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Michelle Casady

Michelle Casady is based in Houston and covers litigation and appeals — including trials, breaking news and industry trends — for The Texas Lawbook.

Michelle Casady

Michelle Casady has been a reporter in Texas since January 2009. She's covered crime at The Bryan-College Station Eagle, courts at the San Antonio Express-News and civil litigation for Law360. In July 2022, she joined The Texas Lawbook.

Her reporting has included covering arrests, trials, plea deals and settlements, executions, natural and manmade disasters, colorful characters and various oddities.

She lives in Houston with her husband Matt, a sweet dog Hurricane Harvey brought into their lives, and a confident cat who keeps everyone in line. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Texas Tech University and was a 2018 fellow of the Loyola Marymount University Journalist Law School.

You can reach Michelle at michelle.casady@texaslawbook.net or (713) 614-7929.

Litigation Roundup: Match Group Hires Sidley to Defend Class Action; Judge O’Connor Recuses in CFPB Challenge

In this edition of Litigation Roundup, Jerry Jones gets a defamation lawsuit brought by a woman claiming to be his daughter dismissed after the plaintiff’s failed attempt to amend the claims, the ExxonMobil Oil Corporation gets its win in a coverage dispute with AIG affirmed by a Dallas appellate court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit calls out a federal judge in McAllen for denying a motion to dismiss a retaliation lawsuit with “no analysis period.”

Michelle Casady

Dykema Hires MehaffyWeber Products Liability Pro in Houston

Brad Howell comes to Dykema after nearly six years at MehaffyWeber. He’s handled cases involving products liability, statutory indemnity, toxic torts, catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, fire investigations and commercial litigation. He counts among his clients one of the world’s largest heavy equipment manufacturers and has represented clients in courts across 11 states.

Michelle Casady

Dallas COA Opinion Highlights How TCPA Framework Can be ‘Undermined’

This week a three-justice panel of the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas ordered Dallas County District Judge Staci Williams to hold a hearing on a motion to dismiss pending before her that was brought under the Texas Citizens Participation Act. The state’s anti-SLAPP law requires that a hearing on a motion to dismiss take place within 60 days, but Judge Williams’ staff told the relators in this case — who tried six times to get a hearing set — that, while it does its best to accommodate requests for hearings, its docket is “jammed packed” and “there is no way to SQUEEZE your motion into the requested docket.”

Michelle Casady

Litigation Roundup: SpaceX Wants Full Fifth Circuit to hear NLRB Case

In this edition of Litigation Roundup, Yelp prevails against the Texas attorney general’s office in a suit that accused the website of violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, a Dallas-area law firm represents an insurance company accusing nearly 50 defendants of RICO violations related to New York workers’ compensation benefits, and a split Texas Supreme Court issues a ruling clarifying the tolling period in a healthcare liability claim.

Michelle Casady

Waco Jury Hits Google with $12M Infringement Verdict

U.S. District Judge Alan D. Albright presided over the trial that began with jury selection Feb. 15. Testimony began Feb. 20 and the jury returned its verdict Monday, determining Google had infringed five patents held by communications company Flyp with its Google Voice internet phone service.

Michelle Casady

Wish Granted for Judge Who Hoped for Reversal

A three-justice panel of the Fourteenth Court of Appeals issued an opinion reviving the lawsuit brought by the family of Carolyn Burford against her husband’s former employer, Alcoa Inc., over her allegedly fatal exposure to asbestos. At a hearing before dismissing the case, Judge Mark Davidson, who presides over the asbestos multidistrict litigation court in Harris County, had said he was “reluctantly” granting Alcoa’s no-evidence motion for summary judgment and hoped his ruling would be reversed on appeal.

Michelle Casady

SCOTX Again Stays Case Involving Attorney’s Sex Tape, Child Porn Concerns

The Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday entered a stay for the second time in a case that involves the intersection of rules governing civil discovery and federal laws regarding the dissemination of child pornography. In January, the court lifted its first stay in the case and in a 5-4 decision denied Magdoline Elhindi’s petition for writ of mandamus. Tuesday’s stay came amid consideration of Elhindi’s motion for rehearing, which remains pending.

Michelle Casady

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