GCs from Apache, ConocoPhillips, Halliburton, CenterPoint, LyondellBasell and 18 other Houston area businesses have been selected as finalists for the 2019 Houston Corporate Counsel Awards, which are hosted by the Houston Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel and The Texas Lawbook. The awards recognize the successes of corporate in-house counsel.
Few Lawyers Seek Top SEC Enforcement Job in Texas
The number of people who applied for the SEC’s regional director’s position in Fort Worth can be counted on one hand. The reason: the SEC’s Fort Worth enforcement budget has been slashed, staffing has been dramatically reduced and the ability to investigate and prosecute complex cases against corporations and financial institutions involved in illegal and fraudulent conduct has been significantly weakened. The Texas Lawbook has insider details.
Katten Celebrates Dallas Anniversary, Signs Lease at PwC Tower
Katten Muchin opened in Dallas a year ago and has grown to three-dozen attorneys in Dallas. Now, the Chicago-based firm has signed a new long-term lease agreement for two floors at the PwC Tower at Park District in Uptown Dallas – a move that will give the firm space to double in size in the future.
Threats of Grievance Action Against Opposing Counsel During Trial Can Violate Disciplinary Rules
An appeals court in Houston has ruled a lawyer who threatens to file a grievance against opposing counsel during a trial in order to get an advantage in the litigation is committing an ethics violation.
Houston Law Firm Wins Nation’s First Prisoner Release under First Step Act
Richard Evans walked out of federal prison Thursday as the first person freed under the new First Step Act’s “compassionate release” measure. U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt of Houston signed the order and Houston lawyers David Gerger, Samy Khalil and Ashlee McFarland filed the emergency petition. The Texas Lawbook has the inside details.
Growing Feud Between Fifth Circuit Judges and Houston Trial Judges Shocks Legal Experts
Twice in two weeks, a Republican-appointed Fifth Circuit appellate judge directly dressed down a Houston trial court judge in opinion. But this time, the trial judge is fighting back. U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison and Judge Jerry Smith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit have gotten into a nasty public feud that Texas legal experts describe as astonishing. The Lawbook has complete details.
Trump Nominates Justice Brown, Brantley Starr for Federal Judgeships
No president in U.S. history is having as much impact on the federal courts in Texas as President Trump. On Friday, President Trump nominated Texas Supreme Court Justice Jeff Brown and Texas Deputy First Assistant Attorney General Brantley Starr to the district court bench. The Texas Lawbook has details.
Updated – Bill Powers, a Lion of the Texas Bar, Remembered
Bill Powers served three years in the Navy and taught jurisprudence and legal process to thousands of students over three decades. He was dean of the UT School of Law for five years and president of UT for a decade. Powers, 72, died Sunday morning from complications from a fall he experienced in September. The Texas Lawbook looks at Powers’ career.
The State of Business Law in Texas
The Texas Lawbook is conducting its annual survey of Texas law firms to gauge economic trends in the business law community. The deadline is March 15.
Shonn Brown Joins Kimberly Clark as Deputy GC
Dallas trial lawyer Shonn Brown had an interesting Friday. In the early morning hours, she won a 10-digit jury verdict in Dallas County District Court. After lunch, she packed up her office at Lynn Pinker Cox & Hurst and moved her litigation practice to Irving-based Kimberly-Clark Corp., where she is now the deputy general counsel over litigation and regulatory.
