The first jury trial for the Texas Business Court in Dallas began Tuesday in a case involving an oral agreement between two businessmen. This is the second jury trial for the Lone Star State’s newest court.
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Fifteenth Court Holds, with Caveats, that Pleading Amendments May Defeat Business Court Jurisdiction
The Texas Court of Appeals for the Fifteenth District has issued an opinion deciding an issue of first impression on the Texas Business Court’s jurisdiction that will prove important for commercial litigation in Texas over: Can a plaintiff amend its petition so as to defeat the Business Court’s jurisdiction after removal? The rule announced in the opinion will bear prominently on pleading and removal practice for the Business Court, and it raises further questions for consideration.
Katz Teams Up with Vartabedian
Marc Katz is leaving one of the largest law firms in the world to join the practice-focused boutique Vartabedian Hester & Haynes as a name partner. The firm has added more than 20 lawyers over the past year.
Litigation Roundup: Exxon’s Defamation Suit Against California AG Will Proceed
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, a team from King & Spalding notches an early win for Vistra in a dispute with the city of Sulphur Springs over the use of land that formerly housed a lignite mine, a healthcare executive faces prison after pleading guilty to fraud, and a $51 million win secured by Dean Omar Branham Shirley against Avon in a mesothelioma case is upheld on appeal in California.
Survey: Texas Businesses Face More Litigation Than National Counterparts
Texas-based companies are the targets of significantly more contract and personal injury disputes, but they are also twice as likely to sue other businesses than their national counterparts, according to a new survey of corporate legal departments by global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright.
Foley Expands Dallas Construction Bench with Addition from Gray Reed
The move to hire J.P. Vogel strengthens Foley’s construction and manufacturing capabilities in North Texas.
Chasity Henry Named New Jacobs GC
Dallas-based Jacobs has named Chasity Henry as its new general counsel, replacing Justin Johnson, who left last month to become the chief legal officer at Westinghouse.
Court of Criminal Appeals Rejects Appeal Tied to Judge-Prosecutor Affair
The majority of judges on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals have refused to consider an appeal by a man who argued that his 1992 Collin County trial was tainted because the judge and prosecutor in his case were having a secret romantic affair.
In dissent, Presiding Judge David J. Schenck wrote that the majority on the state’s highest criminal court sacrificed concerns about a fundamental breakdown in due process simply to seek finality in the long-standing appeals of a three-decade-old case.
CDT Roundup: Not a Record-Shattering Week? A Return to Normal is Fine
For the week ended Feb. 14, the CDT Roundup saw 14 deals reported with a total value of $20.5 billion.
Aside from the prior week, last week’s value of $20.5 billion is the highest recorded by the CDT since Nov. 8, when the Texas deal frenzy hit $76 billion boosted by Irving-based Kimberly-Clark’s acquisition of Kenvue for $48.7 billion. That consumer products megadeal was the largest in terms of value in 2025 and the fifth-largest M&A transaction involving a Texas company or led by a Lone Star State lawyer since 2018, aside from a certain super-megadeal in early February.
Texas Courts Cold as Ice to Winter Storm Uri Victims
Winter Storm Uri brought single-digit temperatures and freezing precipitation to Texas in February 2021. Power lines snapped. Natural gas and power generators went silent. Pipelines froze. At least 246 people died. Thousands and thousands more suffered serious medical injuries. In all, 31,600 Texans and businesses sued energy companies for gross negligence. But five years later, not a single case has made it to trial.