In this edition of Litigation Roundup, the University of Houston gets a retaliation lawsuit tossed on appeal, a group of investors in a Dallas-area chain of hot chicken restaurants settles its suit with a hospitality group and the Fifth Circuit sides with the National Labor Relations Board in a suit involving fired plant workers.
Energy Companies Racking Up Hundreds of Millions in Legal Bills in Winter Storm Uri Litigation
More than 400 lawyers at more than 30 elite corporate law firms in Texas have made a total of more than $280 million in legal fees related to disputes involving Winter Storm Uri — a tab that legal industry insiders estimate will easily top a half-billion dollars before the litigation is over — even though not a single case has even been set for trial.
And those are only the lawyers representing energy companies and insurance firms. More than 80 plaintiffs’ attorneys — most of them from Houston — have filed lawsuits on behalf of tens of thousands of individuals and businesses claiming they were harmed by the actions — or lack of actions — of the energy companies during Winter Storm Uri. If successful, those lawyers could earn upwards of a billion dollars.
Litigation Roundup: Wells Fargo Asks for Arbitration in Discrimination Class Action, Jerry Jones Assault Case to Proceed
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, Southwest Airlines attorneys are denied a stay of a sanctions order that they undergo religious liberty training, the Texas Supreme Court rejects Jerry Jones’ request to end an assault suit brought by a woman he allegedly forcibly kissed at AT&T Stadium and the Fifth Circuit revives a suit against the Food and Drug Administration over tweets about ivermectin.
Texas Seeks Stay of Federal Court Ruling Against School Book Ban
The fast-moving case is heading to the Fifth Circuit over the First Amendment implications of a new law requiring booksellers to rate material sold to public school libraries. Would Texan Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove and Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet be banned for sexual content?
Business Court Building Blocks Taking Shape
The hotly contested legislation establishing a new business court and intermediate court of appeals to handle complex commercial cases goes into effect Sept. 1 as litigators wait for judicial appointments and procedural rules. Many expect challenges to the business court’s system of appointed judges and the Fifteenth Court of Appeals’ statewide jurisdiction. Janet Elliott outlines the issues.
Making Your Closing Argument — Where Exactly is the Beef?
Closing arguments are one of the most anticipated parts of any jury trial. Consequently, it’s important for the advocate to choose his or her words carefully for maximum impact. We’ve found that jurors throughout the country are very responsive to an approach that emphasizes the inability of one side to prove its case. Finding a way to couch the argument with broad appeal is all the more persuasive.