A Houston federal judge is mulling over whether he will issue a temporary injunction that would order Houston plaintiff’s firm Feldman & Feldman to take down statements from its website that its courtroom opponent, residential sales leaseback firm EasyKnock, alleges are false and defamatory. EasyKnock alleges not doing so would cause irreparable harm, while Feldman & Feldman argues doing so would amount to prior restraint — a strict standard in First Amendment law.
Behind the Scenes of Winston’s Recent Mask Mandate Win
The Texas Lawbook caught up with Tom Melsheimer, who led the team that successfully challenged Gov. Abbott’s mask mandate ban in Texas schools, on how his firm got involved, how the case differed from other matters and what the biggest surprises in the litigation were.
Defamation Feud Begins Between Home Sales-Leaseback Firm and Houston Law Firm
A residential sales leaseback firm with a significant presence in Texas is seeking a temporary injunction against Feldman & Feldman that would force the Houston plaintiff’s law firm to remove allegedly defamatory statements from its website. The litigation also includes allegations of barratry, is connected to nine federal lawsuits across Texas and pits Dallas lawyers against Houston lawyers.
American Airlines Sexual Assault Case Heads to Trial as Judge Denies MSJ
Lawyers at Miller Bryant scored a large win this week when a Fort Worth judge denied a motion for summary judgment by American Airlines in a sexual assault case brought by a flight attendant in January of last year involving an incident with a celebrity chef.
TeamHealth Trial: A Threat, A Delay, A Juror Down
A stomach virus and a potential security threat sidetracked the ongoing jury trial in Las Vegas between TeamHealth and insurance giant UnitedHealthcare. The security threat proved false, but a juror was lost to the stomach virus. AZA, the Houston litigation boutique, is representing TeamHealth, a network of physicians and medical professionals complaining of systematic underpayment for their services by UnitedHealthcare. UnitedHealthcare, represented by O’Melveny & Myers, says TeamHealth charged too much in the first place. The Lawbook’s Natalie Posgate is monitoring the trial that both sides hope to conclude by Thanksgiving.
AZA Begins Next TeamHealth Trial in Sin City
Six women and two men are currently hearing opening statements in a trial that began today in Las Vegas between Blackstone-owned ER physician staffing company TeamHealth and UnitedHealthcare over reimbursement rates of ER physicians. It’s the first trial in a series of TeamHealth cases to involve a major insurer that provides health plans through employers. Litigation writer Natalie Posgate is tuning into opening statements and will report back later.
Tarrant County Court Denies Injunction in American-Sabre Courtroom Fight
A Fort Worth state judge this week denied a temporary injunction sought by American Airlines that would have enjoined ticket distribution vendor Sabre Holdings Corp. from utilizing its New Airline Storefront display product and paying travel agents incentives to book higher-priced Delta Airlines tickets over American tickets.
Encompass Health Sues DFW-Based Founder for Violating Noncompete & Trade Secrets Theft
A new lawsuit in Dallas County District Court pits Alabama-rooted Bradley Arant and Encompass Health Corp. against former Encompass CEO April Anthony, a Dallas millionaire and large figure in the at-home health world who left the company she founded this summer for a competitor.
BMC and IBM Prepare to Head to Trial in SDTX; $791M Potentially at Stake
After four years of heavy litigating, lawyers at Bracewell, Yetter Coleman and Quinn Emanuel are preparing for battle. An upcoming trial between the lawyers’ clients, IBM and KKR-owned BMC, will involve mainframe software, a lucrative project for AT&T and a nine-figure damages model.
Houston Federal Court Ends Long-running Fight between GenOn and Bank
A federal district court in Houston has followed the recommendation of U.S. Bankruptcy Judge David Jones to dismiss all remaining litigation between French bank Natixis Funding Corp. and GenOn Mid-Atlantic over a $130 million credit arrangement gone south for two coal-fired power plants in Maryland.