Holland & Knight Lands Healthcare Partner from K&S
Juliet McBride is making her first lateral move after spending her entire career at King & Spalding to this point.
Nachawati Law Group Launches New Practice Group
Nachawati Law Group is launching an antitrust practice with three attorneys who have experience working in government. The firm told The Lawbook the decision was spurred in part by the trend of state attorneys general pursuing these types of cases with more regularity.
Northern District Civil Prosecutor Joins Vartabedian Hester & Haynes
Vartabedian Hester & Haynes adds to its newly launched white collar and investigations practice group with the hiring of Richard Guiltinan. He brings Department of Justice and private practice experience to the firm.
Unlocking Multifamily Development and Land Use in Texas Cities
Texas’s 2025 legislative session marked a major shift in land‐use policy. With Gov. Greg Abbott’s signature on SB 840, the state joined a broader wave of reforms aimed at unlocking housing supply by curbing municipal zoning and regulation. These laws will work in concert to dismantle longstanding barriers to multifamily development by streamlining conversions of commercial properties, raising the bar for rezoning protests and reducing lot‐size mandates. Together, these measures represent one of the most sweeping efforts to expand housing options and revive underused urban assets in Texas cities.
Litigation Roundup: Challenge to ‘Death Star Bill’ Implodes
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, a professional gambler is accused of running a $9 million Ponzi scheme, a few cities challenging the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act are dealt a loss on appeal, and the Kentucky attorney general taps a Dallas law firm to help bring a consumer protection lawsuit against shopping website Temu.
Vartabedian Hester & Haynes Hires Richard Roper to Launch New White Collar, Investigations Practice Group
After more than 20 years practicing at Thompson & Knight and later Holland & Knight, Richard Roper has left the law firm to take a new role with Vartabedian Hester & Haynes, where he will start and head a white collar and investigations practice group.
Texas Charts New Path on AI With Landmark Regulation
Texas has become the second state, after Colorado, to enact omnibus legislation regulating artificial intelligence systems. The Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act establishes a new regulatory framework that applies to developers and deployers of AI systems conducting business in Texas or producing AI products or services used by Texas residents. The passage of the Texas law is noteworthy given that in recent months, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California and Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia each vetoed their respective state’s omnibus AI laws. It remains to be seen whether other states follow Texas’ and Colorado’s lead, or if they avoid omnibus AI laws and focus instead on regulating specific activities, such as the use of deepfakes.
Litigation Roundup: CEO Indicted in Alleged UT Austin Arena Bid Rigging Conspiracy
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit finds that a lawsuit challenging admissions practices at the University of Texas at Austin is not moot, a fake immigration lawyer faces prison time, and the Western District of Texas announces a high-profile indictment.