Jury Trial to Begin in Multimillion Dollar Dispute in Dallas Business Court

Texas Business Court Judge Bill Whitehill will preside over his first jury trial starting Tuesdaymorning with jury selection in a $100 million breach-of-contract case between two oil and gascompanies. The case, in which Synergy Thermogen is accusing Blackbrush Oil & Gas of breach of contractby using its access to the company to delay progress and defraud investors, will take place inthe Merrill Hartman Courtroom of the George Allen Courts Building in Dallas since the business court has no courtroom space of its own.

October 5, 2026 Alexa Shrake

Litigation Roundup: Uber Settles Sex Assault Bellwether on Eve of Austin Trial 

In this edition of Litigation Roundup, a lawyer who filed an AI-generated brief "littered with errors” is sanctioned by the Dallas Court of Appeals, a Stephenville businessman agrees to forfeit more than 90 exotic cars after admitting to running a scam loan program and Vinson & Elkins and Hunton Andrews Kurth gear up to defend data center clients against an environmental suit in San Antonio. 

October 5, 2026 Michelle Casady

First Court of Appeals Justice Guiney Dies at 51

The First Court of Appeals announced Friday that Justice Kristin Guiney, 51, died. Justice Guiney joined the court last year and previously presided over the 232nd and the 179th District Courts in Harris County. People who knew Justice Guiney say she will be remembered for her fairness.

October 3, 2026 Alexa Shrake

Another Bankruptcy Case Draws Threat of Sanctions Against Jackson Walker 

Jackson Walker is facing potential sanctions for failing to disclose the romantic relationship between its former partner Elizabeth Freeman and former U.S. Bankruptcy Judge David Jones in another corporate bankruptcy case. This case is not one of the 33 where the U.S. Trustee is seeking to claw back millions in fees.

October 2, 2026 Michelle Casady

Veteran IP Litigator Joins Jackson Walker

Jackson Walker announced that Jose Villarreal has joined its Austin office as a partner focusing on intellectual property litigation. His practice includes patent litigation and counseling on IP portfolio development,

October 2, 2026 Elle Grinnell

Dallas Attorneys Win Dismissal of Cryptocurrency Memecoin RICO Suit

Dallas trial lawyers from Sbaiti & Company secure the dismissal of a civil RICO punitive class action in the Southern District of New York involving cryptocurrency memecoins. U.S. District Judge Jennifer Rochon granted the defenses' motion to dismiss all claims with prejudice and denied leave for an amended complaint Wednesday.

October 1, 2026 Alexa Shrake

Gibson Dunn Powers Up IP Practice, Adds Mathews and Fountain

Fresh off their third trial defense win in a row in the Eastern District of Texas, Nicholas Mathews and Erik Fountain are transferring their intellectual property litigation talents to Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. They are the latest in a string of partner losses at McKool Smith this summer.

October 1, 2026 Brooks Igo

Catching Up with Mike McKool, 3 Years After Departing Firm He Founded

He still has an active law practice, but Mike McKool’s legal work doesn’t lend itself to spending time in the courtroom these days. When he’s not working, he told The Texas Lawbook in a recent interview, he’s spent his time visiting with friends and driving offroad motorcycles on 40 miles of trails around his ranch near Waxahachie.

September 30, 2026 Michelle Casady

Biz Court Significantly Trims Scope of Damages in Southwest Pilot’s 737 MAX Suit Against Boeing

A Texas Business Court judge has determined the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association failed to sufficiently connect the dots between The Boeing Company’s alleged misrepresentations about the airworthiness of the 737 MAX aircraft, the subsequent grounding of those planes following two fatal crashes, and the consequential damages the union alleged its members suffered as a result. 

September 29, 2026 Michelle Casady

Catching Up with Hope Shimabuku

After a decade of serving her country as the first regional director of the Southwest Office for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Hope Shimabuku jumped at the opportunity to again create something new when she led the opening of Finnegan's Dallas office this month. And the elite global IP firm would’ve been hard-pressed to find someone better to be boots on the ground. The Texas Lawbook visited with Shimabuku about her legacy at the USPTO and her aspirations for Finnegan in Texas.

September 29, 2026 Brooks Igo

Litigation Roundup: Amici Flood Federal Circuit, Supporting Samsung in Injunction Fight

In this edition of Litigation Roundup, the Texas State Securities Board says it was the entity that determined NFL star Travis Kelce was the victim of a Ponzi scheme, a dispute between concrete industry competitors is dropped and the Texas Supreme Court is urged to determine courts here have jurisdiction over a $500 million fight between Brazilian mining companies.

September 28, 2026 Michelle Casady

Dallas Jury Hits Expro Holdings with $7.7M Verdict for Breach of Contract

A Dallas County jury deliberated for about two and a half hours before unanimously awarding more than $7.7 million to Arlington-based MCR Oil Tools last week, finding its longtime business partner Expro Holdings had breached a contract. The 20-year business relationship between the companies came to an end in 2023 when Expro chose not to renew its licensing agreement.

September 28, 2026 Alexa Shrake