Former Dallas COA Justice Picks Cantey Hanger
William “Bill” Pedersen III has joined Cantey Hanger as a partner in Dallas. The former appellate justice will represent clients in litigation and appellate matters across a broad range of disputes.
Litigation Roundup: ExxonMobil Gets Directed Verdict in Baytown Refinery Home Damage Case
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, a jury in Austin determines a company that makes synthetic turf fields “fraudulently concealed” material defects in the product and awarded an injured former high school lacrosse player about $2.7 million, and we detail two cases involving issues of first impression.
It ‘Far Exceeded Our Wildest Imaginations’
Then-Texas Attorney General Dan Morales sued Big Tobacco for racketeering and fraud in 1996. Thirty years later, the litigation against the cigarette makers has proven to be an annual financial bonanza for the state of Texas — more than $15.8 billion so far and another $450 million payment expected any day now. And while less than one-tenth of one percent of the payments have gone to antismoking efforts, youth cigarette use overall has plummeted. In a two-part series, Mark Curriden, the former Dallas Morning News legal affairs writer who covered the tobacco litigation full-time for three years, looks back at the historic litigation and its impact three decades later.
Cuban Files Presuit Petition in Mavs Arena Row
Mark Cuban has some questions about how the majority owners of the Dallas Mavericks struck a deal to buy the Valley View Mall property — the proposed site of the team’s new home — and how that deal may impact his contractual rights. And he’s asking a judge in Dallas County to give him the chance to find some answers.
The Five Major Reasons Business Leaders Dislike Mediation … And Why Those Reasons Are Wrong
“Many of my C-Suite clients really dislike mediation. They avoid it religiously.” These were the words a trial attorney said to me a few weeks ago. As a professional mediator who focuses on business disputes, I wanted to explore the accuracy of this observation — or risk losing access to the heart of my mediation practice.
Fortunately, as a former general counsel/CLO, I have access to executives whose perspectives I value. Upon speaking with a number of them, I found that my colleague's remark was correct. However, that negative opinion of mediation is also likely misinformed.
Report: Reitz Named U.S. Attorney for SDTX
Aaron Reitz, a former Trump administration official and top lawyer for the Texas attorney general, has been selected as the next U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas, according to a Bloomberg Law report published late Tuesday night.
The Texas Lawbook's Mark Smith talked to Reitz during his campaign for Texas attorney general.
Kyle Bass Entities File Takings Lawsuit in East Texas Water Row
In a new federal lawsuit filed Tuesday, two East Texas real estate entities owned by Dallas hedge fund operator Kyle Bass accuse the Neches and Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservation District of violating the constitution by effectively “taking” property without compensation.
Work Product Is Not for Sale: AI, Access, and Texas Rule 192.5
Consumer AI tools do for clients what lawyers have always advised: document the facts, organize the timeline, and come prepared. This article argues that Texas Rule 192.5 already extends work product protection to AI-assisted litigation preparation under the same doctrine that covers handwritten notes and voice memos. Building a rule around automatic waiver would not eliminate AI’s role in Texas civil litigation but would create a sharp divide. It would grant enterprise-level protection to clients with the budget for managed AI platforms while leaving everyone else without it.
Energy Transfer Nets $393M Final Judgment in Winter Storm Uri Gas Pricing Dispute
After a three-week bench trial in Bexar County, Judge Laura Salinas hit CPS Energy with a $393 million final judgment in favor of Energy Transfer against CPS Energy in a contract dispute stemming from gas rates during 2021 Winter Storm Uri.
Litigation Roundup: Cities Take Battle Over ‘Death Star’ Bill to SCOTX
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, an appellate panel in Dallas wipes out a $7.8 million final judgment against a Munsch Hardt client, and in a case that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, a team of Baker Botts lawyers successfully defended its client’s $213 million trade secrets win.
Houston Corporate Partner Laterals to Womble Bond Dickinson
Katherine Smith, a corporate partner focused on executive compensation and corporate governance, has joined Womble Bond Dickinson’s Houston office as a partner in the firm’s Corporate and Securities Practice Group. She advises public companies, boards of directors and executive teams on executive compensation, securities disclosure and governance matters.
‘A Servant’s Heart’: NDTX Clerk Reflects on Quarter Century of Service
For a quarter of a century, Karen Mitchell has served as the Northern District of Texas clerk of court, making her the longest-serving clerk of court in the country. The last 25 years have been filled with life-changing events in history, but former judges who know her said one thing has remained constant: her positive attitude.