Your dog or your 4-year-old are cute additions to the office Zoom conference, but if you happen to be arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court anytime soon, you might want to get out of the house. Come Monday, the court will be taking their arguments by teleconference and the experience will be…different. We asked Dallas trial lawyer Mark Werbner for his advice on adapting the chance of a lifetime to the Age of Social Distance.
Amicus Practice at the Texas Supreme Court
Amicus involvement has grown steadily in numbers and importance at the Texas Supreme Court, according to a five-year study by Haynes and Boone. This article examines the trends and sources of amicus filings at the state’s high court.
SCOTX Tosses Highland Capital’s $211M Judgment against Credit Suisse, Upholds $40M
Any other day, a plaintiff would be thrilled that the Texas Supreme Court upheld a $40 million jury verdict in their favor. But Highland Capital is no ordinary plaintiff and its fraud case against Credit Suisse over a 2007 Las Vegas residential real estate project has been far from run-of-the-mill.
Varsity Brands Wins Again at Alabama Supreme Court
Dallas-based Varsity Brands has sealed last year’s $3.1 million Alabama jury verdict with a final win at the Supreme Court of Alabama. The court let stand a judgment against Jostens for luring 47 school clients by hiring two salesmen bearing key trade secrets from a Varsity Brands subsidiary.
SCOTX: No Evidence Bill Brewer Acted in Bad Faith, Sanctions Reversed
Dallas trial lawyer Bill Brewer should not have been sanctioned by a Lubbock judge for conducting a survey or poll months before a trial because there “is no evidence” that the controversial attorney acted in bad faith or tried to improperly tamper with the jury process, the Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday.
Fifth Circuit Approves “Snap Removals” of Diversity Cases by Non-Forum Defendants
A new tool is now available for companies sued in Texas, Louisiana or Mississippi, thanks to a recent Fifth Circuit decision. Nicholas Sarokhanian of Holland & Knight explains.
Two Dallas Lawyers, One Ruling: SCOTUS Rules on Patent Review Issue
A decision issued Monday in the U.S. Supreme Court narrowed the scope of what can be appealed during an inter partes review of patent cases, providing some clarity to portions of the America Invents Act. The case originated in a Texas court and pitted two Dallas lawyers against each other at oral argument.
SCOTX Makes Moot Case Moot-er
The Supreme Court of Texas took the unusual step of vacating a lower court decision in an already moot case involving the Texas Education Agency. In a per curiam decision, the court said it wanted to avoid future “gamesmanship” on issues of public importance. Janet Elliott has the details.
Austin False Claims Act Practitioner is Aiding Planned Parenthood in Case Before U.S. Supreme Court
Patrick O’Connell is an Austin-based solo whose practice is almost exclusively qui tam cases. He chases fraud on behalf of clients in cases in which the State of Texas is on his side. But in a case now officially before the U.S. Supreme Court, O’Connell finds himself facing off against the Lone Star State in a challenge to its COVID-19 abortion restrictions. The Lawbook’s Tony Mauro explains.
Economic Loss in a Time of Coronavirus: Fifth Circuit Case May Drive Future COVID-19 Business Tort Litigation
The Fifth Circuit recently confronted a classic “economic loss rule” problem under Texas law. While the case involved a dispute about the operation of a power turbine, the legal framework described by Golden Spread could easily set the ground rules for future business tort litigation arising from the COVID-19 crisis.