On Tuesday, Michelle Larson officially traded her law office at Carrington Coleman for black robes as the newest federal bankruptcy judge in the Northern District of Texas. But instead of a small, usually private ceremony in the courthouse, Larson was joined by 90 of her closest colleagues, friends and family on Zoom to celebrate the milestone. Natalie Posgate tuned in and has details on the momentous occasion and the Dallas bankruptcy bench’s newest jurist.
Yetter Coleman Hires New Appellate Practice Lead from Beck Redden
Connie Pfeiffer joins Yetter Coleman with significant appellate wins under her belt and the desire to lead and mentor. Natalie Posgate lays out her background and how the professional persuader was persuaded to move.
North Dakota Supreme Court Hands Win to Bakken, Permian Refiner
The ruling paves the way for North Dakota-based Meridian Energy Group to move forward with its Davis Refinery project, which will impact the company’s growing Houston operations and legal work by some Texas lawyers handling the financing.
Bankruptcy Update: A Fast Food Franchisee, A Sand Company & A Big Exit
The country’s largest franchisee of two major fast food chains, a fairly new company that is the product of the No. 1 and No. 3 largest sand suppliers in the U.S. and an exit by a behemoth oilfield services company are the latest happenings on U.S. Bankruptcy Judge David Jones’ docket in the Southern District of Texas. Plus, an upcoming Ch. 11 to watch out for.
Dallas Distributor Sues Red Bull for $31M
The lawsuit claims Red Bull committed fraud, breached its fiduciary duty and breached a contract when it ended its two-decade business relationship with KC Distributing despite promises that KC would not be terminated and despite significant investments KC had made.
Here are the Lawyers Involved so far in the Oxy-Sanchez Lawsuit
Occidental Petroleum sued Sanchez Energy last week in a federal bankruptcy court in Houston, where Sanchez has been undergoing a Chapter 11 reorganization since last August. The lawsuit is tied to a $2.3 billion deal in the Eagle Ford that Sanchez entered with Anadarko, which is now owned by Oxy.
Another Balance Sheet Bites the Dust in the Permian — Updated
Houston-based Sable Permian Resources is the latest energy company to fall victim to the COVID-19 crisis and the Saudi-Russia oil price war and file for bankruptcy protection as a result. But court documents reveal that the oil producer has been struggling with his balance sheet since 2016.
Paxton’s Lawyers on Criminal Case Shuffle: ‘This Case Has Gone on Far Too Long’
It’s been five years since Texas AG Ken Paxton has been indicted for securities fraud, but the case is back to where it first began.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think that that this case would be going five years later,” one of Paxton’s lawyers, Bill Mateja, told The Texas Lawbook. “Let alone that there would be two trips to the Court of Criminal Appeals, that we’d have the SEC case dismissed years before the criminal trial was even scheduled and that the case would be transferred to Harris County and back to Collin County.”
Children’s Pizza Parties & Films: The Latest Players on the Bankruptcy Docket
A Texas-based arcade also known for its pizza and a French multinational corporation that was a foundational backbone to Hollywood’s Golden Age are the latest companies to file for bankruptcy protection in Houston. Natalie Posgate explains the circumstances and reveals the lawyers.
SCOTX Wipes $16.5M Judgment in Complicated Partnership Dispute
Almost 10 years after it began, the Texas Supreme Court has ended a contentious legal battle over a business partnership breakup. While the reasoning behind tossing a multimillion-dollar judgment was simple, the justices found themselves debating over a lesser-included issue about who can recover damages on behalf of a partnership.