Forest Park Surgeons, Executives Face Prison Time Today

Six surgeons, a chiropractor and five hospital administrators from the now defunct Forest Park Medical Center fraud case – including seven who were found guilty at a lengthy trial nearly two years ago – are back in federal court today to learn how much time they could spend in prison. The Forest Park case exposed a vast bribery and kickback conspiracy involving prominent Texas surgeons and a luxurious physician-owned hospital. The Texas Lawbook is in the courtroom and will provide updates.

March 17, 2021 Bruce Tomaso

A Modern Power Grid Can Deliver More Than Just Resiliency

In the wake of last month’s winter storm disaster, Texas has an opportunity to reinforce its position as a global energy leader by acting thoughtfully to guide the evolution of our electric grid. Parts of Texas’ grid were simply not built to withstand sustained freezing temperatures and significant frozen precipitation. Generation assets went offline at an alarming rate, leading to a shortfall in electric supply that forced tens of thousands of megawatts of customer load to be shed, leaving millions in the dark. This did not need to happen.

March 11, 2021 Keith Fullenweider & Michael Tomsu

Texas Bar Members Approve Law Firm Trade Names

Vinson & Elkins and Baker Botts are highly unlikely to change their firm names to “Bad Ass Lawyers” or “Energy M&A Deals are Us,” but four out of five Texas lawyers who voted in a State Bar of Texas referendum over the past few weeks think they should be able to do so if they want.

March 5, 2021 Mark Curriden

State Bar Disciplinary Actions

In its most recent monthly disciplinary report, the State Bar of Texas cited eight suspensions and six public reprimands. The violations ranged from failure to meet professional obligations to failure to account for client funds.

March 1, 2021 Allen Pusey

Key Considerations for a Texas Privacy Law

In 2020, California became the first US state to pass a comprehensive privacy law in the mold of the EU General Data Protection Regulation. More and more states appear ready to enact similar laws. Texas is no exception. To guide the 87th Legislature and prepare Texas general counsel for what is likely to come, this article examines the CCPA, the GDPR, and other comprehensive privacy laws to highlight four key considerations that the Legislature will likely take into account in drafting a comprehensive Texas privacy law. CORRECTION: Three edits have been made to this article.

February 24, 2021 Randi Singer & Robert Brown

Steve Cox Resigns as EDTX U.S. Attorney, First Asst. Takes Over

Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Steve Cox resigned today. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei, a career federal prosecutor, will be acting U.S. Attorney until the Biden administration appoints a replacement. Cox, in an exclusive interview with The Texas Lawbook, discusses his time in the EDTX and the huge impact he has had on corporate regulatory and enforcement reforms during his time at DOJ.

January 19, 2021 Mark Curriden

State Bar of Texas: 7 Judges, 19 Lawyers Cited

In its monthly report for January, the State Bar of Texas described disciplinary actions against 7 judges and 19 lawyers, including three disbarments, two resignations, nine suspensions and five public reprimands.

January 6, 2021 Allen Pusey

Exit Interview: Erin Nealy Cox

On the day she announced her resignation as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Erin Nealy Cox sat for an exclusive interview with Mark Curriden and Bruce Tomaso of The Texas Lawbook. The interview touched on a broad variety of topics, from dealing with COVID-19 to the opioid crisis to her legacy after three years in office to the pipeline of white-collar fraud cases she initiated that, she says, will come to fruition in the next few years.

December 21, 2020 Bruce Tomaso & Mark Curriden