After seven years, a legal fight over the disinterment of famed trial lawyer John O’Quinn’s body has been put to rest in Houston’s First Court of Appeals.
Yetter Coleman Raises Associate Pay
Yetter Coleman is the latest Texas law firm to join the associate salary hike launched last month by Davis Polk.
Texas Capital GC Heads to a New Bank
Kelly Rentzel, former general counsel at Texas Capital, has a new job: general counsel of First Foundation Inc. The emerging California-founded financial services firm is moving to Dallas, and they’ve tagged Rentzel to help them grow. Natalie Posgate reports.
Judge Greenlights Final Steps of $24M Settlement in Royalty Dispute
A long-simmering dispute between Talisman Energy and 2,700 royalty owners has nearly ended with the distribution approval last week of a $24 million settlement by a federal judge in Houston. Litigation writer Natalie Posgate has details of the deal and the names of the lawyers involved.
TX Litigation Boutiques Join the National Associate Salary Hike Frenzy
Four litigation boutiques — three based in Houston and one based in Austin — are the latest firms to match the Davis Polk associate pay scale for first-years.
Alston & Bird Nabs Longtime McKool Smith IP Lawyer
Patent trial lawyer Ted Stevenson, who has secured nine-digit jury verdicts, joined Alston & Bird this week.
Baker Botts’ Top Tax Litigator to Head to Kirkland
The move signifies Kirkland’s ramped up effort to grow its operations in Texas with practice areas beyond corporate M&A.
Updated: Houston Jury Awards TeamHealth $19.1M in Trial Over ER Doc Pay
A closely-watched trial among healthcare insurers concluded Thursday with a $19.1 million verdict awarded to two emergency medicine group practices affiliated with TeamHealth. But lawyers for the defendant, Molina Healthcare of Texas, said the verdict will be significantly reduced and the new figure falls closely in line with what their client was willing to reimburse.
Judge Albright Establishes Transfer & Fact Discovery Rules in Two New Orders
U.S. District Judge Alan Albright, who has the busiest patent docket in the country, issued two amended standing orders this week designed to keep court matters moving as efficiently as possible while maintaining fairness to both. The orders appear to be well-received so far by practitioners.
Appeals Court Preserves Nine-Figure Jury Verdict Against Toyota — Updated
A three-judge panel in the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas Thursday affirmed a $213 million trial court judgment against Toyota Motor Corp. The case revolved around a rear-end collision in 2016 that left two children severely brain-damaged. A Dallas jury concluded in 2018 that the injuries were exacerbated by a defective seatback design in the family’s 2002 Lexus. The Lawbook’s Natalie Posgate has details of the court’s 2-1 decision.