Free Speech, Due Process and Trial by Jury
Memories of muted microphones, strange filters and unprecedented courtroom access are recalled during a recent Open Government Seminar at the state bar's annual convention. A panel discussion on post-pandemic court proceedings found some glitches but also much to like about remote and hybrid hearings.
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, the Texas Supreme Court sides with an attorney who got zero compensation for his shares when he and his old firm parted ways, McKool Smith secures a unanimous $4 million jury verdict for a software company client and Baker McKenzie notches a SCOTUS win.
Bracewell partner W. Stephen Benesh was sworn in as president-elect of the State Bar of Texas June 22 during the annual meeting in Austin. He answered questions from The Lawbook about why he wanted to take a leadership role and what his goals are.
The bill would prohibit an insurer from using a score based on environmental, social or governance characteristics — commonly referred to as ESG — to charge a rate different than the rate charged to another business in the same class for essentially the same hazard. But its success depends on whether there's a problem to begin with. And some Texas insurance practitioners think that really isn't the case.
The Lawbook has pulled together some highlights of past battles won, lost and settled between the four Houston lawyers leading the prosecution and defense in Ken Paxton’s Senate impeachment trial. Dick DeGuerin, Rusty Hardin, Dan Cogdell and Tony Buzbee have all handled blockbuster trials in their legal careers, but here we explore instances where they were involved in the same case.
In the years since Reconstruction, the Texas House of Representatives has impeached five officials. Two were convicted by the Texas Senate. The most recent was a state district judge 48 years ago. Two were acquitted, in 1893 and 1931, respectively. And now Attorney General Ken Paxton awaits his Senate trial. If convicted, he would be just the third Texas elected official removed from office by impeachment. Texas Lawbook writer Bruce Tomaso looks back to those past impeachments and what insights they might provide.
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, a Texas federal judge threatens to toss a minority investor suit against Blackstone Inc., a Houston boutique notches a PTAB win against Apple, and the Texas Supreme Court agrees to hear a suit stemming from the handling of a fen-phen settlement.
The absence of comprehensive federal privacy regulation in the United States has created an open field for states to take the lead in addressing individual data protection and privacy rights. The first state to take the field was California. More recently, Texas joined the game by passing the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act. While both California’s and Texas’ laws share the common goal of safeguarding personal information and empowering consumers with new data rights, there are some significant differences in scope and coverage.
This article examines the key aspects of both privacy laws, illuminating their similarities, differences and their expected impacts.
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