Skadden Nabs ‘Go-To’ Energy Litigator Michelle Scheffler
Michelle Scheffler, formerly of Haynes Boone, joins Skadden as a litigation partner in its Houston office. Scheffler has led high-profile energy litigation across the country.
Match Litigation Team Took on the 800-pound Gorilla and Won
When Google changed its policy in 2020 to require all businesses selling apps through the Google Play Store to use Google’s electronic bill pay system, officials at Match Group quickly realized that this meant hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue. The alternative was even more devastating — being booted off Google Play, which generated billions in revenues from Android users for Match brands, such as Tinder, PlentyofFish and Match.com. The Match legal team — including Chief Legal Officer Jared Sine, Associate General Counsel Jeanette Teckman, Senior Litigation Counsel Stephen Myers and Litigation Counsel Katie Johnson — tried to work with Google on a resolution for two years, but finally decided in March 2022 to sue its largest business partner on allegations of market manipulation, broken promises and abuse of power.
The challenges for the Match legal group included Google’s extraordinarily positive public reputation and its army of successful lawyers, three million documents of discovery to review, an expedited trial plan set by the judge and co-plaintiffs combined into the litigation that did not always see eye-to-eye with Match on all issues. Winning at trial was anything but a sure thing. In fact, Apple had defeated a nearly identical lawsuit in 2021 and 2023. Efforts to reach an out-of-court agreement were fruitless.
Litigation Roundup: Exxon Sues Activist Investors; Paxton, Abbott Lose Uvalde Email Appeal
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, Exxon Mobil sues two activist investors, a propane company draws a $150 million lawsuit over a fatal crash and the Texas Supreme Court issues an opinion clarifying premises liability law.
Fifth Circuit Hands Book Stores, Haynes Boone’s Laura Prather Victory in Book Rating Law Case
The decision is a high-profile win for Prather, who represents several bookstores and publishers who challenged the law. The case was Prather’s first appearance before the New Orleans-based appeals court.
The Texas Lawbook profiled Prather, who leads Haynes Boone’s media law practice group, in an in-depth article last week. In the article, Prather discussed the bookstore law case and other First Amendment matters that she is championing.
Eversheds Energy Litigation Team Jumps to Baker McKenzie
David Baay, Jack Massey, Kelsey Machado, Ian Shelton and Matthew Rawlinson were announced as the newest members of the firm’s Houston office Wednesday. Colin Murray, the firm’s North America CEO, said in a statement that the additions were part of strategic growth plans based on the potential of the Houston market.
Duane Morris Hires Away Craig M. Warner From Bell Nunnally
The firm adds Warner to its growing Dallas office amid “an environment of increased investigations and rising litigation.” Warner, a former assistant U.S. attorney and ex-assistant attorney general for the Texas Attorney General’s office, has represented Bass Pro Shops, Miller Brewing, and Primerica, as well as other Fortune 500 companies.
Litigation Roundup: Fifth Circuit Asks SCOTX 2 Questions; Ex-SBA Head Goes to Prison
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, the Fifth Circuit determines 2-1 that the city of Mineral Wells can’t be sued for breaching an “illegal” contract, the Texas Supreme Court is asked to answer two certified questions in a royalty dispute involving Hilcorp Energy, and an Austin company agrees to forfeit $4.5 million for misbranding dietary supplements.
Steptoe Acquires Smyser Kaplan & Veselka ‘Lock, Stock and Barrel’
Craig Smyser, who cofounded SKV in 1995, said his firm had been approached several times over the years by national and international firms looking to expand into Texas. There’s one reason in particular why the negotiations with Steptoe, which began in May, ended with this merger: Steptoe was willing to take on every member of the SKV team.
“It’s an amazing law firm with a lot of magic,” Gwen Renigar, Steptoe's chair, said in an interview with The Lawbook. "The magic they had is magic I did not want to disturb."