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Sorrento Therapeutics Officers, Directors Targeted in Trustee’s Adversary Proceeding - The liquidating trustee overseeing the Sorrento Therapeutics Chapter 11 bankruptcy filed an adversary proceeding this week against the company’s directors and officers, alleging their breaches of fiduciary duty caused the company’s creditors to suffer at least $100 million in damages. July 18, 2025
Minority Owner of Cicis Pizza Secures $46M Verdict - After a week of testimony and nearly five hours for jury deliberations, one cousin walked away a winner Wednesday night. The cousins fought over the management fee, distributions and whether they were meeting the requirements of their jobs. The jury returned a $46 million verdict, but the defense will argue Gala has to pick which $23 million claim to recover damages on. July 17, 2025
U.S. Trustee Opposes Jackson Walker’s Jury Demand in Bankruptcy Fee Case - The U.S. Trustee’s Office has told Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses that Jackson Walker “has no substantive right to a jury trial” in the case where it is trying to claw back millions in fees awarded to the law firm in 33 cases where former bankruptcy judge David Jones served as a mediator or judge. July 17, 2025
Parties Rest in Emotional Weeklong Cicis Trial - Jury trial in the $10 million dispute between cousins who bought Cicis Pizza’s debt during the COVID-19 global pandemic continues with testimony from one of the cousins and a valuation expert. The plaintiff’s counsel rested its case Monday afternoon, and the defense rested its case Tuesday afternoon. July 16, 2025
Mediation Fails in Jackson Walker, U.S. Trustee Bankruptcy Fee Dispute - The multimillion-dollar dispute between Jackson Walker and the U.S. Trustee over legal fees paid to the law firm involved in the Houston bankruptcy court romance scandal looks like it is heading to trial. Lawyers for Jackson Walker informed federal court officials Tuesday that efforts to resolve the litigation through mediation had failed. July 15, 2025LifeScan Hires Milbank, Porter Hedges to Lead Bankruptcy - A Pennsylvania-based glucose and diabetes monitoring device manufacturer listing liabilities of $1.7 billion filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Tuesday in the Southern District of Texas. July 15, 2025
Casino Operators File for Bankruptcy in SDTX - Maverick Gaming, a Washington state-based gambling operation, and 68 of its affiliated businesses filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing $100 million to $500 million in liabilities. July 15, 2025
Fifth Circuit Tells Judge O’Connor More Analysis Needed in Media Matters, X Corp. Venue Spat - A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on Tuesday instructed U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor to conduct a more thorough analysis before deciding whether to grant a motion from Media Matters to move a lawsuit to the Northern District of California. July 15, 2025
Centerpiece
‘Unique Challenge’: Judicial Studies Program Expands Judges Understanding, Interest in Law - This year, three Texas federal judges completed their master of laws at Duke University alongside other judicial officers from across the country and internationally. Two of the judges talked with The Texas Lawbook about their experiences. July 18, 2025
‘The Right Side of History’ — Texas Law Students Call on Firms to Defend Rule of Law - In response to President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting Susman Godfrey, 57 Texas law students signed a student-led amicus brief supporting the firm and warning of the order’s chilling effect on the legal profession. The Texas Lawbook reached out to the 57 — seven agreed to be interviewed. The students, including organizer Brennan Caruthers, say the amicus brief and their actions were born from a growing frustration among students who felt the legal profession had been largely silent in the face of mounting political pressure. July 16, 2025Expert Voices
In Landmark Decision, SCOTX Holds that Produced Water Belongs to the Mineral Estate Lessee - The decision provides clarity for upstream and midstream entities, landowners and environmental tech startups grappling with the emerging value of what was once considered merely a wasteful byproduct — produced water — but now, through technological advances in recycling and mineral extraction, has the potential to become a new source of significant revenue. July 17, 2025
Texas Charts New Path on AI With Landmark Regulation - Texas has become the second state, after Colorado, to enact omnibus legislation regulating artificial intelligence systems. The Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act establishes a new regulatory framework that applies to developers and deployers of AI systems conducting business in Texas or producing AI products or services used by Texas residents. The passage of the Texas law is noteworthy given that in recent months, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California and Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia each vetoed their respective state’s omnibus AI laws. It remains to be seen whether other states follow Texas’ and Colorado’s lead, or if they avoid omnibus AI laws and focus instead on regulating specific activities, such as the use of deepfakes. July 16, 2025
Stories You Might’ve Missed
Report: Judge Gilstrap Again the King of Patent Litigation - Patent infringement litigation has mostly been on the decline across the U.S. for the past three years, but not in the Eastern District of Texas, which has re-established its courts as the preferred destination for disputes regarding patent infringement. A new report by legal analytics firm Lex Machina shows that U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap of Marshall was assigned 795 new patent lawsuits in 2024 — six times more than any other federal judge in the U.S. June 3, 2025
