There have been a number of utility/power deals in recent weeks, but none that seemed more significant than Constellation Energy’s $26.6 billion acquisition of Houston’s Calpine Energy. The deal is significant, not only for its size, but for what it says about our understanding of energy transition. Coupled, of course, with the usual CDT Roundup survey of last week’s Texas-related energy transactions.
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Six Lawyers Jump from Bradley to Sheppard Mullin
Partners Gene Besen, Elisha Kobre and Scarlett Singleton Nokes, as well as special counsel Stephen Moulton and associates Rebecca James and Courtlyn Ward, have joined Sheppard Mullin’s governmental practice. The team’s practice grew exponentially at Bradley and a move to Sheppard Mullin was a strategic decision to grow their practice further in a larger firm, Besen said.
Top Deals of 2024: When AI Met M&A (and Everything Else)
This is our list, a roster of transactions that caught our attention this year among the more than 2,000 Texas-related transactions submitted to the Corporate Deal Tracker in 2024. These “Texas-related” deals are transactions that involve either Texas-headquartered parties, Texas-based lawyers or, better yet, both.
Social Media Influencer’s Texas Lawsuit Against Rival Could Pave the Way for Future Copyright Cases
A lawsuit filed by Sydney Nicole Gifford, a former Austin resident who promotes Amazon products, against fellow Austin-area influencer Alyssa Sheil survived a motion to dismiss last month. Lawyers who spoke with The Texas Lawbook said widespread attention on the case is likely to incite other influencers to contact lawyers and explore legal avenues, including litigation, to safeguard their brand aesthetics, even though those same legal observers expressed skepticism about the case’s viability moving forward.
Bloomberg Law: Kirkland ‘Absolutely Shocked’ at SDTX Judge’s Secret Romance with ex-Jackson Walker Partner
Lawyers at Jackson Walker never told lawyers at Kirkland & Ellis that one of its bankruptcy partners was having a secret romantic relationship with former Houston Bankruptcy Judge David Jones and that Kirkland would have taken action to make the couple’s cohabitation public if he had known about it, one of Kirkland’s top bankruptcy lawyers told the U.S. Trustee’s office in a recent deposition.
P.S. — SPCA and Jones Day: 2024 DFW Creative Partnership of the Year
Jones Day construction litigation partner Joseph Van Asten, the dad to two rescue dogs, was looking for a pro bono project earlier this year. Chris Luna, former T-Mobile chief counsel-turned-CEO of SPCA needed a large corporate law firm with experience in several different practice areas. The result: The Association of Corporate Counsel’s DFW Chapter and The Texas Lawbook are honoring SPCA’s Luna and Jones Day with the 2024 DFW Corporate Counsel Award for Creative Partnership. During the past year, Jones Day has had 10 different lawyers work more than 200 pro bono hours on seven different matters for the SPCA, including drafting and negotiating construction agreements for the SPCA expansion project, providing advice on SPCA’s corporate bylaws and corporate governance issues and advising the nonprofit on its trademark portfolio. This is how the partnership came together.
Panel’s Dismissal of Texas’ Suit Against Google Sets Stage for SCOTX Review
In an 18-page ruling issued Thursday, Chief Justice Jaime Tijerina and Justices Clarissa Silva and Lionel Aron Peña Jr. held that the lawsuit — alleging Google violated state law when it made certain representations about how user location information and browsing history data is collected — cannot proceed in Texas courts.
Constellation Energy Acquires Houston’s Calpine Corporation for $26.6B
In one of the largest ever green energy generation transactions, Constellation Energy has agreed to acquire Calpine Corporation, a Houston-based natural gas and geothermal energy provider taken private by Energy Capital Partners in 2018. Lawyers from Kirkland, Gibson Dunn, Latham and White & Case are advising on the deal.
Dallas Judge Finds Khoury, Shamoun’s ‘Improper and Incurable Jury Argument’ Mandates New Trial
Earlier this week, Dallas County District Judge Gena Slaughter issued a four-page order finding that the arguments made by defense lawyers Stephen A. Khoury and C. Gregory Shamoun in front of a Dallas County jury deciding a fraudulent transfer case were “improper and incurable.” But Khoury and Shamoun told The Texas Lawbook this week they are “shocked” by the finding and argue Judge Slaughter’s order is “inaccurate and incorrect.”
Johnson & Johnson Cleared of Causation in Mesothelioma Trial, But Jury Still Attempts to Award $22M in Punitive Damages
A Pittsburgh jury returned a confusing verdict Monday in a mesothelioma trial involving Texas lawyers on both sides. Jurors handed a defense verdict to the pharmaceutical giant but went on to answer questions about punitive damages that they shouldn’t have. J&J is nevertheless claiming the verdict as vindication.