Exactly 358 days after the Texas Supreme Court issued its first Covid-19-related emergency order closing most state courtrooms to in-person hearings and trials, the justices issued their 36th order Friday officially lifting the statewide ban. But the pandemic caused a backlog of thousands of civil and criminal jury trials that Texas Chief Justice Nathan Hecht told The Texas Lawbook needs to be addressed.
Remembering Clyde Siebman, ‘The Guiding Spirit Behind the EDTX Bench Bar Conference’
When the biggest corporations in the world – Toyota, Wal-Mart, Phillip Morris, Boeing and Huawei – needed a lawyer in East Texas, they called Sherman’s Clyde Siebman. So did single moms, the elderly and veterans. Siebman, a zealous advocate for the right to trial by jury, died Friday. He was 62.
‘God of the Earth Realm’ Loses Intergalactic Trade Dispute, Again
Lawyer Edward Moses, Jr., self-described monarch and deity of the “Atakapa Indian de Creole Nation” and “Christian Emperor of New Orleans,” tried for a second time to get the judges of the Fifth Circuit to take up his case. For some reason, the appellate court felt that Moses’ lawsuit against 150 world leaders wasn’t supported by law or facts.
Texas Bar Members Approve Law Firm Trade Names
Vinson & Elkins and Baker Botts are highly unlikely to change their firm names to “Bad Ass Lawyers” or “Energy M&A Deals are Us,” but four out of five Texas lawyers who voted in a State Bar of Texas referendum over the past few weeks think they should be able to do so if they want.
Okin Adams Advise on Castex Energy ‘Chapter 22’ Bankruptcy
In the world of corporate bankruptcy and restructuring, they call it Chapter 22. For the second time in four years, Houston-based oil and gas exploration and drilling company Castex Energy has filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the Southern District of Texas.
Electrolit v. Gatorlyte Trademark Infringement Fight in South Texas Flares Up Again
A federal judge in McAllen issued a new, second temporary restraining order Saturday enjoining PepsiCo from making, marketing and selling its new rehydration drink Gatorlyte on the grounds that the global soft drink giant engaged in anticompetitive conduct against Mexico-based Laboratorios Pisa and its trademarked Electrolit drink.
Kirkland & Ellis Bets on the Texas Trifecta
Kirkland & Ellis, the world’s most profitable law firm, is expanding its footprint in Texas again. Since it opened its first office in Houston seven years ago, Kirkland has been the fastest growing corporate legal operation in Texas. Now, the Chicago-founded law firm is tripling down on its bet on the Lone Star State with plans to open in Austin.
PepsiCo’s Leanne Oliver – 2020 DFW Corporate Counsel’s Lifetime Achievement Award
For a quarter of a century, Leanne Oliver has been a corporate in-house lawyer for PepsiCo and Frito-Lay. She has been a groundbreaker in developing family leave policies and internal training efforts to eliminate sexual harassment. She’s also a highly successful labor and employment lawyer.
Brazos Electric Coop Files for Bankruptcy
Last week, Brazos Electric Power Cooperative got a $2 billion bill from ERCOT demanding payment for power supplied during the winter storm that hit Texas two weeks ago. Early this morning, Brazos, the largest generation and transmission cooperative in Texas, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the Southern District of Texas citing more than $3 billion in debts.
2020 DFW General Counsel of the Year Finalists
American Airlines and Chuck E. Cheese. Farmer Brothers and HMS Holdings. Southwest Airlines and Aventiv. The CLOs and GCs at these six North Texas companies utilized their legal acumen and business leadership skills to lead their employers through a monumentally challenging year. They are finalists for the 2020 DFW Outstanding Corporate Counsel Awards.
