Free Speech, Due Process and Trial by Jury
At Southern Methodist University, Judge Bill Whitehill heard arguments Friday afternoon on the Dallas Stars’ summary judgment motion. The lawsuit was filed in October 2024 by the Dallas Mavericks, claiming the hockey franchise was in violation of its agreement over its shared lease of the American Airlines Center.
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved an Austin litigator and a Fort Worth judge for the federal bench Thursday morning. Tarrant County Judge Christopher Wolfe will be serving in the Waco Division, and Andrew Davis will be in Austin.
The Business Court had a historic February. It presided over its first-ever jury trials, resulting in wins on both sides of the “v.” The Court also penned five opinions, including the first interpretation of its intellectual property jurisdiction. This month will be remembered as a culmination of the Court’s first chapter.
Less than 15 hours after telling a federal appeals court that it no longer planned to fight to enforce the executive orders signed by President Donald Trump last spring against Susman Godfrey and three other corporate law firms, the U.S. Justice Department filed new motions today seeking to “withdraw their motion to voluntarily dismiss these consolidated appeals.”
The same two senior DOJ lawyers who last evening told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit that the federal government would no longer fight to reverse orders from lower court judges declaring that the EOs targeting four law firms were illegal and blocked them from being enforced signed a six-page filing today saying that the fight is back on.
Justice Department lawyers gave no explanation for the government’s sudden reversal.
The Trump administration filed court documents late Monday stating that it will no longer seek to enforce the executive orders signed by President Donald Trump last spring against Susman Godfrey and a handful of other law firms.
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, Stone Hilton helps X Corp. defeat a proposed class action lawsuit in North Texas, and a group of South Texas doctors agree to pay millions to settle False Claims Act allegations.
Lauren Valkenaar announced Monday that Michael O’Donnell has joined her firm as a name partner to form Valkenaar O’Donnell PLLC. O’Donnell is the former partner-in-charge of Norton Rose Fulbright’s San Antonio office.
At 7:04 a.m. Feb. 11, about two-and-a-half hours before testimony was set to resume in the first jury trial in the Texas Business Court, Judge Sofia Adrogué received a text message from a bailiff.
“Good morning Judge,” Deputy James Williams’ text began. “Hate to bring you bad news this morning. ...”
The trial, intended to showcase the new court, suddenly became an exercise in crisis management. This is the behind-the-scenes story of the court’s inaugural jury trial that was filled with other unexpected firsts.
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