In a nine-page response to a request from the whistleblowers to lift an abatement in the case after they alleged a bait-and-switch on the $3.3 million settlement deal, the Office of the Attorney General told the Texas Supreme Court the case should stay paused while the Legislature considers approval.
Litigation Roundup: ‘Well Past Time for [Fifth Circuit] to be Dragged Screaming into the 21st Century’
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, a Fifth Circuit judge urges the court to join the 21st Century, a Houston college sues a business partner in a recruiting spat and a one-time candidate for president of Mexico goes to prison.
Midland Jury Rejects FLSA Overtime Claim Against Oilfield Services Co.
A trial team from Munsch Hardt successfully fended off the claims levied against client Flowco Production Solutions. Instead of raising the highly compensated employee exemption commonly seen in cases involving oilfield services, they told the jury these plaintiffs were exempt from overtime under the administrative employee exemption.
Litigation Roundup: OAG Gets Deadline in Whistleblower Suit, Omni Hit with $25M Verdict in Sex Discrimination Suit
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, a Dallas lawyer secures a $29 million jury verdict in a talc case and the Texas attorney general gets a deadline to respond to a request from whistleblowers to reinstate their case pending before the Texas Supreme Court.
Prosecutors Secure Plea Deal, Won’t Retry Ex-Blue Bell CEO
Paul Kruse agreed Wednesday to plead guilty to a misdemeanor and pay a $100,000 fine rather than face another felony fraud trial. Kruse’s attorney, Chris Flood, said the settlement confirms what he’s been saying all along: No one at Blue Bell ever intended to defraud its customers.
Houston Jury Doesn’t Buy Episcopalian-based Prejudice Claim
The discrimination and retaliation case lodged against one of the most prestigious funeral homes in the country, Houston’s Geo. H. Lewis & Sons Funeral Directors, didn’t gain traction with a jury that rejected William Coleman’s claims and awarded him no damages. Carter Crow of Norton Rose Fulbright, who represented the defendant, said he believes these types of religious discrimination lawsuits have become more common post-covid.
Litigation Roundup: Keurig’s $10M Settlement Approved, Jerry Jones Assault Claim Revived
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, Keurig gets approval to settle a class action lawsuit over claims it made about the recyclability of its coffee pods for $10 million and the Dallas Court of Appeals held that a Jane Doe should be allowed to proceed with her claims Jerry Jones forcibly kissed her at AT&T Stadium.
Lack of Evidence Dooms Farmers’ Spray-Drift Suit
Friday morning the Texas Supreme Court determined that Robert Cox and a group of nine other cotton farmers presented insufficient evidence to proceed with their lawsuit alleging Helena Chemical Company’s negligent aerial application of Sendero damaged their crops. A trial court had tossed the suit on summary judgment, but the Eastland Court of Appeals partially revived it, teeing up the high court battle.
Judges, Professors Discuss Ethics of Litigation Finance at Conference
The second annual LITFINCON in Houston this year featured two panels of particular interest: one featuring federal and state judges, and one featuring law professors where a discussion of the ethics of litigation finance took center stage.
Litigation Roundup: Irvin, Marriott Lawyer Up in $100M Suit, Dell Beats $450M Patent Case, 5th Circ. OKs Landry’s Data Breach Loss
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, a $100 million defamation lawsuit against Marriott gets rolling, Dell Technologies gets a win in a $450 million patent infringement lawsuit and the Fifth Circuit agrees Landry’s is on the hook for data breach damages.