The announcement of his move to the firm’s Austin office came Monday, the day his retirement from the Western District of Texas became official. He served on the federal bench for more than 20 years.
Texas Juries Award a Combined $582M in Two Patent Trials Friday
A team of lawyers from McKool Smith and Irell & Manella secured a $303 million patent infringement verdict on Friday in U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap’s courtroom after convincing the jury that Samsung willfully infringed Netlist’s patents related to computer memory technology. The same day, in a trial before U.S. District Judge Alan Albright, a jury sided with Textron Innovations, finding that SZ DJI Technology owes $279 million for infringing two patents related to drones.
Blazing a Trail for Women in STEM — and the Law
There is undeniable momentum for women attorneys, which is good news, indeed. Instead of one token female at counsel’s table, there are women in numbers on both sides of the aisle. But there is still a ways to go, particularly in intellectual property law, where my engineering background and gender still make me something of a rarity.
Dallas Jury Hits Oncor With $44M Verdict in Power Line Injury Case
Oncor has maintained that James Stacey Taylor’s claims are barred because of his “contributory negligence” and that it enjoys statutory indemnity for any liability under state law. Taylor’s attorney, Sean Breen of Howry Breen & Herman, told The Lawbook he presented the case to the jury as a tragic accident that wouldn’t have happened but for Oncor’s practice of “putting profits over safety.”
Backlash to Business Court Bill Unites Litigators from Both Sides of the Docket
A rare alliance between groups representing trial lawyers and defense counsel is raising constitutional questions and other concerns about legislation that would create a new system of trial and appellate courts for high-dollar business disputes. House Bill 19 appears on track for House floor debate as soon as next week.