Free Speech, Due Process and Trial by Jury
Four Barnes & Thornburg litigators have left the firm to launch Duane Morris' new Dallas office, which the Philadelphia firm says solidifies its presence in the state's high-technology and energy sectors.
A Dallas appeals court ruled Thursday that a trial court did not abuse its discretion by declining to seal a set of documents at Toyota's request after a 2018 trial that rendered a $242 million verdict. The appeal of the verdict is still pending, but in the meantime, Natalie Posgate dissects the issues around the documents.
A Trinity Industries spinoff company won a $12.6 million bench trial judgment for damages incurred from a flopped wind tower deal with a customer. But the customer is resisting the result with a new motion that alleges the eight-figure judgment is not supported by the evidence.
The Texas corporate partner lateral market nearly evaporated in 2020, but there are signs that some lawyers - especially in litigation practices - are ready to make moves.
A state judge sanctioned a Bellaire lawyer $150,000 after finding that the lawyer filed false and frivolous claims on behalf of his Chinese client, including one of residence near his failed Houston area chicken restaurant, while he was apparently living in Shanghai.
A healthcare trial lawyer from Thompson & Knight starts this week at Thompson Coburn as the 11th attorney and seventh partner to join the St. Louis-based firm's Dallas office since it launched in early 2020.
A magistrate judge in Austin has ordered the lawyer for legal recruiter Evan Jowers to reconsider a brief filed by Jowers that heavily criticized the judge in response to a sanctions warning.
“Judges like you are the reason most Americans who are frivolously sued … don’t trust the court system to defend themselves, even if they can raise the funds,” the brief states.
April Farris, a former Yetter Coleman appellate partner and state Assistant Solicitor General, is settling into her first workweek as a justice on Houston’s Court of Appeals. Farris says she’s delighted to return to public service and carry out the oath she took on New Year’s Day.
2020 proved to be a tense year for Texas commercial litigators. Many courthouse doors remained shuttered for in-person proceedings and jury trials were nearly non-existent. The stresses of client needs and operating a law firm loomed at home. But it’s necessary to also recognize the highlights and headways that advanced the world of litigation as lawyers trudged through the dark tunnel created by COVID-19. Natalie Posgate picks 10 of these moments.
While not tied with a bow, U.S. District Judge Karen Gren Scholer issued a ruling this week that employers who often find themselves as defendants in wage and hour lawsuits will likely view as Christmas coming early.
© Copyright 2025 The Texas Lawbook
The content on this website is protected under federal Copyright laws. Any use without the consent of The Texas Lawbook is prohibited.
