Free Speech, Due Process and Trial by Jury
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, Exxon petitions the U.S. Supreme Court to halt climate change cases, a former Honeywell International employee had religious exemptions for the COVID-19 vaccine, Tesla faces a federal class action lawsuit over robotaxi safety, a $15 million jury verdict was reversed in favor of CenterPoint Energy and more.
A Texas freight trucking company brought a complaint to the Texas Business Court, alleging an Indiana company caused $28 million in damages for alleged fraudulent schemes. The defendant calls the complaint “baseless” in a motion to dismiss.
GWG Holdings bondholders call for U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Marvin Isgur to step away from the case, alleging he is protecting David Jones, a former bankruptcy judge, and Elizabeth Freeman, a former Jackson Walker partner with whom Jones had an undisclosed romantic relationship.
Intelligent Wellhead Systems’ lawsuit alleging patent infringement against Downing Wellhead Equipment was dismissed by an Eastern District Court judge this week. This is the second win Haynes Boone has seen for Downing this summer.
Nachawati Law Group is launching an antitrust practice with three attorneys who have experience working in government. The firm told The Lawbook the decision was spurred in part by the trend of state attorneys general pursuing these types of cases with more regularity.
Vartabedian Hester & Haynes adds to its newly launched white collar and investigations practice group with the hiring of Richard Guiltinan. He brings Department of Justice and private practice experience to the firm.
Michael Qian clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Ketanji Brown Jackson before serving as counselor to the attorney general of the United States. His addition boosts the firm’s Supreme Court team.
Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder was allegedly the direct cause of mesothelioma for a Massachusetts couple, according to a Boston jury. Dallas-based attorneys with Dean Omar Branham Shirley represented the couple in the two-week jury trial, which resulted in a $42 million verdict for the plaintiffs.
WhereverTV accused Comcast of infringing a patent covering its interactive program guide and was trying the case before a jury in April 2023. But before the jury heard closing arguments or began deliberations, a federal judge in Florida agreed with Comcast that it was entitled to judgment as a matter of law, ending the case. Now, the Federal Circuit Court has remanded the case for a second jury trial.
Both Gibson Dunn & Crutcher and Winston & Strawn associates saw the Cicis trial as a valuable training opportunity. The associates argued motions and cross-examined witnesses on the stand.
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