A five-year battle over sanctions against NRA lawyer Bill Brewer will be argued Oct. 10 before the Texas Supreme Court. The issue is whether Brewer conducted a poll of potential jurors in Lubbock to gauge public attitudes or to improperly influence the jury pool. Both sides agree that the case presents “multiple questions of law and policy that have far-reaching implications and are important to the jurisprudence of the state.”
Group of Environmental Lawyers Jump from Katten to Baker Botts
The Texas-based corporate law firm is expected to announce next week that it has added up to nine partners – three of them based in Texas – to its environmental and workplace safety practice, The Texas Lawbook has learned. All nine attorneys have been partners in the Austin, Houston, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. offices of Chicago-based Katten Muchin.
The Deals, The Law Firms, The Lawyers
Our expert team has examined every transaction recorded by the Corporate Deal Tracker – there were thousands of them handled by Texas lawyers in 2018 and 2019. This article details how The Lawbook plans to unveil the findings.
Study: Texas Appellate Courts Getting Fairer to Plaintiffs
A new study by Haynes and Boone shows that the newly-elected appellate judges in Texas are reversing lower court litigation decisions equally for defendants and plaintiffs – a dramatic shift from only one year ago when Republican judges controlled the state appellate benches and favored defendants over plaintiffs by an overwhelming margin. The Texas Lawbook has the full details.
Ruff Family Seeks Criminal Inquiry against Lawyer, Bank over Millions in Trust Fund
A Texas judge has initiated a “court of inquiry” to handle allegations of criminal misconduct made by the children of deceased Dallas banker Arthur Ruff against Texas lawyers and bankers involved in their family’s multimillion-dollar trust. The judicial led probe comes as Ruff’s widow seeks to enforce a $66 million judgment against her own son. The web of lawsuits shows just how nasty family disputes over cash and control can get.
Fifth Circuit’s Stewart Ends Term as Chief Judge: ‘It’s Been a Full Seven Years’
Carl Stewart’s term as chief judge of the New Orleans-based Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals expires at the end of September. In an exclusive interview with The Texas Lawbook, Judge Stewart looks back at seven tumultuous years, his plans for the future, the need to integrate five new appellate judges and what others say his legacy as the Fifth Circuit’s only African-American chief judge will be.
Abbott Appoints Jane Bland to Texas Supreme Court
Former Houston judge and appellate law expert Jane Bland will soon have her third job in nine months: Justice on the Texas Supreme Court. Gov. Abbott announced Monday that he intends to appoint Bland, who is now a partner at V&E in Houston, to the state’s highest court.
Bell Nunnally Gets First New Leader in 20 Years
Bell Nunnally has had the same managing partner for two decades. That changes Sept. 1 when trial partner Christopher Trowbridge takes the reins of the 63 lawyer corporate firm. But he knows there will be many challenges ahead.
Fifth Circuit: Sachse Police Denied Immunity, Face Jury Trial in 2010 Shooting
Eighteen federal appellate judges. An 11-6-1 split. A majority decision by Judge Patrick Higginbotham. Five separate blistering dissenting opinions. Some dissenters even poke at each other. In all, 75 pages of wisdom from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit about qualified immunity. The result: two Sachse police officers will stand trial for allegations that they used excessive force and fabricated evidence in the 2010 shooting of Ryan Cole of Garland.
SAExploration Fires GC, Dismisses CEO Amid SEC Probe
The SEC is investigating Houston-based SAExploration Holdings for allegedly providing “material misstatements” and misleading financial information to investors and the federal agency over the past four years. In response, the oilfield services company says it will cooperate with the SEC, is restating past financial reports, has fired its general counsel and has removed its chairman and chief executive officer.