As general counsel at Caris Life Sciences, Russ Denton has made a significant impact in just two years, gaining the respect of both executives and outside counsel. His expertise has facilitated the launch of FDA-approved products while successfully leading an appeal that corrected a District Court’s legal misapplication. Outside counsel praises Denton for his ability to navigate complex M&A deals and multi-faceted litigation, always aiming to minimize risks for the company. His innovative approach and skillset are why he is the recipient of the 2024 DFW General Counsel of the Year Award for a Small Legal Department.
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Lawsuit Alleges North Texas Jail’s Book, Magazine Bans Violate Free Speech, Due Process Rights
The Human Rights Defense Center is suing Grayson County and the sheriff, claiming the facility’s rejection of books, magazines and other materials sent to inmates violates the organization’s First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. The lawsuit, filed in September, argues that the jail’s policies prevent inmates from receiving important legal literature, with no clear process for challenging rejections. U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant had questions for both sides during a hearing Monday on the plaintiff’s motion for a preliminary injunction.
Litigation Roundup: ‘Dr. Fauci of South Texas’ Freed from Antitrust Suit
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, an ExxonMobil unit is hit with a $5.6 million jury verdict in Houston, Amazon, after appealing to the Texas Supreme Court but before any real movement in the appeal, settles a wrongful death lawsuit in which it alleged a state district judge was going to force it to disclose confidential and proprietary information, and a trade secrets fight between competing compounding pharmacies heats up.
Texas Pacific Land GC Dobbs Navigated ‘Sensitive Board Dynamics’ at ‘Pivotal Time’
When Micheal W. Dobbs took his first in-house job and joined Texas Pacific Land Corporation in August 2020, the pandemic was raging and the company was in the midst of arguably the biggest change in its more than 132-year history: transitioning from operating as a liquidating business trust to a Delaware corporation. He is now the senior vice president, secretary and general counsel of TPL, which is one of the largest landowners in the state. Dobbs and his outside counsel at Sidley have been named as one of two finalists for the 2024 Business Litigation of the Year Award by the Association of Corporate Counsel’s DFW Chapter and The Texas Lawbook.
Are You a Go-Getter Lawyer?
To be a success in the legal profession hinges much more on how you work than where you work. Taking ownership of your own success and not expecting someone else to provide it for you is every bit as important today as it was 40 years ago. But what the series revealed is that different generations have a different sense of what go-getting looks like today.
Helmerich & Payne’s Debra Stockton Takes It to the Limit in Patent Litigation Victory
Helmerich and Payne International Drilling learned in 2020 that a direct competitor and sometimes business partner was suing H&P claiming that it had infringed on eight of Nabors’ patents related to technology on its automated drilling products and sought hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. The plaintiffs sought an immediate preliminary injunction to stop H&P’s sale of the disputed products and asked the federal judge for an expedited jury trial. Working under intense pressure and deadlines, H&P GC Debra Stockton aggressively led H&P’s discovery efforts, initiated an investigation into Nabors’ own automated drilling technology and filed counterclaims of infringement against Nabors. This case is an incredibly rare example of an accused party “flipping the v” and vindicating itself from baseless allegations of wrongdoing while at the same time exposing the aggressor party as the real wrongdoer. Citing this extraordinary courtroom success, the Association of Corporate Counsel’s DFW Chapter and The Texas Lawbook named H&P, Stockton and Baker Botts as one of two finalists for the 2024 DFW Corporate Counsel Award for Business Litigation of the Year.
Premium Subscriber Q&A: Debra Stockton
In this Q&A with The Texas Lawbook, Debra Stockton, general counsel for Helmerich & Payne, discusses the traits she seeks in outside counsel, what outside counsel need to know when working with her and more.
Ex-Co-Chair of Bracewell’s Energy Transition Practice Joins White & Case
White & Case announced Monday that Patrick Johnson, former co-chair of the energy transition practice at Bracewell, has joined the firm as a Houston-based partner working within its global project development and finance practice.
Diversified Energy Acquires Houston’s Maverick Natural Resources for Nearly $1.3B
Diversified Energy Company has agreed to acquire a private Houston-based oil and gas company, Maverick Natural Resources, for $1.275 billion from EIG Partners. Lawyers from Kirkland, Latham and Gibson Dunn are advising on the deal.
From Criminal Minds to Corporate Combos: How a Random Assignment Sealed Justin Johnson’s Deal-Driven Destiny
Jacobs GC Justin Johnson began his legal journey inspired by criminal law depicted in TV dramas. Initially pursuing criminal defense, he worked on felony appeals during law school. However, a 2L summer assignment shifted his focus to M&A. Captivated by its pace and complexity, Johnson is now known for his ability to calmly direct complex deals — and that’s why he is a 2024 finalist for the DFW M&A Deal of the Year Award.