Free Speech, Due Process and Trial by Jury
A Dallas County jury awarded $10,814 in damages for past pain in a trucking accident case where the plaintiff had asked for $15 million. The four-day trial ended on Friday following seven hours of deliberation.
Following a two-week trial before Bexar County Judge Nadine Nieto, a jury awarded $8.45 million to a woman who claimed she was defamed by statements made in the Netflix documentary Dirty Money.
As the Texas Business Court prepares to enter its third year, legal experts say one case really stands out as an exemplar for the new commercial litigation system’s potential: Dallas Mavericks v. Dallas Stars.
Texas business litigation expert Ben Barnes, in an interview with The Texas Lawbook, said the business court judge’s trial order in the fight between Dallas’ sports franchises shows the court’s ability to compress complex, high-stakes commercial disputes when the circumstances demand it.
Area Development Intermediate filed notice of removal to the Texas Business Court Friday evening, delaying Mark Cuban’s petition for a pre-suit deposition. Cuban’s filing claims the pre-suit deposition of the ADI’s corporate representative is aimed at uncovering details about how the Mavericks struck a deal to buy the Valley View Mall property. Cuban, who maintains an ownership interest in the American Airlines Center, is seeking information regarding how the deal may impact his contractual rights.
In the second quarter of 2026, the Texas Business Court continued to build on the progress of its first two years of operation, issuing both jurisdictional and procedural rulings and a growing body of substantive decisions. The larger story of the quarter, however, was the Court’s merits opinions, particularly in cases dealing with contract interpretation. The quarter also produced several high-profile disputes and significant awards.
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, we highlight one plaintiff lawyer’s thoughts on Johnson & Johnson’s proposed $5.5 billion settlement of ovarian cancer cases, and detail Buc-ee’s latest court battle to protect its brand.
Willkie Farr & Gallagher opened its Dallas office just two years ago, initially concentrating on transactional work. Now, the firm is advancing to the next phase by expanding its global litigation capabilities in Texas by hiring Grant Schmidt and Andrew Bean from Hilgers.
A 12-member Texarkana jury returned a defense verdict in favor of DoorDash Thursday after a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Robert Schroeder, finding Fall Line Patents failed to prove the delivery company infringed its patent.
In this edition of Asked & Answered, AZA partner Monica Uddin discusses her first trial and what being a hiring partner looks like for her. She also shares her own misconceptions about the practice.
By all accounts, the Texas Business Court has met or exceeded expectations. Business court judges have moved their growing dockets quickly and efficiently, and they have not been as unfriendly to plaintiffs as many lawyers feared. Yet some practitioners see specific areas that have room for improvement.
Just Wednesday morning, all 10 judges were reappointed for their second two-year terms, which most lawyers applauded.
A lingering question was answered Wednesday when Gov. Greg Abbott announced in a news release that he is reappointing all 10 sitting Texas Business Court judges to two-year terms. The announcement comes about a month before the current terms are set to expire Sept. 1.
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, the Dallas court of appeals agrees a trial court got it wrong by forcing the parties in a breach of contract case into a bench trial when one requested trial by jury, and an automotive equipment manufacturer sued by Tesla tells the court the company named the wrong defendant.
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