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Mark Curriden & Mark Smith

Legal Experts: River Inn, Mystic Camp and Others to Face Investigations and Litigation

Even as state and local officials deflect or even criticize questions seeking answers about the lack of flash flood warning systems in Kerr County that caused the deaths of more than 120 people, including 36 children, last weekend along the Guadalupe River, eight legal experts tell The Texas Lawbook that now is the time to begin seeking and preserving evidence and investigating what happened and how it happened. The lawyers, who specialize in representing victims and defendants in these kinds of catastrophic events, said the families and survivors are not thinking about money — only answers. “It is hard to even talk about this because it is so horrible and still so raw, but this tragedy, it just shouldn’t happen,” Dallas lawyer Andy Payne said. “When you’re dealing with little kids who can’t make decisions on their own, you’re relying on the camp to be responsible. There are [weather] alerts going out, and there’s nobody responding to it. It’s just incredible, honestly.” (Photo by Julio Cortez/The Associated Press)

July 10, 2025 Mark Curriden & Mark Smith

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Features

  • P.S. — New State Bar President Launches Campaign to Fund Legal Aid for Low-Income Texans  - When speaking to fellow lawyers, Santos Vargas often asks them a question to illustrate a point. “How many of you could hire yourselves for a protracted legal dispute?” The point is that many people don’t have the financial means to hire a lawyer when faced with a legal problem, which is why the newly minted State Bar of Texas president is on a campaign to raise money for low-income Texans to access legal services. Vargas aims to raise $300,000, with July donations supporting victims of the recent Texas Hill Country flood.  July 11, 2025Krista Torralva

GCs, Lawyers & Firms

  • Beck Redden Bolsters Appellate Group With Hire From Troutman Pepper Locke - Beck Redden announced this week the hiring of Chris Dove, who focuses on commercial litigation in the energy, financial services and maritime sectors. He had spent more than two decades practicing at Troutman Pepper Locke and Locke Lord.
  • McGuireWoods Names Tyler VanHoutan as New Houston Office Managing Partner
  • Reed Smith Beefs Up Global Regulatory Enforcement Group, Hires V&E Partner 
  • Rey Anaya Valencia Begins Deanship at South Texas College of Law Houston
  • Willkie Adds Blake Winburne to its Houston Office
  • Hines CLO Joins Greenberg Traurig in Houston
  • Thomas Verity Vaults to Norton Rose Fulbright
  • Veteran Houston Partner Jumps from Latham to Simpson
  • Skadden Hires Two M&A Partners from White & Case
  • V&E Adds Three Partners: Two from Kirkland, One from Baker Botts
More GCs, Lawyers & Firms

Lawyers in the News

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Barry Barnett
Wes Bearden
Emily Westridge Black
Michael Burke
Alicia Campbell
John Campbell
Madeleine Carpenter
Alexander Clark
Dawn Pittman Collins
Richard Finneran
Elizabeth Freeman
David Gail
Elizabeth Gibson
David Jones
Frank Lopez
Abbe Lowell
Neal Manne
Billy Marsh
Tom Melsheimer
Tasha Moser
Justin Nelson
Reed O'Connor
Kate Pennartz
John “J.” Pieratt
Danielle Reyes
Christopher Richardson
Randy Sorrels
Harry Susman
Larry Vincent
Victor Vital
Brent Walker
Matt Weybrecht
Melody Wilkinson
Alex Wolens

Firms in the News

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A&O Shearman
Bryan Cave
Cozen O'Connor
Haynes Boone
Holland & Knight
Jackson Walker
King & Spalding
Kirkland & Ellis
Law Office of Liz Freeman
Paul Hastings
Porter Hedges
Sorrels Law
Susman Godfrey
Toyota
Troutman Pepper Locke
Willkie
Vinson & Elkins
Weil
Winston & Strawn

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