A Swiss businessman may soon be filing a malpractice lawsuit against the federal public defenders who represented him in a criminal bankruptcy fraud case, a recent letter to a federal appeals court indicates. This is a man who was a fugitive after fleeing a federal contempt order, a pro se party several times in litigation after failing to pay his lawyers’ retainer fees, and a big spender on cars and townhouses but not so much on a $2 million civil judgment from 2011 that he still owes to his courtroom opponent. The Lawbook has the latest on this truly remarkable legal saga.
Cantey Hanger Adds Partner in Dallas from Litigation Boutique
Machir Stull was previously at Gruber Hail Johansen Shank, which recently dissolved.
Houston NRF Lawyer Scores Appellate Win for Phillips 66 in Toxic Tort Case
A group of Houston lawyers at Norton Rose Fulbright have been on a winning streak of toxic tort cases for Phillips 66. The latest happened in a federal appeals court in Denver. Details here.
Akerman Adds Insurance Litigation Pro in Dallas
Matt Schroeder, who left Gardere, has special expertise involving coverage issues related to environmental risk policies
Exclusive: Litigation Boutique Pioneer Mike Gruber Joins Dorsey
Prominent litigator Mike Gruber has left the Dallas litigation firm that bears his name to join Dorsey & Whitney, a 106-year old Minnesota firm. The decision was hard, he says, but his reasoning is simple: “Its hard to compete against these national law firms.” Mark Curriden has the story.
Updated – From $50 in the Bank to Tuesday’s $502M Verdict Against Apple: Meet Caldwell Cassady & Curry
Meet Caldwell Cassady & Curry. They started with a $50 bank account and a dedicated client. Now they wear jeans to work, name their conference rooms after hip-hop artists and score verdicts in the hundreds of millions. Natalie Posgate explains who they are, where they come from and why Apple wishes they’d go away.
Former Directors of Litigation at TCEQ Join Holland & Knight in Austin
John Riley and Paul Sarahan were previously at Kelley Drye.
Chamberlain Hrdlicka Signs Litigation Shareholder in San Antonio
James McNeel lateraled over from Strasburger & Price.
Lawsuit Alleges Immigration Fraud at Major Building Services Firm
In a lawsuit filed in state court, a Dallas-based financial services firm alleged that it was being defrauded by a small subcontractor doing business with a major building services firm. But what began as a relatively straight-forward lawsuit involving an executive kickback scheme has morphed into a RICO suit alleging that a Fortune 500 company has been routinely flouting immigration and tax laws. Natalie Posgate recounts the saga in The Texas Lawbook.
Hopper-1, JP Morgan-0 in Post-$8B Probate Verdict Rulings
A Dallas probate judge on Wednesday ordered J.P. Morgan Chase Bank to pay $5.5 million in attorneys’ fees to the widow of an American Airlines executive for an $8 billion jury verdict she and her stepchildren won against the bank last fall.