A Swiss businessman and former Dallas resident who was a fugitive abroad for nine months last year will plead guilty to one count of perjury in a federal bankruptcy proceeding, according to papers filed by his lawyers and the U.S. government late last week.
Exclusive: Saudi Prince Wins $3M From Irving’s Youtoo Media
In a unanimous verdict, five women and three men ordered Youtoo Media and its general partner, Christopher Wyatt, to pay more than $3 million to Prince Mansour Bin Abdullah Al-Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for his lost investment. The court also tossed a $6 million claim the prince’s courtroom opponents brought against him.
2016 M&A Lawyer Leaderboard: Houstonians and a Lotta White Guys
The scoreboard for the top Texas M&A deal-makers in 2016 is final. From Akin Gump, Andrews Kurth Kenyon and Baker Botts to Latham, V&E and Weil, all the usual suspects are there. Several newcomers have broken into the top 30. Kirkland’s investment in Houston is paying off.
But The Texas Lawbook does more than just name names. We paint a biographical portrait of Texas deal-makers. FYI: Most are from Houston – not Dallas. Very few are women and even less are ethnic minorities.
Corp. Deal Tracker: M&A Firm Leaderboard Played Musical Chairs in 2016
For most Texas-based M&A lawyers, 2016 was not in line with one of Charles Dickens’ most famous lines: it was neither the best of times nor the worst of times for corporate transactional work. But some changes occurred among the law firm leaderboard.
New data from The Texas Lawbook’s Corporate Deal Tracker reveals which firms stayed at the very top for handling the most M&A work in 2016 and which firms got booted out of the top by others. This report provides a full analysis on the new rankings and insights from firm leaders for how deal flow is looking in 2017.
Exclusive: Runaway Swiss Businessman Returns to Dallas… In Handcuffs
A Swiss arbitration ruled that Rudolf Suter owed $2 million to a Florida investor from a failed business deal. Suter ignored it. When the investor discovered he was living large in Texas, the investor sought and received a judgment from a Dallas federal court. Suter filed for bankruptcy. He ignored that until he was threatened with jail. And when a Dallas federal judge decided to hold a contempt hearing, Suter caught a British Airways jet for London.
Last month, Suter was arrested when he tried to return to the U.S. He was returned to Dallas, cuffed hand and foot, for a hearing last Friday and was presented with a whole new legal problem: federal charges for lying during his bankruptcy proceedings.
“He has been avoiding the U.S. legal system for over five years,” said one of the lawyers involved. “Although it took a while, it looks like the system has caught up with him.”
Updated: DBA to Vote on Women Lawyer’s Assoc. Item Mired in Controversy
The Dallas Bar Association’s board of directors is scheduled to vote Thursday on whether the largest organization of women lawyers in North Texas should have an official voice in DBA leadership and policy-making – a move that most lawyers consider an historic development and long overdue. The vote, however, has become mired in controversy, pitting some of the state’s most influential lawyers – and even many long-time friends and law partners – against each other.
Beck Redden, Lane Law Firm Win a Victory for Texas Homeowners
This ruling provides a crucial shield for the roughly 15 percent of Texas homeowners who take out home equity loans.
Updated: Apache Sues Former Exec for Stealing Trade Secrets
The former head of Apache Corp.’s Egyptian operations misappropriated sensitive trade secrets earlier this year when he left the Houston oil and gas company to help create a start-up firm that would compete with Apache for business, lawyers for Apache alleged in a lawsuit filed Tuesday.
Lawyer Couple Helps Free Nonviolent Drug Offender From Behind Bars
Many married couples might cringe at the thought of working together, but Houston corporate lawyers Darin Schultz and Christina Vitale treasure the opportunity.
Irving Optical Company Ex-CEO Flees U.S. to Avoid Federal Contempt Order
A Dallas federal judge issued contempt charges and an arrest warrant late Thursday night against a Swiss businessman who headed an Irving optical company for violating multiple court orders involving an on-going civil lawsuit.