The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas has accused Dr. Kyle Carter of conspiring with a third-party billing company to collect thousands of dollars for work treating student-athletes he never saw and who were actually treated by university athletic trainers. Carter’s lawyers from Vedder Price told jurors the doctor was merely a supervising physician and didn’t have insight into the company’s billing.
Vartabedian Hester & Haynes Hires Away Another Partner from Alston & Bird
Daniella P. Main was a partner in Alston & Bird’s Dallas office. Vartabedian’s name partner, Rob Vartabedian, said Tuesday that Main will support the firm’s oil and gas litigation clients while leading its commercial litigation in other industries from its Dallas office.
Victor Vital Returns to Haynes Boone as Global Trials Chair
Victor Vital described his return to Haynes Boone as a “homecoming” to the firm where he first made partner. As global chair of the trials practice group, Vital will lead about 60 lawyers lawyers in three countries.
Two Texas Lawyers May Face Discipline for Roles in Claiming Lewis Brisbois Name
Attorney Susan C. Norman registered a domestic limited liability partnership under the California-based law firm’s name after discovering the firm’s foreign limited liability partnership registration had lapsed on the Texas secretary of state website, and Bradley B. Beers filed an assumed name certificate. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit found the lawyers’ conduct “unbecoming of the profession,” and a U.S. district judge said he wasn’t sure whether he was obligated to refer the lawyers to the Texas State Bar for investigation.
Duane Morris Bolsters Trial Practice Group with Exxon Mobil Assistant General Counsel
Joseph T. Walsh will work in Duane Morris’ Houston and New York offices and will focus on environmental litigation, products liability, commercial disputes, emergency response and counseling clients on risk management. In between stints at Exxon, Walsh represented Fortune 500 companies at a New Jersey-based law firm where he was a name partner.
Austin Lawyer Launches Legal AI Company to Draft Pleadings
At the request of his father, Austin attorney Dov Preminger took on a case a few years ago for a contractor who didn’t get paid about $50,000 for work he performed.
Preminger’s work on the case came to about $13,000 in fees and expenses. While he and his client won a default judgment for the full requested amount, they were only able to garnish a bank account for about $3,000, which was split between the client, the bank’s lawyer and Preminger.
Preminger tells that story to illustrate the potential usefulness artificial intelligence can provide to lawyers and clients as he gradually launches LitLaw, a “legal AI company” that instantly generates first drafts of lawsuits, answers, demand letters, discovery requests and more. LitLaw will eventually be able to draft more complex motions, Preminger said.
O’Melveny Hires Away Winston & Strawn’s Houston Litigation Head
Denise Scofield joined O’Melveny’s Houston office Tuesday. Scofield, previously a partner and head of the Houston litigation practice at Winston & Strawn, discussed what attracted her to O’Melveny in an interview with The Texas Lawbook.
Texas Obtains $1.4B Settlement From Meta over Facial Recognition Data
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Tuesday’s settlement is the largest ever obtained by an attorney general in a privacy case. This is the first lawsuit brought and settlement reached under Texas’ Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier, the AG added.
Updated with Q&A: Egan Nelson Boosts Commercial Litigation Practice with Mark Johansen from Reed Smith
Dallas commercial litigator Mark L. Johansen has moved to boutique law firm Egan Nelson, the firm announced this week. Johansen spoke with The Lawbook about his reasons for the move and a pending case he is considering removing to the new business courts.
Brown Fox Nabs Labor and Employment Lawyer from Jackson Lewis
Jennette “Jenny” DePonte joined Brown Fox last week as a partner in the Dallas-based boutique law firm. She was previously a principal at national labor and employment law firm Jackson Lewis.