When more than 50 Texas Democratic senators fled the state in 2003 to deny the senate a quorum over a controversial Republican redistricting bill, they called Charles “Chip” Babcock, one of the finest First Amendment trial lawyers famously known for representing talk show host Oprah Winfrey in a six-week trial in Amarillo. Babcock, who is currently defending far-right cable network One America News against a defamation lawsuit by Dominion Voting Systems, recently concluded a 25-year run as chair of the Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee. He shares thoughts from his 40-year legal career in this Texas Lawbook exclusive.
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Southwest Airlines Asks Judge for One Cent Judgment to End Litigation Over Squashed Free Flights Program
Lawyers for Southwest Airlines have asked a judge to enter a judgment ordering the Dallas-based airline to pay one cent and reasonable attorneys’ fees to the American Alliance for Equal Rights to end its lawsuit over a defunct program that offered free flights to low-income Hispanic students traveling to visit their parents. Southwest Airlines ended the charitable program “¡Lánzate!” — meaning “Take off!” — after political conservative Edward Blum’s AAER sued Southwest on behalf of a white student and an Asian student who claimed they were illegally denied benefits of the program. The AAER sought one cent in damages from Southwest. (Photo courtesy Ashlee D. Smith/Southwest Airlines)
Copart’s Former VP of HR Alleges Company Operates As ‘A Mad Men-Era Boys’ Club’
Dallas-based Fortune 500 company Copart has been sued by its former global vice president of human resources, who alleges she was fired after complaining about discrimination and harassment toward female employees. The online car auction company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Haynes Boone’s New Partner from EPA Bolsters Environmental Practice
Clarissa Howley Mills, a former deputy regional counsel for the Environmental Protection Agency, played a key role in one of the largest settlements nationwide relating to the Clean Air Act. She said her experience growing up on a crop farm in Northern Kansas gives her an appreciation for the environment and business related to it.
Texas Legislature Considers Entity Governance Legislation and Business Court Amendments
The 2025 Texas Legislature is considering a host of bills that relate to the governance of Texas entities. For lawyers who have a taste for entity governance issues, your mouths are probably salivating over the prospects of the Legislature passing several bills. In addition, an important bill that would amend various statutes relating to the Texas business court is also under consideration.
Litigation Roundup: Texas Says ‘Roadmap to Violate Consumer Protection Laws’ is Being Followed Post-Google Ruling
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, a man who kidnapped his attorney and demanded a $1 million ransom gets 24 years in prison, Texas warns the state’s high court of dire consequences in a bid to revive its suit against Google, and a jury in rural West Texas awards more than $1 million in an oil and gas contract dispute.
Susman Godfrey Seeks TRO Against Trump Administration
Stating that President Donald Trump and his administration are “engaged in an unprecedented and unconstitutional assault on the independent bar, the independent judiciary and the rule of law,” lawyers for Susman Godfrey asked a federal judge Monday to issue a temporary restraining order to prevent federal officials from enforcing the president’s executive order signed last Wednesday against the Houston law firm. Last Friday, Susman Godfrey sued the Trump administration claiming that the executive order was an abuse of power “in an express campaign of retaliation for representing clients and causes” that President Trump “disfavors or employing lawyers he dislikes.”
CDT Roundup: Deals Dip to 14 From Previous Week
The week ending April 12 saw 14 deals reported with an aggregate value of only $2.7 billion. Don’t let that mislead. It’s both better and worse than the numbers suggest. There were 10 M&A/funding deals. But the bulk of the M&A/funding value was provided by a $1 billion fund closing. That and more in this week’s CDT Roundup, The Texas Lawbook‘s regular feature highlighting the work Texas dealmakers are doing inside and outside the state.
Susman Godfrey: President Trump ‘is Abusing the Powers of His Office … in Retaliation Against Organizations and People He Dislikes’
Texas litigation powerhouse Susman Godfrey filed a federal lawsuit late Friday accusing President Donald Trump of issuing unconstitutional executive orders against it and other law firms and claiming the president’s actions are “a grave threat to this foundational premise of our Republic.”
Bankruptcy Judge Isgur Rips GWG Holdings Trustee’s Lawyers on Lack of Due Process Notice to Investors
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Marvin Isgur ended a hearing Friday morning in the GWG Holdings case after finding lawyers for the trustee had failed to meet their due process obligations under the constitution to provide bondholders with notice of how a proposed settlement would impact them. “I find there is not due process notice and this is not a close call,” he said, adding the effort of the lawyers to inform bondholders, some of whom put their life savings in the company, that they could expect to get back only about 3 percent of what they invested was “completely deficient” and “an embarrassment.”