Free Speech, Due Process and Trial by Jury
A New York jury found Vanderbilt Mining knew about asbestos contamination in its mines but failed to protect its neighbors. The plaintiff's lawyer, Sam Iola of the Dallas asbestos litigation boutique Iola Gross & Forbes-King, called the case unique due to the allegations that environmental exposure harmed his client rather than the use of a specific product.
The Southern District of Texas ranks second in a Lex Machina report released Thursday that examines which venues handled the greatest number of tort cases between 2022 and 2024.
For Part II of a set of stories examining how the first year went for Texas’ newest court, The Texas Lawbook spoke to lawyers who have practiced in the Texas Business Court about their experiences litigating complex disputes in the venue. Some of those lawyers have also practiced in the Delaware Chancery Court and drew distinctions about what differentiates the specialty courts.
Two years ago, lawmakers created a new court, in part as a signal to the business community that Texas is a good place to incorporate and that jurists here could deliver quick, consistent results in complex business disputes.
In its first year of operation, the 10 judges appointed to the five divisions of the court have seen more than 180 cases filed. That figure is higher than some of the judges who spoke to The Texas Lawbook expected to see. We asked them to look back on the first year of operations.
Former Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman joined the Houston law firm of Wright Close & Barger in 2022 as a partner. Now, the firm is adding her name to the shingle.
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, a Dallas-based lender can’t escape a $6.7 million judgment, and a man injured on the job asks the Texas Supreme Court to reinstate his $15.4 million win against CenterPoint Energy.
Saying she “never thought about going anywhere else,” recently retired U.S. District Judge Barbara Lynn confirmed Friday that she is joining the law firm founded three decades ago by her husband, Mike Lynn. She will join Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann as a partner. Judge Lynn's practice will focus on mediation, trial consultancy on complex business cases and internal corporate investigations. Her hourly rate will be $2,500.
Barbara M.G. Lynn, the recently retired judge for the Northern District of Texas, has been appointed as mediator in an insurance dispute involving the Boy Scouts of America that the presiding judge in the matter called “the mother of all coverage cases.”
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