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Texas Partnership Dreams Realized as Firms Roll Out 2025-2026 Promotions - Each year, as the weather turns (somewhat) colder in Texas, partnership season starts to reshape the legal landscape. Between October and February, law firms decide which experienced associates and seasoned counsel will make the leap to equity and nonequity partner, transforming years of late nights and high-stakes deals and trials into a career milestone, most of them announced this month. December 18, 2025
TAE Technologies to Merge with Trump Media and Technology in $6B Nuclear Fusion Deal - A Texas-based Baker Botts team led the deal for TAE, which intends to add commercial, scalable nuclear fusion to the Trump portfolio. DLA Piper advised TMTG. December 18, 2025
Xcel Energy Accused of Causing Deadly Smokehouse Creek Fire - Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday announced he was suing Southwestern Public Service Company, which does business as Xcel Energy, for allegedly causing 2024’s Smokehouse Creek Fire. The fire, which killed three and caused more than $1 billion in damages, was the largest wildfire in recorded Texas history. (File photo by Julio Cortez/The Associated Press) December 16, 2025Susman Godfrey Associate Bonuses Skyrocket - Lawyers at Susman Godfrey have had an extraordinary year — the “second-most successful year in the firm’s history,” according to Susman Godfrey leaders.
During 2025, Susman attorneys achieved a $1.5 billion copyright infringement settlement against Anthropic over its AI scraping of content. They defeated the Trump administration’s executive orders that targeted the Houston litigation powerhouse.
On Tuesday, firm leaders announced record high year-end bonuses for its associates and elected six new lawyers to its equity partnership, including one in Houston. December 16, 2025
During 2025, Susman attorneys achieved a $1.5 billion copyright infringement settlement against Anthropic over its AI scraping of content. They defeated the Trump administration’s executive orders that targeted the Houston litigation powerhouse.
On Tuesday, firm leaders announced record high year-end bonuses for its associates and elected six new lawyers to its equity partnership, including one in Houston. December 16, 2025
Luminar Technologies Files Bankruptcy in SDTX - A Florida company that makes laser sensors for vehicles filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday in Houston, citing $508 million in liabilities owed to more than 200 creditors but only $189 million in assets.
Luminar Technologies hired Weil Gotshal as its lead outside legal advisor, with Houston partner Stephanie Morrison and New York partner Ronit Berkovich leading the way. The case has been assigned to Houston Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez. December 16, 2025
Luminar Technologies hired Weil Gotshal as its lead outside legal advisor, with Houston partner Stephanie Morrison and New York partner Ronit Berkovich leading the way. The case has been assigned to Houston Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez. December 16, 2025
Litigation Roundup: Samsung Seeks New Trial After $445.5M Infringement Verdict - In this edition of Litigation Roundup, on the same day a patent holder who won a $445.5 million verdict against Samsung Electronics asked the court for a permanent injunction that would bar the company from selling its infringing phone, the tech giant asked the court for a new trial. December 15, 2025
Centerpiece
2025 DFW Award Finalists: Senior In-house Counsel at Match, Michaels, Children’s Health, Dropbox and Caris Life Sciences - Six lawyers at North Texas companies have been named finalists for the 2025 DFW Corporate Counsel Awards for Senior Counsel of the Year. During the past week, ACC-DFW and The Texas Lawbook have announced the finalists for Business Litigation of the Year, M&A Transaction of the Year, General Counsel of the Year and Corporate Legal Department of the Year. The finalists for Rookie of the Year, Lifetime Achievement, Achievement in Pro Bono and Public Service and Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion will be announced later this week. The Lawbook has all the details. December 17, 2025
Asked & Answered with Haynes Boone’s Catherine Robb: Fighting for the First Amendment & Family Legacy - In this edition of Asked & Answered, Haynes Boone counsel Catherine Robb talks about media defamation cases and what drew her to a First Amendment practice. Robb also discusses her family’s legacy and what she hopes hers is. December 17, 2025Expert Voices
How Dallas’s Three New Stock Exchanges May Reshape Securities Fraud Enforcement - In a development that could fundamentally reshape the landscape of federal securities enforcement, three major stock exchanges are establishing operations in Dallas within the Northern District of Texas. This geographic diversification of America’s securities exchange infrastructure represents more than mere business expansion — it signals a potential seismic shift in federal criminal and civil securities enforcement. Cases that historically could only be prosecuted in Manhattan may soon find their way to Dallas courtrooms, bringing with them the possibility of different judicial approaches, jury pools and enforcement priorities. December 18, 2025
Stories You Might’ve Missed
The Legacy of Pennzoil v. Texaco 40 Years Later — The Civil Jury Trial of the Century - Pennzoil v. Texaco's legacy remains significant, as it changed how companies handle mergers and acquisitions, caused the Chamber of Commerce to designate Texas as a judicial hellhole in 1986 and directly led to two decades of massive tort reform efforts that dramatically limited the rights of Texans to sue businesses, doctors and insurance companies for wrongdoing. It also launched Texas trial lawyer Joe Jamail to national stardom and made him the richest trial lawyer in American history.
In this in-depth article, The Texas Lawbook provides a detailed timeline of the events involved in the historic litigation, as well as comments from more than a dozen lawyers about the legal strategies employed. November 18, 2025
