A Massachusetts jury awarded $3.3 million to the family of Missy Haddad, finding that Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder caused her mesothelioma, though not her death. Dallas-based Dean Omar Branham Shirley secured the verdict against defense teams from King & Spalding and Kirkland & Ellis.
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Litigation Roundup: Paxton Drops Suit Against Glass Lewis
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, a Houston lawyer nets back-to-back wins in sex trafficking suits against Meta, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice turns to the Northern District of Texas to file Chapter 7 bankruptcy, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit wades into the applicability of “mi casa es su casa” in an intellectual property dispute between tequila companies.
New Elizabeth Holmes Doc Shows Why Jury Trials Outperform Films in the Search for Truth
The buzzy new documentary You Can See Everything gives the founder of Theranos a platform to repeat her claims of innocence, but cameras are no substitute for cross-examinations. This column makes the case why the rigorous mechanics of a courtroom beat storytelling on film in the search for truth. (Photo courtesy A24)
Stop Objecting on Autopilot: A Young Litigator’s Guide to Discovery Responses That Actually Hold Up
For litigators in their early years of practice, drafting discovery responses that comply with the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure requires a thoughtful approach, one that can withstand a motion to compel and build a defensible record to thrive in a meet-and-confer with opposing counsel. Here are five rules for crafting discovery motions that can withstand scrutiny.
LS Power Reacquires 6 Power Plants from NRG for $4B
In May 2025, NRG Energy bought 18 natural gas-fired power plants across nine states from LS Power for $12 billion, including debt.
Kirkland Extends Texas Hiring Blitz, Adds Another Gibson Dunn Litigation Partner
Dallas commercial litigator Russ Falconer is taking his practice to Kirkland & Ellis. The move marks the third time in three months that Kirkland has recruited a top-tier partner directly from Gibson Dunn’s Texas roster.
Shock & Y’all: Texas Dealmaking in a New Shade of Blue
The client calls and texts started on Election Night, as the blue-shaded Texas results grew deeper and deeper on the ballot. Clients wanted to know what to make of it, what changes they could expect. But their Texas lawyers were just as shocked as their clients. And days later they are cautiously optimistic, even hopeful, that a Blue slate in Texas will keep the money green.
CDT Roundup: M&A Surfs a Blue Breaker with an Almost Normal Week
In a week that saw a seismic change in Texas political governance, Texas dealmakers still managed to push a dozen deals across the finish line. And given the slow walk of transactions taking place before the election, last week shows that Texas dealmaking still has a pulse.
‘Triage’ Mode: 15th COA Cancels Four Oral Arguments Set for December
After a historic election sweep that ousted its three Republican justices, the Texas Fifteenth Court of Appeals has canceled four December oral arguments to clear its backlog before the new all-Democrat bench takes over. Here are the four high-profile cases caught in the transition.
Ousted SCOTX Justice Eyes Federal Bench
Days before losing his election bid, Texas Supreme Court Justice James Sullivan submitted a questionnaire to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee for a federal judicial position on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in Austin. President Donald Trump has yet to make an announcement nominating Justice Sullivan.