Free Speech, Due Process and Trial by Jury
More than 200 lawyers, judges, law school deans and law students were in attendance at the Belo Mansion Thursday to celebrate the future generation of Hispanic lawyers and veteran Hispanic lawyers at law firms and corporate legal departments that have “paid it forward.”
Lawsuits over contract disputes and regulatory battles with the government are larger litigation threats to Texas-based businesses – especially oil and gas companies – than are class action litigation from consumers and employees, according to a new study by the law firm Norton Rose Fulbright.
Lawyers often boast about the view from their office windows, but none can match the scene from Kate Cassidy’s desk: home plate at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Baseball is in her DNA. Her father was a catcher in the Minnesota Twins farm system. She was sitting in the centerfield bleachers when Kenny Rogers pitched a perfect game. “My job is very similar to lawyers who work in just about any corporate legal department, except.." Cassidy says. "I love baseball."
Since 2009, Texas energy companies and private equity firms have been on the buying or selling side of more than 760 mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures that had a combined deal value of $546 billion. That red hot deal market for upstream companies crashed in Q1 of 2015 when oil and gas M&A plummeted 55 percent. The Texas Lawbook interviewed eight oil and gas general counsel impacted by the drop in oil prices. The GCs discuss cuts to their legal budget, upcoming redetermination on oil reserves and their expectations for the M&A upstream deal market. “We’ve been blowing and going for the past several years. We are using this opportunity to step back and take a deep breath,” said RSP Permian GC Jim Mutrie.
Since 2009, Texas energy companies and private equity firms have been on the buying or selling side of more than 760 mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures that had a combined deal value of $546 billion. That red hot deal market for upstream companies crashed in Q1 of 2015 when oil and gas M&A plummeted 55 percent. The Texas Lawbook interviewed eight oil and gas general counsel impacted by the drop in oil prices. The GCs discuss cuts to their legal budget, upcoming redetermination on oil reserves and their expectations for the M&A upstream deal market. “We’ve been blowing and going for the past several years. We are using this opportunity to step back and take a deep breath,” said RSP Permian GC Jim Mutrie.
William Buck, the GC of Exxon Mobil Corporation’s Upstream Companies, has a message for corporate legal departments: Do your fair share of pro bono. The new Houston Bar Foundation chair, who specializes in transactional law, says, "I plan to remind all companies that we in-house lawyers also have pro bono obligations. We in-house lawyers are more than capable of handling some of these pro bono needs."
For nearly three decades, Hart has been Cuban's friend and chief legal adviser. “Mark goes at a very fast pace,” he says. “He’s out there everywhere. My job is to be his backstop... fill in the holes behind him. I’m here to help Mark do what he does best, but to make sure that he avoids legal pitfalls." In this in-depth profile, Hart discusses the challenges of being Mark Cuban's top lawyer, the complexity of the deals he's handled and the millions of dollars he spends annually on outside legal fees. Cuban, of course, also weighs in. “[Robert's] job is to be super conservative and to piss me off... but also to protect me,” Cuban says. "Here’s the thing: When I don’t follow Robert’s advice, it usually bites me in the ass.”
General Motors announced Thursday that it has selected LyondellBasell Industries Chief Legal Officer Craig Glidden of Houston to be its new general counsel. LyondellBasell didn’t waste time replacing Glidden. The company confirmed that Jeffrey Kaplan, the company’s deputy general counsel, will be its new GC.
The NLRB has plenty to say about companies’ social media policies and it hasn’t been too complimentary. The agency believes a significant number of social media policy restrictions are unlawful. We list six red flags that companies need to know. “My advice is to be very aware of the recent guidance from the NLRB,” said General Datatech GC John Ansbach.
A quiet work complaint voiced over beers at a corner pub 10 years ago can now go viral on Facebook or Twitter. The popularity of social media brings risks for employers who should tread carefully when placing social media limits into a company policy. The National Labor Relations Board is watching. It is a very fluid area of the law that employers should watch, legal experts said.
Hey, did you know that you can get yourself in a whole lot of trouble on social media? No, seriously, you can! Wait, you already knew that? Everyone knows that? Well then, why does it keep happening?
JoAnn Harris is about to get a big raise. The private equity firm is expected next week to name the SEC assistant director of enforcement as its new deputy director of corporate compliance. “TPG’s footprint is around the globe,” Harris told The Texas Lawbook. “It is definitely going to be a challenge, but it will be fun.”
Kesselman has left PepsiCo and Frito Lay to be the new general counsel and Executive VP at Dallas-based Dean Foods. In exclusive comments to The Texas Lawbook, Kesselman said that "Dean Foods provides a perfect opportunity for me to employ my legal and government experience in food and agriculture to help drive business growth."
Enterprise Products, one of the world’s largest oil and gas pipeline companies, has named V&E corporate finance partner Craig Murray to replace Stephanie Hildebrandt, who announced she has joined Norton Rose Fulbright as a partner. The Houston midstream company also said that Locke Lord partner Vijay A. D’Cruz is Enterprise’s new head of litigation.
Enterprise Products, one of the world’s largest oil and gas pipeline companies, has named V&E corporate finance partner Craig Murray to replace Stephanie Hildebrandt, who announced she has joined Norton Rose Fulbright as a partner. The Houston midstream company also said that Locke Lord partner Vijay A. D’Cruz is Enterprise’s new head of litigation.
Is cyber risk insurable and if so, what products are available?
Is cyber risk insurable and if so, what products are available?
SAN ANTONIO – The Magna Stella Award is the Oscar for corporate general counsel. On Thursday night, the General Counsel Forum awarded nine gold stars to chief legal officers and assistant GCs from American Airlines, LyondellBasell Industries, Scott & White Healthcare, MoneyGram, Dell, Kinetic Concepts, University of Incarnate Word and the Metro Transit Authority of Harris County. The Texas Lawbook was there and has all the details.
Close to 100 corporate general counsel, state supreme court justices, law firm leaders and legal service providers played through light showers and cool temperatures last week to raise the most money for legal aid in Texas in the General Counsel Forum’s 3rd Annual Charity Golf Classic.
Recent headlines about abusive NFL players, accompanied by dramatic video, have brought domestic violence into the forefront of the national conversation. What does a general counsel do when its his or her employee who is being abused at home? What are the ramifications if one of your employees is accused of abuse? These two experts provide practical guidance.
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