Latham & Watkins has hired prominent litigators Taj Clayton and Scott Thomas as partners, the firm announced Tuesday. The move, first reported by The Texas Lawbook on Feb. 6, significantly strengthens Latham’s trial team in Texas and across the country, adding two nationally recognized litigators with deep experience in high-stakes commercial, securities and white-collar disputes. The two litigators are expected to eventually play a key role in launching the firm’s Dallas office, as both are North Texas residents.
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Business Court: January 2026 Decisions
If January is any indication, it’s going to be another blockbuster year for the Court. The Court penned three opinions and gave us an early contender for quote of the year.
Austin Energy Projects Partner Moves from Greenberg Traurig to Baker Botts
Regina A. Pearson will focus her practice on energy project development and construction matters across sectors such as liquefied natural gas, power, hydrogen and renewables. The move strengthens Baker Botts’ energy project development and construction capabilities in Austin.
Litigation Roundup: A Milestone for the Texas Business Court, MA Court Denies J&J’s Motions and More
In this edition of the Litigation Roundup, the first jury trial for the Texas Business Court kicked off, while Johnson & Johnson had a motion for summary judgment and its request for a new trial denied and a former partner of a Dallas venture capital firm filed a lawsuit against the firm and its founders, alleging fraud and more. That and more in this week’s edition.
Clear Channel to be Sold to Mubadala-led Investors in $6.2B Take-private Deal
Under the deal, Clear Channel, the world’s largest out-of-home advertising company would stay in San Antonio, led by former TelevisaUnivision CEO Wade Davis. Kirkland and Freshfields advised.
Transocean Acquires Valaris for $5.8B, Creating Deepwater Drilling Behemoth
Transocean announced Monday it has acquired Valaris Ltd. for about $5.8 billion in an all-stock transaction that creates an offshore drilling behemoth with 33 ultra-deepwater drillships, nine semisubmersibles and 31 modern jackups. Skadden advised Valaris with a team led by Eric Otness in Houston and Stephen Arcano and Max Troper in New York. Davor Vukadin is GC at Valaris, and Brady Long is Transocean’s chief legal officer.
Fifth Circuit Gives Trump Admin Win on Immigration Detention Policy
A divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on Friday sided with the Trump administration’s interpretation of immigration law, allowing the government to detain noncitizens without the opportunity to seek bond while they contest deportation. The opinion comes as federal district courts across the country confront a surge of lawsuits challenging the Administration’s approach.
CDT Roundup: Groundhog Calls for More Winter as Deal Blizzard Hits Texas
Last week began with a Pennsylvania groundhog seeing his shadow, an occurrence that supposedly forewarns a stubborn winter. In Texas, where the temps reached 70 degrees and above, such news is met with little more than a shrug.
Would that Punxsutawney Phil had forewarned us that a $58 billion deal on Monday to create a shale oil giant would be immediately dwarfed on Tuesday by the gobsmacking $1.25 trillion marriage of a satellite delivery system and an AI chatbox with a reputation for snarkiness.
That and more in this edition of CDT Roundup.
Motion to Dismiss Elders from Gateway Defamation Case Denied
Dallas County Judge Emily Tobolowsky, who is not seeking reelection, denied the motion to dismiss two elders from the defamation lawsuit against Gateway Church. The nondenominational, evangelical Christian megachurch has been tangled in several lawsuits following sexual abuse allegations against Robert Morris, its former senior pastor.
Big Law’s Transfer Portal: Elite Firms Raid Texas Talent with Record Pay Packages
The Texas corporate legal market has started 2026 with a frenzy of activity that includes several high-profile lateral partner moves, new office openings, new hourly rates nearing $3,000 and record-shattering compensation agreements with some lawyers being offered guaranteed multi-year compensation packages exceeding $20 million.