Founder of Houston O&G Company Owes $39M in Breach of Contract Trial, Colorado Jury Finds

DENVER — The eight-member jury unanimously found Tellurian founder Charif Souki breached a contract with an investor and awarded $39 million in damages after deliberating just over three hours on a snowy Friday afternoon. While the jurors found Parker prevailed on his breach of contract claim based on a 2019 text message exchange, they rejected his five other claims, including breach of a separate agreement, fraudulent inducement, unjust enrichment and promissory estoppel.

April 17, 2026 Alexa Shrake

Tellurian Founder Testifies, Motion for Judgment Denied

DENVER — Parties rested their cases Thursday afternoon in the breach of contract case between investor Chris Parker and Tellurian founder Charif Souki over an alleged agreement not to sell Tellurian stock. The eight-member jury will decide whether a text message exchange is a binding contract Friday.

April 16, 2026 Alexa Shrake

Jury Bias Against Big Business is a Big Problem

The anticorporate juror now comes from all directions. Lawyers representing any sizeable business, not just the Fortune 500, must plan to counter this pervasive prejudice.

Where did this surge of intolerance come from? And what is the answer for a trial lawyer?

April 16, 2026 Joe Ahmad

Trial Begins Against 3M Over Deadly 2020 West Houston Explosion

For two hours Tuesday morning, 12 jurors and one alternate seated in a Harris County courtroom were told they would be determining who was responsible for a deadly explosion that rocked a West Houston neighborhood in 2020, claiming lives and damaging or destroying more than 450 businesses and homes. (2020 file photo by Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via AP)

April 14, 2026 Michelle Casady

Parties Rest in Energy Transfer’s $432.7M Breach Suit

In a tag-team closing argument Monday afternoon, two attorneys representing a client facing a $432.7 million damages request by Energy Transfer told Business Court Judge Grant Dorfman the amount being sought is both unfounded and a drastic overreach. 

April 14, 2026 Michelle Casady

Use It or Lose It — Could AI Hurt by Helping?

The advent of AI is being billed as an upgrade on the scale of the Industrial Revolution. The legal industry appears to be digesting AI tools more comfortably every day. We nevertheless urge caution. Any new technology can have unintended side effects. Smartphones, for instance, devour our attention. We all knew watching too much TV was bad for us, but smartphones are like TV screens on steroids. Like the radio transmitter worn by Harrison Bergeron’s father in Vonnegut’s 1961 short story, smartphones displace deep thought.

AI could be worse.

April 14, 2026 Robert Manz & Katherine Manz

Trial Begins in Breach of Contract Case Against Tellurian Founder

DENVER — What’s expected to be a five-day trial commenced Monday in U.S. District Judge William Martinez’s courtroom in the case between Chris Parker and Charif Souki over an alleged agreement not to sell Tellurian stock. The eight-member jury will decide whether a text message exchange is a binding contract.

April 13, 2026 Alexa Shrake

Litigation Roundup: SCOTX Undoes New MedMal Trial Order, Calls for TUFTA Cases

In this edition of Litigation Roundup, a distributor of energy drink Alani is sued by the family of a 17-year-old girl who died after consuming the beverages, and Samsung tells a Texas judge the invalidation of a patent by a California judge means it's entitled to a new trial in a dispute that had ended with a $78 million verdict against it. 

April 13, 2026 Michelle Casady

DOJ: Only President — Not Courts — Decides if Susman Godfrey is National Security Threat

The Trump administration is trying to persuade a federal appeals court to restore President Donald Trump’s executive orders against Houston-based Susman Godfrey and three other law firms, arguing that a president’s power to declare the firms national security threats is "unreviewable" by the courts.

April 11, 2026 Mark Curriden

Mavs Drop Tortious Interference Claim as Case Heads Toward Resolution

The Dallas Mavericks franchise filed notice that it was immediately dropping its tortious interference claim in its battle against the Dallas Stars. The move comes a week after the Texas Business Court denied the Stars’ five motions for summary judgment and granted the Mavericks' motion for declaratory judgment.

April 9, 2026 Alexa Shrake

Texas Business Court Boots Fraud Suit Against Indiana Trailer Manufacturer

The Texas Business Court dismissed a fraud lawsuit against an Indiana-based trailer manufacturer, determining the dispute did not belong in Texas courts. Texas-based Daimler Truck Financial Services was seeking $28 million in damages.

April 9, 2026 Alexa Shrake

Asked & Answered with Norton Rose Fulbright’s Julie Searle: From DOJ to Walmart to BigLaw

In this edition of Asked & Answered, Norton Rose Fulbright partner Julie Searle talks about being inspired by her parents to go to law school and her decade of experience at the Department of Justice. From government to in-house to private practice, Searle draws on these experiences in her role as a litigator in Norton Rose Fulbright’s Austin office.

April 8, 2026 Alexa Shrake