U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen in Houston rejects claim by defendants that “through no fault of their own” they can’t access needed records and witnesses because of political upheaval in the South American nation.
Updated – Houston Judge Weighing $352.7M Verdict for Paralyzed Airport Worker
A hearing Friday on plaintiff lawyer Randy Sorrels’s motion for entry of judgment dealt only with relatively minor calculations of a just sum – an indication that both sides expect District Judge Ravi Sandill to uphold in whole or large part last week’s jury verdict on behalf of Ulysses Cruz, who sued Allied Aviation Fueling Co. of Houston.
Randy Sorrels: $352M Houston Jury Verdict ‘Could Have Been More’
If anything, the noted Houston plaintiffs’ lawyer claims, jurors should have given Ulysses Cruz, a paralyzed airport service worker, more for the lifetime of pain and anguish he faces after being hit by a van on a tarmac at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. And Sorrels believes the verdict exceeding one-third of a billion dollars will survive appeal.
Bankruptcy Judge to Hear Brazos Electric’s Arguments to Dismiss ERCOT’s $1.9B Claim
The dispute, which stems from emergency pricing for electricity imposed during February’s devastating Winter Storm Uri, could have far-ranging implications for other electric providers who were forced to pay up to $9,000 per megawatt hour – 300 times the normal rate – during the winter storm.
Another Patent Infringement Defense Verdict in Waco in Win for Google
A federal jury in U.S. District Court Judge Alan Albright’s court ruled this week that Texas-based Profectus Technology failed to prove that Google infringed on Profectus’s patent for a “digital picture display frame,” an internet visual interface, in developing the Google Nest Hub.
Chad Meacham Named Interim U.S. Attorney in Dallas
A veteran of high-profile criminal prosecutions, Chad Meacham will serve as the second interim U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas since January, succeeding Prerak Shah, who is leaving the office. There has been no public indication of when the Biden administration will nominate a permanent top prosecutor for the district.
Susman Godfrey Prevails in $3.89B Dispute over Puerto Rican Fuel Contracts
After 12 years of litigation, a federal judge rules Susman’s client, the Dutch energy company Vitol, is entitled to keep the money it received for supplying fuel oil to Puerto Rico’s state-run electric utility between 2005 and 2009.
ERCOT to Brazos Electric: ‘I Just Do What I’m Told. Now Pay Me My $2 Billion.’
ERCOT, operator of the Texas electric grid, says it was just following orders when it charged Brazos Electric Power Coop roughly $2 billion for power and related services provided during the deadly storm in February – a staggering bill that drove Brazos, the state’s largest and oldest electric cooperative, into bankruptcy. The Texas Lawbook has the story.
Insurer Must Cover Landry’s in Credit Card Hack, Appellate Court Rules
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit says the Houston-based restaurant chain’s insurance company is required to represent its client in litigation over an Internet breach that led to disclosure of millions of customers’ personal data.
Texas Breeder of Rare Red Wagyu Cattle Wins $30M Verdict
During the trial in Fort Bend County, the plaintiff’s lawyers from McKool Smith & Yetter Coleman claimed a breeding association failed to deliver promised DNA proof of a herd’s valuable lineage. Bruce Tomaso details the case.