In this edition of Litigation Roundup, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is running out of patience for a duo accused of running a Ponzi scheme who have yet to retain counsel, an insurer seeks a declaration it doesn’t have to foot the bill in a $10.6 million workplace injury suit, and a Tex-Mex chain notches a win at the Texas Supreme Court.
A New Delaware? Texas Passes Legislation for Specialized Business Courts
Similar to the commercial court systems that exist in Delaware and New York, Texas’s business court system will provide a dedicated court system of commercially-focused judges to move high-dollar business disputes efficiently through the judicial system. This article summarizes key aspects of the legislation, including what types of disputes won’t go to business court.
Texas Lawyers Play Key Role in PGA, LIV Litigation That Led to Merger
Gibson Dunn retired partner Rob Walters and Quinn Emanuel partner John Bash in Austin played key roles on the teams behind the antitrust litigation between the two rival tours. Mark Curriden has the names and details.
Litigation Roundup: SCOTX Takes Honda’s $25.9M Seatbelt Injury Appeal, Houston Firm Gets $9.8M Win in Mississippi
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, a Houston firm gets a $9.8 million verdict in a workplace fatality case while the Texas Supreme Court agrees to decide both if a libel suit brought against a newspaper by a prosecutor should be tossed and if a $25.9 million product liability jury verdict against Honda can stand.
Dick Sayles’ Fourth and Final Act: Master of the Courtroom
Dick Sayles announced Friday that he has departed Bradley Arant to start The Sayles Law Firm with a unique business strategy: He is not seeking any new clients. He is hiring no additional lawyers. And his business plan calls for no future growth or expansion. Instead, Sayles, who has taken more than 150 complex commercial litigation disputes to trial, plans to use his independent status to work with lawyers at other firms, including Bradley Arant, who are involved in high-stakes courtroom battles. The Texas Lawbook has an exclusive interview.
Legislature Makes Seismic Shifts on Civil Courts
Lawmakers upended the state’s system of elected district court judges and regional intermediate appellate courts as business interests won a new court system for complex business disputes. The 2023 legislature rejected efforts to cut local governments out of public nuisance suits and weaken the state’s anti-SLAPP statute.