The Texas Lawbook

Free Speech, Due Process and Trial by Jury

Commercial Litigation

Texas Juries Award a Combined $582M in Two Patent Trials Friday

A team of lawyers from McKool Smith and Irell & Manella secured a $303 million patent infringement verdict on Friday in U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap’s courtroom after convincing the jury that Samsung willfully infringed Netlist’s patents related to computer memory technology. The same day, in a trial before U.S. District Judge Alan Albright, a jury sided with Textron Innovations, finding that SZ DJI Technology owes $279 million for infringing two patents related to drones.

Michelle Casady

Blazing a Trail for Women in STEM — and the Law

There is undeniable momentum for women attorneys, which is good news, indeed. Instead of one token female at counsel’s table, there are women in numbers on both sides of the aisle. But there is still a ways to go, particularly in intellectual property law, where my engineering background and gender still make me something of a rarity.

Ashley Moore

Dallas Jury Hits Oncor With $44M Verdict in Power Line Injury Case

Oncor has maintained that James Stacey Taylor’s claims are barred because of his “contributory negligence” and that it enjoys statutory indemnity for any liability under state law. Taylor’s attorney, Sean Breen of Howry Breen & Herman, told The Lawbook he presented the case to the jury as a tragic accident that wouldn’t have happened but for Oncor’s practice of “putting profits over safety.”

Michelle Casady

Both Sides Claim $1.75M Settlement of Collin County DA Suit a Win

The settlement brings an end to a federal lawsuit lodged by six former employees of the office in November. Additional terms of the settlement requires three plaintiffs who still were employed by the DA’s office to resign and bars all plaintiffs from seeking future employment with the county. Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis and First Assistant District Attorney Bill Wirskye remain in their positions.

Michelle Casady

Judge Barbara Lynn to Take Senior Status

U.S. District Judge Barbara Lynn, who served as chief judge of the Northern District of Texas from 2016 to 2022, has informed President Joe Biden that she is taking senior status effective May 15.

Judge Lynn, who was nominated to the federal bench in 1999 by President Clinton and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on a voice vote, told The Texas Lawbook that she has no plans to reduce her caseload but is “simply making room for another appointment for our court.”

Mark Curriden

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