After six days of testimony, closing arguments in Terry Bevill’s wrongful-termination lawsuit are scheduled for Wednesday morning before U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant III of Sherman.
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CDT Roundup: 24 Deals, 12 Firms, 235 Lawyers, $11B
Private equity is back; particularly in middle market deals. Pitchbook says so in a report released last week. In their study of H1 data Pitchbook forecasts that middle market deal counts will reach 3,400 by the end of the year, with values of as much as $345 billion. That would make it the third-best year for middle market PE deals, ever. If you want particulars, look no further than this week’s CDT Roundup, in which 13 of last week’s 16 M&A/Funding deals involved some form of PE participation. The Roundup even has the names of the lawyers behind them.
Judge Vacates $260M Verdict Against Johnson & Johnson; Plaintiff’s Dallas-Based Lawyers Plan to Appeal
The state judge in Oregon did not immediately offer a reason for overturning a jury’s verdict in the trial for a woman who accused J&J’s talc-based baby powder of causing her mesothelioma. J&J’s worldwide vice president of litigation blasted Dean Omar Branham Shirley lawyers for “prejudicial conduct” that led to an “indefensible” verdict.
Norton Rose Adds New Family Office Partner in Dallas
Norton Rose Fulbright announced Tuesday that it has hired a new partner — Gabriella Orengo Lyons — for its corporate, M&A and securities practice in Dallas.
Houston-Based Law Firm Obtains $39M Verdict in Mesothelioma Case Against Georgia Mineral Company
The Lanier Law Firm represented a mesothelioma patient who lawyers said is the first person to claim that the medical procedure talc pleurodesis led to his deadly cancer. Cimbar Performance Minerals failed to warn its buyers of the risk of asbestos in its products, which was contained in a product used in the plaintiff’s medical procedure, lawyers said.
Ex-Judge Says He Ordered Quitman Police Captain’s Arrest Over ‘Total Pile of Crap’ Affidavit
Jeff Fletcher, Wood County’s former state district judge, joins fellow defendants in Terry Bevill’s wrongful-termination suit in denying there was any conspiracy to punish Bevill for saying in 2017 that a friend couldn’t get a fair trial in the East Texas county.
Arnold & Itkin Seeks Sanctions Against AZA Over ‘Inflammatory’ Media Coverage of Hurricane Zeta Case
Plaintiffs’ lawyers representing about 20 crew workers aboard the Deepwater Asgard drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico when Hurricane Zeta hit in October 2020 have asked a Houston judge to issue sanctions and possibly remove defense attorneys for Transocean Offshore Drilling for a “false and inflammatory” pretrial filing last week that the lawyers say “tainted the jury pool” and “deprived plaintiffs of their right to an impartial jury.” Attorneys for Arnold & Itkin claim that opposing counsel Ahmad Zavitsanos & Mensing violated disciplinary rules when AZA publicly accused the Houston plaintiffs’ firm of being involved in a financial scheme that includes medical experts and a private equity funding source.
Jury Could Begin Deliberations in Fired Police Captain’s Case as Early as Midweek
Fired Quitman police captain Terry Bevill’s wrongful-termination case in Sherman could go to a federal jury as soon as midweek.
At the conclusion of Friday’s court session before U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant III, Bevill’s lawyers said they have two witnesses yet to call, and will probably rest on Tuesday.
P.S. — Jack Balagia’s New UT Law Assignment, San Antonio ACC’s Ethics & Leadership Award Nominations
Retired Exxon Mobil GC Jack Balagia gets a new position. The American Bar Association recognizes retired Texas Criminal Court of Appeals Judge Elsa Alcala. And the Association of Corporate Counsel’s San Antonio Chapter seeks nominations for its prestigious Lee Cusenbary Ethical Life & Leadership Award.
Next week, The Texas Lawbook will announce a planned expansion of the Texas Lawbook Foundation and its mission. Also, a reminder: Please send us any information about scholarship programs set up by law firms, lawyers or legal organizations for students from low-income and disadvantaged families and communities.
Samsung Hit With $192M Patent Infringement Verdict
A federal jury in Marshall found Samsung infringed on five patents obtained by California-based startup Mojo Mobility with the tech giant’s flagship smartphone Galaxy series and other products. Jurors awarded Mojo Mobility more than $192 million in damages and found that Samsung willfully infringed on at least one of the asserted claims.