Citing $100 million to $500 million in liabilities and assets, FCI Sand Operation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the Northern District of Texas on Wednesday.
Marita and Derek — A Shared Journey of Extraordinary Success and Partnership
Marita Covarrubias is a high-ranking Dallas lawyer at Tenet Healthcare who shares a name with a secret agent on The X-Files. Derek Lipscombe was a former Houston Astros bat boy turned award-winning newspaper reporter who is managing counsel for Toyota North America. Both lawyers of color, Covarrubias and Lipscombe have represented their multibillion-dollar corporations in bet-the-company litigation matters — from class-action lawsuits involving cybersecurity and data breaches to massive antitrust challenges — in courtrooms across the country, and both have become critical advisors to the top executives and board members at Tenet and Toyota. Earlier this year, Covarrubias and Lipscombe became the first husband-wife duo to receive the 2024 DFW Corporate Counsel Award for Lifetime Achievement. “Marita and Derek exemplify what it means to dedicate a lifetime of excellence, integrity and the betterment of the legal profession and the North Texas business community,” said Association of Corporate Counsel DFW Chapter President Alvin Benton, who is senior counsel for corporate compliance at Capital One in Dallas.
Premium Subscriber Q&A: Marita Covarrubias and Derek Lipscombe
In this Q&A with The Texas Lawbook, Tenet’s Marita Covarrubias and Toyota North America’s Derek Lipscombe discuss the traits they seek in outside counsel, what outside counsel needs to know when working with them, how their jobs have changed over three decades and being parents to an amazing son with special needs.
Industrial 3D Printer Files for Bankruptcy in Houston
Massachusetts-based Desktop Metal Operating and 15 of its affiliated companies have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the Southern District of Texas.
Texas Lawbook Thanks Keurig Dr Pepper and Shell, Toyota and Vitol, and Many of You
A devoted single mom of three who worked two hourly wage jobs — one as a dishwasher and the other changing oil — because the state of Texas forced her to pay hundreds of dollars each month in child support to her deadbeat baby daddy, who was serving 20 years in prison for raping one of their children. She literally struggled to pay the rent and food for her family. Within hours of The Texas Lawbook writing about the case, lawyers at Reese Marketos stepped forward. Weeks later, a Dallas district judge signed an order reversing the Texas attorney general.
Three years ago, The Lawbook launched a full-time reporter position to write about pro bono, public service and diversity in the Texas legal profession. During the three years, The Lawbook has published more than 240 articles on Texas lawyers representing military veterans, abused children, asylum seekers, the elderly and those discriminated against because of their religious beliefs. Those 240 stories highlighted the pro bono work, public service initiatives and diversity efforts of more than 400 lawyers, 115 law firms and 60 corporate legal departments in Texas.
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Texas Jury Awards Texas Investor $175M in Patent Dispute with Verizon Wireless
The jury’s decision reached Wednesday is the second nine-digit damages verdict in three months favoring Headwater, which is led by inventor Greg Raleigh.
DFW Business Bankruptcy Cases Most Since Great Recession
Fueled by financial distress in the healthcare and hospitality industries, a record number of businesses filed for bankruptcy in the Northern District of Texas federal courts during the first six months of 2025. New Texas Lawbook data shows that 622 companies and their affiliated businesses sought protection to restructure under Chapter 11 in the Texas bankruptcy courts between Jan. 1 and June 30 — more than any other state by a large margin. A half-dozen leading business bankruptcy experts provide their insights.
What Happened to the Commercial Real Estate Bankruptcy Boom? Texas Corporate Bankruptcy Law Experts Discuss the Restructuring Landscape
The Texas Lawbook interviewed seven of the top business bankruptcy lawyers in Texas about trends and developments in their practices during 2025. The experts include Sidley Austin partner Duston McFaul, Godwin Bowman partner Sid Scheinberg, O’Melveny & Myers partner Lou Strubeck, Haynes Boone partner Charles Beckham, Ross & Smith partner Frances Smith, Bradley Arant partner Jarrod Martin and Bracewell partner Trey Wood.
Dallas Franchise Investor Sues Silicon Valley PE CEO, Chair of Stanford University Trustees for Fraud
Dallas real estate executive Jared Caplan claims in a new lawsuit that he is the victim of a switch-and-bait fraud perpetrated by Lily Sarafan, a top executive at private equity owned home healthcare company TheKey. A lawyer for Sarafin, who is now the chair of the Stanford University board of trustees, calls the lawsuit vexatious.
Mediation Fails in Jackson Walker, U.S. Trustee Bankruptcy Fee Dispute
The multimillion-dollar dispute between Jackson Walker and the U.S. Trustee over legal fees paid to the law firm involved in the Houston bankruptcy court romance scandal looks like it is heading to trial. Lawyers for Jackson Walker informed federal court officials Tuesday that efforts to resolve the litigation through mediation had failed.