Sherman Roberts, president and CEO of City Wide Community Development Corporation, pleaded guilty to a federal charge of conspiring to commit bribery. Roberts is accused of bribing two former Dallas City Council members in exchange for their support of his real estate projects.
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J&J Talc Bankruptcy Judge: ‘Their Voices Must Be Heard’
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez told all sides in the Johnson & Johnson talc powder bankruptcy litigation Tuesday that he will “get a big pot of coffee” and spend the weekend in his office going through more than 11,500 disputed votes in order to get an accurate number of claimants supporting and opposing J&J’s $8.2 billion settlement plan. New Jersey-based J&J created a new Texas-headquartered subsidiary in September called Red River Talc and used a Texas law to transfer all its potential liabilities from tens of thousands of lawsuits filed against J&J by women who claim they have ovarian cancer because they used J&J’s talc powder. But there’s a dispute over 11,500 votes that were switched from voting against J&J’s forced bankruptcy plan to being in favor.
McDermott Advising Wellpath on SDTX Bankruptcy
A Nashville-based healthcare services company that focuses on treating incarcerated inmates filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Houston Monday, claiming more than $1 billion in liabilities and an equal amount in assets. Wellpath Holdings and about 40 of its affiliated companies, which served about 3,000 in 2023 and reported revenues of $425 million, filed for bankruptcy in the Southern District of Texas. The case has been assigned to Judge Alfredo Perez.
How 2024’s Megadeals have Slowed In-House Legal Hiring in Texas’ Energy Sector
While these megadeals promise efficiency gains and economies of scale, they’ve had a chilling effect on one critical area: in-house legal hiring. Consolidation has temporarily shifted priorities, leaving legal teams focused on deal execution, integration, compliance and cost-cutting.
Paul Hastings Signs New Texas Office Leases to Accommodate Growth Push
After more than tripling its Texas headcount over the last year, the firm announced Tuesday it has inked new office deals at The Knox Street Development in Dallas and 609 Main in Houston.
Clay Pulliam Laterals to Locke Lord CRE Practice
Locke Lord, soon to become Troutman Pepper Locke, announced Monday its hiring of Clay Pulliam to its commercial real estate practice. Pulliam had been a member at Frost Brown Todd since September 2021.
CDT Roundup: 14 Deals, 12 Firms, 139 Lawyers, $2.1B
Elections mean change, and change is good, right? Maybe so, but there are concerns that a new administration might be inclined to make dramatic changes in policies regarding energy and manufacturing that have been the basis for billions in equity investments. Comments made by the president-elect shortly before the election have some worried that the seemingly uncontroversial CHIPS and Science Act could be in the crosshairs. The CDT Roundup looks at that concern and what the CHIPS Act has meant already to Texas. That and the usual roll call of last week’s transactions.
A Texas Two-Step Showdown: J&J Talc Powder, $8B and Claims of Bankruptcy Fraud
Lawyers representing tens of thousands of women — including 465 from Dallas/Fort Worth and a total of 2,558 from Texas — will face off with each other and against pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson in a Houston courtroom this week to determine the legitimacy of an $8.2 billion settlement agreement proposed by J&J to end all lawsuits brought by women who claim the company’s talc powder caused their ovarian cancer.
Trial lawyers representing thousands of the women claim the settlement is a farce and a fraudulent attempt by one of America’s most iconic and profitable corporations to use the federal bankruptcy system to force victims to accept their proposal and shield itself and its shareholders from billions of dollars more in potential liability. They and the U.S. Trustee want Judge Christopher Lopez to intervene.
The NEW Roundtable Turns 10 — A Decade of Making a Difference
Jacobs Deputy GC Chasity Henry founded the NEW Roundtable, a nonprofit that brings together in-house and outside counsel with the mission of promoting the advancement of African American women lawyers. NEW stands for Network of Empowered Women. The organization is celebrating its 10th anniversary this week with a gala. The NEW Roundtable started with Henry and about two dozen other Black women lawyers and has grown to nearly 100 members, including Black women who are in-house counsel, lawyers at law firms or in government service or in academia.
“This broad base enables us to drive impactful connections and career development across various sectors of the legal profession,” Henry said in an interview with The Texas Lawbook. “Our members’ professional achievements across the legal spectrum demonstrate that The NEW Roundtable is not just creating opportunities — it is transforming the legal landscape for Black women attorneys. Through community, mentorship, and strategic alliances, we are reshaping what is possible in the legal profession.”
The Lawbook recently interviewed Henry about the 10th anniversary of the NEW Roundtable, the successes and challenges of the organization and the legal profession regarding diversity and inclusion.
P.S. — 2024 DFW Pro Bono and Diversity Award Nominations Now Welcomed
The Association of Corporate Counsel’s DFW Chapter and The Texas Lawbook are seeking nominations for the 2024 DFW Corporate Counsel Awards for Achievement in Pro Bono and Public Service, Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion and Create Partnership. The awards recognizing pro bono and diversity celebrate the efforts and successes of corporate in-house counsel who use their positions to serve their communities and the legal profession.
This week, P.S. also highlights Texas Veterans Legal Aid Week and efforts by Texas Access to Justice, legal aid programs, local bar associations and law schools providing free legal services to qualified military veterans in Texas.