The Texas Lawbook

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Alexa Shrake

Alexa covers litigation and trials for The Texas Lawbook.

Alexa Shrake

A former reporter with The Indiana Lawyer in Indianapolis, Alexa covers litigation and trials for The Texas Lawbook. Alexa won two first place awards from the Indiana Society of Professional Journalists: one was for a story examining the foster care system and the other was for her coverage of the attorney general election and retention of Indiana Supreme Court justices.

5th Circuit Judge Southwick to Take Senior Status, Opening a Bush-Era Seat

Judge Leslie Southwick, an 18-year veteran of the Fifth Circuit, has announced he is taking senior status, opening a seat on the bench for President Donald Trump to make an appointment. Texas lawyers who've appeared before Judge Southwick, including Dykema's Chris Kratovil, Norton Rose Fulbright’s Anne Johnson and Lynn Pinker's David Coale, praised his fairness and civility on a bench often defined by sharp ideological divides.

Alexa Shrake

Dallas Jury Hits Expro Holdings with $7.7M Verdict for Breach of Contract

A Dallas County jury deliberated for about two and a half hours before unanimously awarding more than $7.7 million to Arlington-based MCR Oil Tools last week, finding its longtime business partner Expro Holdings had breached a contract. The 20-year business relationship between the companies came to an end in 2023 when Expro chose not to renew its licensing agreement.

Alexa Shrake

Senate Confirms Judges for SDTX, NDTX

The U.S. Senate confirmed Angela Colmenero as federal judge for the Southern District of Texas Wednesday with a 50-47 vote, succeeding Judge Lee H. Rosenthal. The Senate also confirmed Kasdin Mitchell as federal judge for the Northern District of Texas Friday with a 49-45 vote. She is succeeding Judge Barbara Lynn.

Alexa Shrake

Jury Awards More than $10M in Retaliation, Defamation Case

A Fort Worth jury found Trinity Valley School liable for defamation and retaliation and awarded its former human resources director more than $10 million in damages earlier this month. Carrie Skains sued her former employer in December 2024 for sex discrimination, retaliation and defamatory statements that claimed she kept information about a teacher who exposed himself to children in order to protect him.

Alexa Shrake

SpaceX Sues AG, Grimes County Over Public Records Requests 

Space Exploration Technologies filed suit against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Grimes County over a public records request.

The suit filed Tuesday before Travis County Judge Aurora Martinez Jones focuses on four Texas Public Information Act requests. SpaceX claims one request was withdrawn before a ruling was issued, and another request did not include any documents regarding the company.

Alexa Shrake

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