The jury of five women and three men heard six days of testimony before beginning deliberations around 1 p.m. Wednesday. About three hours later they determined Schlumberger had not discriminated against Jessica Cheatham based on her sex, had not subjected her to a hostile work environment, had not retaliated against her and had not constructively discharged its former field engineer.
Litigation Roundup: Waco Jury Slams Google in Patent Case, American Airlines Taps O’Melveny for Class Action Defense
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, closing arguments are coming soon in a $55 million pharmacy fraud trial, Porter Hedges gets $15.35 million for a developer client in an eminent domain fight and a jury in Waco on Friday unanimously determined Google owes $339 million for patent infringement.
Jurors Hear from Plaintiff in $100M Sexual Harassment Suit Against Schlumberger
A former Schlumberger field engineer who is suing the company over alleged sexual harassment and discrimination she experienced during her two-and-a-half-year employment with the oilfield services company was on the stand for much of Thursday and Friday, sharing her claims with jurors in her own words.
Update: Oral Arguments Postponed in Paxton Disciplinary Case
The Fifth Court of Appeals has granted an unopposed request from Ken Paxton to postpone oral arguments in the lawsuit brought against him by the state bar’s Commission for Lawyer Discipline, days after he requested they be delayed until after the conclusion of his impeachment trial.
“The case will be reset for submission in due course,” the court’s order reads.
Ret. Bankruptcy Judge Sues Boy Scout Insurers in $2.4B Settlement Fight
More than 90 insurers have been named as defendants in the lawsuit brought by settlement trustee Barbara Houser, who formerly served as the chief bankruptcy judge in the Northern District of Texas until her retirement in May 2020.
$100M Sexual Harassment Trial Against Schlumberger Begins
Jurors heard opening statements Tuesday that included examples of the rig site sexual harassment Jessica Cheatham alleges she endured for more than two years while working for Schlumberger. The trial taking place before U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt is expected to last 10 days.
Litigation Roundup: Oral Arguments Set in Paxton Disciplinary Case, Fifth Circ. Won’t Rehear En Banc ‘State Created Danger’ Case
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, the Dallas Court of Appeals sets the panel and date for oral arguments in the state bar’s disciplinary lawsuit against Ken Paxton, an oilfield services company’s trade secrets suit against its ex-president gets rolling and an East Texas jury hits LG with a $1.68 million patent infringement verdict.
Dallas Lender Owes Millions for Wrongful Foreclosure in ‘Business Coup D’état’ Case
Dallas County District Judge Monica Purdy presided over a seven-day bench trial in May before determining that PrimaLend violated the terms of a loan agreement when it changed the locks and foreclosed on an Ohio car dealership before first exhausting attempts to recover its money by pursuing the business’ assets. Judge Purdy is expected to enter final judgment awarding the Benit family about $6.7 million within the next week.
Litigation Roundup: Horizon Bank Challenges Texas Law, ESG Class Action Against American Airlines Moves Forward
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, the Fifth Circuit asks the Texas Supreme Court to answer two certified questions, a team of Austin lawyers are hired to represent Twitter in a $90 million suit against Wachtell and Texas Instruments sues a slew of insurers over damage to its clean room.
Kane Russell Coleman Logan Team Comes Through for Unsecured Creditors in Icahn Co. Bankruptcy
Joe Coleman, John Kane, Brian Hail and a team of other lawyers from Kane Russell Coleman Logan recently secured a favorable outcome for a group of unsecured creditors in a bankruptcy proceeding for a Carl Icahn-owned company, Auto Plus. At the outset, it seemed the unsecured creditors stood to recoup none of their roughly $200 million in unsecured debt, but the legal team overcame three key challenges on its way to recovering more than $57 million: Auto Plus’ apparent administrative insolvency, a fast-tracked sale of assets already in motion and “the specter of the fact that Carl Icahn was the ultimate owner,” Coleman said. “Obviously, Mr. Icahn has an enormous reputation, he’s a very shrewd businessman.”