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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.

Lynn Pinker Accuses AAA Arbitrator of More ‘Egregious Conduct’ in Dickey’s Case

Lynn Pinker partner Mary Goodrich Nix told the AAA its arbitrator refused to grant her any accommodation or continuance when she was in the hospital with her fatally ill father. She also told the administrator of the arbitration between her client, Dickey’s, and a franchisee that arbitrator Gary Leydig referred to her in an email as “Ms. Dix” and said he “has never apologized or acknowledged this, despite having been confronted with how offensive it was.”

Michelle Casady

Houston Jury Awards $5.9M in Family Dispute

Jurors sat through a four-day trial in Harris County District Judge Michael Gomez’ court before siding with the plaintiffs and awarding them $5.9 million in damages. The case centered on the disputed transfer of 45 acres of property near Seabrook, Texas.

Michelle Casady

Shook, Hardy & Bacon Hires Retired Magistrate Judge

Kimberly Priest Johnson, who formerly served as a U.S. magistrate judge in the Sherman Division of the Eastern District of Texas, has joined the Houston office of Shook, Hardy & Bacon as a partner in its complex litigation and strategic counseling practice group.

Michelle Casady

Bankruptcy Judge Isgur Rips GWG Holdings Trustee’s Lawyers on Lack of Due Process Notice to Investors 

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Marvin Isgur ended a hearing Friday morning in the GWG Holdings case after finding lawyers for the trustee had failed to meet their due process obligations under the constitution to provide bondholders with notice of how a proposed settlement would impact them. “I find there is not due process notice and this is not a close call,” he said, adding the effort of the lawyers to inform bondholders, some of whom put their life savings in the company, that they could expect to get back only about 3 percent of what they invested was “completely deficient” and “an embarrassment.”

Michelle Casady

WDTX Chief Judge Removes Jackson Walker Bankruptcy Fee Cases from SDTX Chief Bankruptcy Judge

Chief U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Texas, Alia Moses, has taken control of the 34 bankruptcy cases where the U.S. Trustee is seeking to clawback millions in fees awarded to Dallas-based Jackson Walker. “This unique case nevertheless requires stiff measures. The need to reestablish public trust and confidence in the court system alone impels withdrawal in this highly unusual case,” she wrote.

Michelle Casady

Justice Jeff Boyd to Retire

Justice Boyd issued a statement that he’ll be leaving the bench “near the end” of the court’s term this summer. “I am honored and blessed to have served on the Texas Supreme Court these past 12 years,” he said. “I’m especially grateful to gov. Rick Perry for appointing me to the court in 2012, to the many Texans who have encouraged, supported, and voted for me though two statewide elections, to my many court and campaign colleagues and coworkers for their friendship and inspiration, and to my wife Jackie and our children for reminding me daily of life’s most important blessings.”

Michelle Casady

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