Free Speech, Due Process and Trial by Jury
In this edition of Asked & Answered, trial lawyer Chrysta Castañeda reflects on her career and offers advice for young lawyers. While she has closed her firm, retiring for good is not in her plans.
A proposed class action lawsuit filed in the Southern District of Texas claims former bankruptcy Judge David Jones, former Jackson Walker bankruptcy partner Elizabeth Freeman and major law firms allegedly hid the romantic relationship between Jones and Freeman. Jones resigned from the bench in 2023 after news of his relationship with Freeman was publicly reported.
A trio of siblings who initially forged their own independent legal careers have recently united and launched their own personal injury firm. They spoke to The Texas Lawbook about navigating the interesting dynamics that come with working together and why they wouldn’t have it any other way.
What would have been the first jury trial for the Texas Business Court became a dress rehearsal instead. Counsel met for a pretrial hearing Friday, planning to begin the jury trial on Monday. They reached a settlement Saturday night.
After spending years as a trial lawyer for hire, Mike Kaeske has joined Hamilton Wingo. Together, the firm’s founder, Chris Hamilton, and Kaeske have helped clients secure more than $10 billion in verdicts and settlements as lead counsel in cases involving serious personal injuries, wrongful deaths and business disputes.
Dallas-based Energy Transfer claims Blackstone directed its portfolio company EagleClaw Midstream Ventures to maximize the volumes of natural gas that it delivered into a joint venture pipeline, even if it meant diverting volumes Energy Transfer was contractually entitled to receive first. The lawsuit was filed in Reeves County.
Hicks Johnson attorney Dave Finkel’s passion for riding horses took him 6,000 miles away from his home in Houston earlier this year. He was among 45 brave souls who participated in the 10-day Mongol Derby, which is the world’s longest equestrian endurance race.
The Texas Supreme Court released an order this week stating it will no longer rely on the American Bar Association accreditation to determine which law schools’ students can sit for the bar exam. Right now, all ABA-accredited law schools are on the list, but non-accredited schools could be added depending on what the justices decide. Law firm leaders and law school deans weighed in on the change.
In this edition of Asked & Answered, A&O Shearman partner Billy Marsh discusses trends he’s seeing in shareholder, securities and mass tort litigation. He also talks about what it was like as a first-year associate to defend the NFL against fraud claims brought by a group of fans.
Billions of dollars were awarded by juries in Texas last year in personal injury and patent infringement trials. The largest damage awards were doled out in Bexar and Harris counties.
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