Voting Underway on State Bar’s Proposed Rule Changes
Most of the proposed rules on the State Bar of Texas rules vote ballot are similar to American Bar Association rules and modernize Texas laws, an expert said. The voting period closes April 30.
Julia Simon Leaves Mary Kay C-Suite for Lynn Pinker
For 24 years, Julia Simon successfully navigated danger zones, intellectual property matters and litigation threats as the chief legal officer at Addison-based skincare and cosmetics company Mary Kay. On Wednesday, Simon started her new position as a partner at the Dallas litigation boutique Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann after retiring from Mary Kay.
"Twenty-three years is a long time. But when you love what you do and where you work, it seems like no time at all," Simon told The Texas Lawbook in an exclusive interview. "That is especially true at a company like Mary Kay where I was able to use my legal knowledge and strategic thinking to protect entrepreneurial opportunities for women around the globe. I am proud of the compliance programs we built. I am proud of the important legal precedent we established through a complex litigation docket. I am most proud of the team that I led. They are absolutely incredible."
Litigation Roundup: Fifth Circuit Undoes Transfer of Chamber, CFPB Suit; Souki Owes $100M
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, split panels of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit hit pause on the transfer of a lawsuit challenging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s plan to cap credit card late fees and nix a nearly $240,000 sanction against the former CEO of Highland Capital Management. In lower courts, Texas reaches a $6.6 million settlement over a 2019 petrochemical fire and Charif Souki is found by a bankruptcy judge to owe at least $100 million to his creditors.
Navigating the Growing World of Litigation Funding and Contingent Risk Insurance
Over the past few years, contingent risk insurance has risen in prominence in the litigation finance world as an alternative or companion to traditional litigation finance. This article provides a summary of the ways that clients and their counsel can use these tools to enhance revenue growth while controlling costs and mitigating the risks inherent in litigation.
Litigation Roundup: Judge Finds BP Violated ERISA; Fifth Circuit Stays Chamber’s Fight with CFPB
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, a judge in Houston sides with a group of former BP employees in an ERISA suit, the Fifth Circuit expedites oral arguments in a dispute between the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau over plans to cap credit card late fees and Parkland Health prevails on appeal in an employment discrimination and retaliation lawsuit.
Houston Jury Hits Fracking Company with $8.9M Verdict in Patent Infringement Trial
Nitro Fluids infringed on two of Cameron International Corporation’s patents, a federal jury decided. John Keville, the Sheppard Mullin partner who represented Cameron, discusses what challenges Cameron faced and why he believes the trial went in his client’s favor.
‘Precedent Setting’ Agreement Ends McDermott’s Billion-Dollar Colombian Refinery Dispute
Houston-based McDermott International ended its eight-year dispute with Refinería de Cartagena Friday when an SDTX bankruptcy judge signed signed off on a remarkable $900 million package that includes the surrender of 19.9% of the company’s common equity. For Mike Stenglein of King & Spalding, the unprecedented solution marks the end, not only of a grueling international litigation, but resolves all doubt that his Colombian clients were responsible for billions lost in their refinery's construction.
Litigation Roundup: Chamber Takes CFPB Fight to Fifth Circuit; SXSW Wins Appeal in Covid-related Coverage Row
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, the Fifth Circuit issues a rare ruling reviving a covid-related coverage fight between SXSW and its insurer, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce takes steps