The Texas Public Utility Commission emergency rules in February 2021 that increased electric rates to $9,000 per megawatt-hour in response to the demand for power because of Winter Storm Uri were “invalid” and must be reexamined, a Texas appeals court ruled Friday. The Austin Court of Appeals ruled that PUC board members issued two unlawful rules — an “operation of executive fiat” — that allowed ERCOT to increase the emergency price of electricity 650 percent for five days. The decision, according to legal experts, could be a multibillion-dollar victory for some retail power companies.
The Evolving Landscape of Business Email Compromise Litigation — A Focus on Texas
Business email compromises remain one of the most prevalent internet-related crimes, with businesses and individuals suffering massive financial losses. This article examines how Texas law handles disputes between companies that have been defrauded by a third-party and the interaction of the contract law.
Austin City Attorney Anne Morgan Doing Legal Work ‘That Makes the World a Little Bit Better’
Anne Morgan and the 60 lawyers in her office are analyzing about 2,000 pieces of proposed legislation being considered by lawmakers in the Texas Capitol. All this while handling the legal matters that come with one of the nation’s fastest growing cities. This is the first in a series of articles about the attorneys leading Texas’s major metros.
Former Justice Michael Massengale’s Mission: ‘Set the Record Straight’ About Uvalde
As a Houston arbitrator and former appellate justice, Michael Massengale was the perfect lawyer for the Texas House investigatory committee to choose to help investigate and write the official report about that tragic day last May when so much went wrong and 19 children and two teachers were murdered. For the first time since the report was released, Massengale has given an in-depth interview to Texas Lawbook reporter Janet Elliott about his role in the investigation, the challenges he and the committee faced and his hopes for legislative improvements to police training and school safety.
Houston Chronicle: Lawsuit Accuses Gas Companies of Manipulating the Market During Winter Storm Uri
A former Enron trader is suing some of the nation’s largest energy and financial firms, claiming they diverted natural gas supplies and cut off production in a scheme to artificially drive up prices ahead of Winter Storm Uri in 2021. CirclesX Recovery claims firms including Energy Transfer, Kinder Morgan, BP, Conoco Phillips and CenterPoint Energy engaged in an Enron-style scheme to cut off gas production or divert supplies into storage days ahead of freezing temperatures that would eventually cripple the Texas power grid.
Houston Jury Doesn’t Buy Episcopalian-based Prejudice Claim
The discrimination and retaliation case lodged against one of the most prestigious funeral homes in the country, Houston’s Geo. H. Lewis & Sons Funeral Directors, didn’t gain traction with a jury that rejected William Coleman’s claims and awarded him no damages. Carter Crow of Norton Rose Fulbright, who represented the defendant, said he believes these types of religious discrimination lawsuits have become more common post-covid.
Litigation Roundup: Keurig’s $10M Settlement Approved, Jerry Jones Assault Claim Revived
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, Keurig gets approval to settle a class action lawsuit over claims it made about the recyclability of its coffee pods for $10 million and the Dallas Court of Appeals held that a Jane Doe should be allowed to proceed with her claims Jerry Jones forcibly kissed her at AT&T Stadium.