule that would cap credit card late fees and a Houston-area property management company beats back a race and sexual orientation discrimination lawsuit. Have a development we should include in the next Litigation Roundup? Please let us know at tlblitigation@texaslawbook.net. Western District of Texas Chamber of Commerce Appeals ‘Effective Denial’ of Injunction in CFPB Case The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Monday March 25, 2024Michelle Casady
First Reserve, Forum Energy and SilverBow Finalists for 2024 Houston Corporate Counsel Business Litigation of the Year - The general counsel at First Reserve, the GC at Forum Energy Technology and the associate GC at SilverBow Resources all scored big courtroom victories for their companies last year and have been selected by the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook as finalists for the 2024 Houston Corporate Counsel Award for Business Litigation of the Year. March 25, 2024Mark Curriden
Centerpiece
Munsch Hardt Begins Transition to New CEO - The Dallas-based firm announced key leadership changes this week. Phil Appenzeller, the longest serving CEO in Munsch Hardt’s history, informed the firm of his decision to transition out of leadership at its annual management meeting at the end of January. March 28, 2024Brooks Igo
CDT Roundup: 18 Deals, 17 Firms, 266 Lawyers, $5.5B - It was an unusual week for M&A, especially energy deals. Not just for the fact that there were so many of them, but for the fact that the flavor of the week was oilfield services. Claire Poole caught up with Gibson partner Gerry Spedale, who led the biggest deal reported last week for his longtime client Dril-Quip, a $1.5 billion merger agreement with Innovex Downhole Solutions. He shared a few insights on what is making energy M&A so attractive these days — and she shares her usual list of Texas-related deals. March 26, 2024Claire Poole
Expert Voices
Inspired Long Before I Became a Lawyer - In this personal essay, Jackson Walker healthcare partner Mary Emma Ackels Karam revisits small but impactful scenes of her own personal family history and reflects on how one family member — her mother — was instrumental in shaping Karam into the wife, mother, lawyer and mentor to other women that she is today.
Pictured: Karam (far left) circa 1987 with her parents, Isabel and Lawrence Ackels, and nine siblings. March 25, 2024Mary Emma Ackels Karam
Pictured: Karam (far left) circa 1987 with her parents, Isabel and Lawrence Ackels, and nine siblings. March 25, 2024Mary Emma Ackels Karam
Narrowing the Scope: The SEC Finalizes Its Climate Disclosures Rule - Following a nearly two-year wait, the Securities and Exchange Commission released its Final Rule — The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors — on March 6. The Final Rule requires publicly listed U.S. companies and foreign private issuers to disclose certain climate-related information in their registration statements and annual reports. This article identifies five key takeaways from the Final Rule. March 11, 2024Sarah Morgan, Matt Dobbins & Jon Solorzano
Stories You Might’ve Missed
- Brister, Gunn, Matthews Among Applicants for TX Business Court and 15th Court of Appeals - Twenty lawyers, including several former Texas appellate and trial court judges, have applied for appointment to the newly created business courts and intermediate appellate court. They include prominent figures such as former Texas Supreme Court Justice Scott Brister, appellate specialist David Gunn and Houston MDL Judge Sylvia Matthews. Five candidates from the Texas AG’s office also are seeking positions. Gov. Abbott will appoint the judges and justices, who begin hearing cases in September. The Texas Lawbook obtained the applications through a public information request. February 1, 2024Janet Elliott
- 2023 — The Year of Billion-Dollar M&A Deals in Texas - The size of a deal may not always be an indicator of its success, but 2023 in Texas will certainly go down in history as the year of some massive billion-dollar transactions. Despite the fact that the global M&A market saw a 17 percent decline in value and 6 percent decline in volume, Texas had the distinction of leading the world with the two largest megadeals: ExxonMobil's $64.5 billion acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources and Chevron's $60 billion purchase of Hess Corp. Even ONEOK's $18 billion acquisition of Magellan Midstream Partners made it to the top dozen deals worldwide, as Texas demonstrated its energy prowess across the globe. January 11, 2024Allen Pusey & Christi Trammell