A philanthropist and founding partner of Provost Umphrey, Umphrey scored a couple billion-dollar judgments asbestos victims in the 1980s 1990s and then led the Texas litigation team that secured a $15.3 billion settlement in 1998 against the cigarette makers.
Experts & Data: Trade Secrets Cases See Steady Growth
While patent litigation tends to steal the headlines, another area of intellectual property law is also gaining traction. Over the last five years, a steady growth in trade secrets cases has been interrupted only during the pandemic. The Lawbook’s Natalie Posgate taps the data and the views of a broad range of experts on the forces behind the surge.
Virtual Presentations: Please Stand Up
There are lots of helpful suggestions out there to improve virtual presentations, such as how to achieve better lighting or how to make the surrounding room less distracting. One thing in particular has made a huge difference in the professionalism of my Zoom hearings and client meetings: Try standing up.
WDTX & EDTX: Resolving America’s Patent Disputes or ‘Judicial Hellholes’?
Texas has two of the three busiest patent dockets in the U.S. and is building one of the deepest and most experienced intellectual property bars in the world. There were more patent infringement lawsuits during the first half of this year in Texas than in any other two states combined, including Delaware and California. But some criticize Texas courts for being too accommodating to frivolous patent cases from so-called patent trolls. The Texas Lawbook has the inside story.
Meet Apple’s Texas Counsel from the ‘Super Bowl’ of Antitrust Cases
One of the most closely-watched trials of the summer, Epic Games v. Apple, is likely heading toward resolution in the coming weeks. The case is regarded by many as one of the most significant antitrust challenges in recent years. But regardless of the outcome, the case has already attracted attention for the vital role played by diverse women in the trial itself. The Lawbook’s Natalie Posgate profiles two of those women who describe what they both see as a major breakthrough for women litigators.
Collin Cox Jumps from Yetter to Gibson
Another large corporate full-service law firm has nabbed another young partner from a litigation boutique. Gibson Dunn’s plan is to “grow out” the litigation practice in Houston.
EDTX Enters Final Judgment in Trade Secrets Case, Awards ResMan $62M
Plano-based property management software company ResMan is fixing to have a lot of zeroes in its bank account, assuming its courtroom opponents don’t appeal a final judgment entered against them Thursday. Natalie Posgate explains.
Joshua Russ: The Whistleblower
Joshua Russ is a former East Texas federal prosecutor who dared to investigate Walmart over its alleged role in the opioid crisis. Instead, he ended up fighting his own bosses. In a series of exclusive interviews with The Texas Lawbook, he speaks for the first time about his investigation into the world’s largest corporation, about facing allegations of unethical conduct brought against him by lawyers for the retail giant and about his decision to resign and file a formal whistleblower complaint against the federal agency he once dreamed of serving.
ERCOT and Winter Storm Uri: What Happened, the Litigation Impact and What’s Next
The Texas energy grid crisis in February 2021 resulted in extended power outages for millions of Texans, triggering a chain of events that resulted in significant loss of property and life and as much as trillions of dollars changing hands. How did this happen, and where are we now?
Texas Breeder of Rare Red Wagyu Cattle Wins $30M Verdict
During the trial in Fort Bend County, the plaintiff’s lawyers from McKool Smith & Yetter Coleman claimed a breeding association failed to deliver promised DNA proof of a herd’s valuable lineage. Bruce Tomaso details the case.