The dispute involves high-risk surplus lines insurance commonly purchased by drillers, and is being closely watched for its impact on that market.
TX Solicitor Keller Joins Baker Botts, Kyle Hawkins is Replacement
Scott Keller, the solicitor general for Texas for the past three-and-one-half years, is joining Baker Botts as a partner in its appellate law section.
Fifth Circuit: Birds of a Feather are Trademarked Together
Monty Python’s famous “Dead Parrot” sketch involved John Cleese and Michael Palin debating whether a dead bird sold by a pet store was, in fact, deceased. In that same spirit, the recent Fifth Circuit case…
DBJ: U.S. government appeals AT&T, Time Warner decision
According to legal filings submitted Thursday, the government is appealing to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit after it lost the case last month that sought to block the tie-up of the two companies.
SCOTX: State Not Immune From Anti-‘SLAPP’ Penalties
AUSTIN – (July 2) – In a 5-3 decision, the Texas Supreme Court Friday ruled against an effort to remove from office a county hospital district trustee who wanted to zero out the district’s tax rate. The state not only failed to establish a case for the trustee’s removal, it might owe attorney’s fees under the state’s “anti-SLAPP” statute. The Texas Lawbook has the story.
Appeals Court Reverses Right of First Refusal Mineral Rights Issue
A Texarkana appeals court has issued an opinion that favors a Dallas E&P company in a mineral rights dispute in East Texas and provides clarity on right of first refusal clauses in oil and gas leases.
SCOTX Delivers Blows To Xerox, Dentists in Medicaid Fraud Cases
The Texas Supreme Court Friday delivered a one-two punch to a group of dentists and a state contractor who were pointing fingers at each other over allegations of massive fraud in the state’s Medicaid orthodontic program.
SCOTX: Did Someone Interfere with your Inheritance? Too Bad.
The Texas Supreme Court ruled on Friday that there is no cause of action in Texas for intentional interference with inheritance, a ruling that will not allow the heirs of a wealthy oilman to invalidate a will change that gave a bulk of their inheritance to charities.