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.
Crypto Groups, 7 States File Amicus Briefs in Fort Worth SEC Case
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is overstepping its authority and bringing unfair enforcement actions against the cryptocurrency industry, several interested parties have argued in amicus briefs filed in a lawsuit asking Judge Reed C. O’Connor to rule that digital assets are not securities. LEJILEX, a Texas company that intends to launch a digital asset trading platform, filed suit against the SEC in February. Seven states also argue the SEC’s aggressive actions threaten to preempt dozens of state laws.
Sorrels Bolsters Firm with Trial and Appellate Lawyer from Hoover Slovacek
Becoming a lawyer was about the furthest thing from a young Dylan B. Russell’s mind when he was a budding saxophone player at the University of Texas in the 1990s.
Dallas Lawyer Obtains DOJ Case Closure for Armenian Businessmen
Armenian brothers Artyom Khachatryan and Gurgen Khachatryan faced accusations that their multimillion-dollar Beverly Hills mansion was purchased with bribes. Following a two-year investigation, the government announced it had closed the case and reached a settlement with the family to share proceeds from the sale of the luxury estate. The resolution is touted as a significant victory by the brothers’ Dallas lawyer, Ephraim “Fry” Wernick.