Pandemic Has Slowed U.S. Building and Development Projects, Creating EB-5 Problems
The unique nature of the EB-5 program poses distinctive risks. This article highlights five things to keep in mind when an EB5 project struggles.
Vegas Jury Awards TeamHealth Millions, Says ‘Yes’ to Punis
A Vegas jury returned a roughly $3 million verdict on Monday in the first trial involving emergency room doctor reimbursement from employer-sponsored health insurance. But TeamHealth's AZA lawyers from Houston expect millions more could be awarded when they meet the defense team for UnitedHealthcare back in court next week for the punitive damages phase of the trial. Natalie Posgate details the case and how TeamHealth’s lawyers won the first phase of the trial.
Rapper Travis Scott Hires Dan Petrocelli in Astroworld Litigation
Prominent Los Angeles trial lawyer Daniel Petrocelli sent an electronic letter late last Wednesday to lawyers for the plaintiffs in the Astroworld Festival tragedy announcing that he now represents rapper Travis Scott and offering to pay the funeral costs of those who died at the Nov. 5 concert in Houston.
“Your client’s offer is declined,” Corpus Christi attorney Bob Hilliard, who represents the family of 9-year-old Ezra Blount, who died at the concert, said in an email response to Petrocelli.
Live Nation Hires Susman Godfrey; Lawyers Predict Astroworld Defendants’ Legal Strategies
Three weeks after 10 people died and hundreds of others were injured at the Astroworld Festival tragedy, the number of lawsuits, plaintiffs and named defendants continues to mount. The demand for damages now tops $3 billion and the lawyer headcount involved in the litigation exceeds six dozen, including some of the most prominent and powerful law firms in Texas. But there are big questions: about insurance coverage, possible bankruptcy and questionable defenses.
Lawyers Get Personal in Landmark ER Doc Pay Case Closings
A Las Vegas jury began deliberating Wednesday morning over whether to order UnitedHealthcare to pay a physician staffing firm millions. The impending verdict will decide the fate of the first case to go to trial involving the compensation of emergency room doctors through commercial health insurance plans provided by employers.
Updated: Hilton Hit with $44 Million, Record-Breaking Sexual Assault Verdict
A Harris County jury has returned a $44 million verdict in connection with a woman's allegation that she was assaulted at a Houston hotel during a business conference in 2017. The Nov. 18 verdict allocated 10% of the damages against the man she accused of assaulting her and 90% against Hilton Management for having failed to protect her when summoned to the scene. Litigation writer Natalie Posgate has the names of the lawyers involved.
Houston Judge Overseeing Winter Storm Uri Lawsuits Praised by Plaintiff and Defense Lawyers
Houston trial lawyers say Judge Sylvia A. Matthews is smart, fair, well-prepared, smart, organized, hard-working, smart, efficient, decisive … and smart. Those traits well serve Matthews, an experienced commercial litigator and trial judge, as she presides over pretrial matters in more than 150 (and counting) lawsuits stemming from one of the deadliest, costliest disasters in Texas history – Winter Storm Uri, the icy blizzard that paralyzed Texas and its electric grid last February.
EasyKnock v. Feldman & Feldman: To TRO or not to TRO?
A Houston federal judge is mulling over whether he will issue a temporary injunction that would order Houston plaintiff’s firm Feldman & Feldman to take down statements from its website that its courtroom opponent, residential sales leaseback firm EasyKnock, alleges are false and defamatory. EasyKnock alleges not doing so would cause irreparable harm, while Feldman & Feldman argues doing so would amount to prior restraint — a strict standard in First Amendment law.
Astroworld Lawsuits Now Number 100+ with 250 Alleged Victims
The number of lawsuits filed in the wake of the Nov. 5th Astroworld tragedy that killed 10 people has surpassed 100, including the first wrongful death case to be officially filed. The complaints – all filed in Harris County District Court – include about 250 plaintiffs and a dozen defendants, including Live Nation, rapper Travis Scott, the operator of NRG Stadium and some newly identified defendants.
Behind the Scenes of Winston’s Recent Mask Mandate Win
The Texas Lawbook caught up with Tom Melsheimer, who led the team that successfully challenged Gov. Abbott's mask mandate ban in Texas schools, on how his firm got involved, how the case differed from other matters and what the biggest surprises in the litigation were.
Defamation Feud Begins Between Home Sales-Leaseback Firm and Houston Law Firm
A residential sales leaseback firm with a significant presence in Texas is seeking a temporary injunction against Feldman & Feldman that would force the Houston plaintiff’s law firm to remove allegedly defamatory statements from its website. The litigation also includes allegations of barratry, is connected to nine federal lawsuits across Texas and pits Dallas lawyers against Houston lawyers.
Baker Botts Wins Summary Judgment in $5.6M Dispute with Venezuela’s State-Owned Oil Company
U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen in Houston rejects claim by defendants that "through no fault of their own" they can’t access needed records and witnesses because of political upheaval in the South American nation.