Posting, Tweeting, Tagging #Gagging
Hey, did you know that you can get yourself in a whole lot of trouble on social media? No, seriously, you can! Wait, you already knew that? Everyone knows that? Well then, why does it keep happening?
Can Workers Use Their Employer’s Email Address for Collective Action?
The NLRB thinks the answer is “YES.” As most labor lawyers know, the board is working to increase the ranks of unionized workers and allowing unions to rely on email, web pages and other avenues of social media to spread their message. A recent decision brings to the forefront the issue of the employer’s ability to control employees’ use of the company’s email system.
Investors to Fight Greenberg, Hunton in Stanford Ponzi Scheme Case
Investors are going after the law firms, insurance brokers and financial advisors that worked with Allen Stanford during his infamous Ponzi Scheme, claiming they played heavy roles in Stanford’s ability to defraud billions of dollars from roughly 20,000 investors.
Moncrief Oil Drops $1.37 Billion Case in Middle of Trial – Updated
A decade-long $1.37 billion legal battle between Moncrief Oil and Russia-based OAO Gazprom, the world’s largest extractor of natural gas, came to an abrupt end Monday when the Fort Worth oil company dismissed its trade secrets claims in the middle of a month longtrial. Gazprom's lawyers at Baker Botts say they discovered that a Moncrief executive had fabricated a key document in the case.
Cain & Skarnulis Scores Landmark Bad Faith Claim for Oilfield Driller
Though a daunting hurdle, Steve Skarnulis and Charlie Cain broke the county’s 13-year-pro-defendant streak, and in the process, scored what is believed to be the largest jury verdict in Kendall County: an $8.3 million award to their client, Drilling Risk Management, Inc.
De Boulle Prevails in Trademark Case
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but a Dallas federal court decided last week that the precious stone could elicit quite the opposite effect between brothers trying to run their own jewelry businesses under their family name.
SCOTX Examines Life Partners Disclosure Requirements under Securities Laws
The justices are weighing whether companies such as Waco-based Life Partners that sell investments in the secondary life insurance market should be required to provide potential investors more information about how they calculate policyholder's life expectancy.
Branson to Appeal Court Reversal in $10.7 Million Doctor v. Doctor Business Dispute
Prominent trial lawyer Frank Branson will ask the Texas Supreme Court to reinstate a $10.7 million jury verdict favoring his client in a case accusing a fellow physician and a business associate of breaching their fiduciary duties in their joint ownership of two medical imaging centers in Plano. If the justices refuse, Branson said he will retry the case and he believes they will get the same or an even better result for his client.
Jackson Walker Gets the Latest Win in Epic Media Law Showdown
Jackson Walker won the latest round in a long-running and hard-fought media law case that pits two prominent Texas law firms in a pro bono case where attorney time on each side has reached or surpassed the $1 million mark.
Morgan Lewis Prevails in Pharmaceutical Patent Case
A Houston federal judge ruled last week that Repros is the sole inventor of two patents related to Androxal, a drug that treats male hypogonadism.
Highland Capital Wins $40 Million Jury Verdict
A Dallas jury found banking giant Credit Suisse liable for defrauding an affiliate of Highland Capital Management into backing a $540 million loan in a real estate deal that collapsed in the midst of the financial crisis.
UPDATE – Texas Courts Find More Businesses Violating Workers' Wage and Hour Rights
Wage-and-hour lawsuits filed against Texas businesses have increased 41 percent during the past three years and more than tripled over the past decade, according to research by Androvett Legal Media. “The number of calls I get from potential clients with viable wage and hour cases are more than I have the time and resources to accept,” said Baron & Budd's Allen Vaught, who recently won two major cases against companies under the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act. An in-depth examination by The Texas Lawbook finds the tidal wave of wage-and-hour lawsuits against Texas companies is not likely to end soon for one reason: workers are winning in court.