Major Franchise Owner Hit with $30.7M Jury Verdict

A Dallas jury heard eight days of testimony and deliberated for two hours before deciding the owner of roughly 150 Popeyes restaurants, Guillermo Perales and his company Sun Holdings, owed former employee Jerry “Scott” Stockton about $15.6 million in compensatory damages and $15.1 million in punitive damages for failing to follow through on a promise to compensate him with 5 percent of the annual operating profits of the restaurants. Sun Holdings is the second largest franchisee organization in the country, with about 1,800 restaurants in its portfolio.

February 16, 2024 Michelle Casady

Court Reporters Say Texas Judicial Branch Certification Commission ‘Turns a Blind Eye’ to A.I. Deposition Services

Senior U.S. District Judge David A. Ezra ruled an Austin transcription service violated Texas law governing the court reporting industry, even though the commission dismissed a complaint saying it lacked jurisdiction. Court reporters say Judge Ezra’s ruling is a profound decision that affirms their interpretation of the law.

February 14, 2024 Krista Torralva

Dallas Jury Awards $22M to Ousted Real Estate CEO

A jury heard eight days of testimony and deliberated for less than two hours before unanimously siding with Daniel Moos on his breach of contract claims. The jury rejected Pillar Income Asset Management’s counterclaims that Moss had breached his fiduciary duty to the company.

February 13, 2024 Michelle Casady

Litigation Roundup: Pension Fund Sues Pioneer Over Exxon Deal, Union Pacific to Face Fatal Crash Suit

In this week’s edition of Litigation Roundup, Pioneer Natural Resources draws suit over its $60 billion Exxon deal, a fight between faculty at MD Anderson spills into court, a jury renders a take-nothing judgment in a personal injury suit that had sought damages in excess of $10 million, and the Fifth Circuit revives a fatal crash suit against Union Pacific.

February 12, 2024 Michelle Casady

Longtime Thompson Coe Partner to Launch New Personal Injury Firm

William Moye is not only venturing out on his own for the first time after 20 years with Thompson, Coe, Cousins & Irons, he’s entering a whole new practice area. Moye Law Firm, slated to open March 1, will focus on handling catastrophic personal injury cases.

February 9, 2024 Michelle Casady

Houston Litigation Firm Vasquez Waite Off to ‘Fast and Furious’ Start

Cara Vasquez and Mark Waite are “complete opposites” on paper, but the unlikely duo decided to launch their own firm in 2024 focused on representing petrochemical and construction companies in litigation. Vasquez, who spent her entire career at DLA Piper, and Waite, who was a senior in-house lawyer at LyondellBasell before practicing at DLA for the past six years, launched Vasquez Waite on Jan. 1 and have been “way busier” than they anticipated.

February 8, 2024 Brooks Igo

Baker Botts Expands U.S./Asia IP Capabilities with New Hires

Houston attorney Jeffrey Johnson and California partner Robert Benson join from Orrick, where they worked closely together for clients in the U.S., Taiwan and China.

February 7, 2024 Brooks Igo

2023: A Year in Review for Trade Secret Litigation

2023 confirmed that, in some ways, trade secret litigation remains the Wild West for litigants. Large verdicts and unsettled law have made this a popular venue for plaintiffs. 2023 did little to disrupt the status quo.

February 7, 2024 Aimee Fagan