Texas remains a focal point for white-collar litigation amid shifting priorities and an ever-changing enforcement landscape. The Texas Lawbook caught up with white-collar expert Jeff Vaden, a partner in Bracewell’s Houston office, about trends, the Trump Administration’s priorities, what they could mean for Texas and more.
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Houston Crane Co. Slammed with $640M Verdict Over Construction Site Fatality
Jurors in Harris County this week awarded the family of a man who was killed at a construction site a total of $640 million, most of which came in the form of a whopping $480 million assessment of punitive damages against Houston-based TNT Crane & Rigging. A day before the jury assessed punitive damages, counsel for TNT had asked the court in an emergency motion for a mistrial, dismissal of the punitive damages phase of trial and sanctions against plaintiffs counsel, Tony Buzbee.
Judge Signals Final Ruling in Favor of Conservative Group in Southwest Airlines Student Travel Program Suit
A federal judge in Dallas alerted lawyers in an opinion and order Wednesday of his intention to enter final judgment in favor of Edward Blum’s American Alliance for Equal Rights, awarding them one cent in nominal damages and legal fees in a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines. The case challenged a now-shuttered program that provided free flights to low-income Hispanic students, which the group claimed was discriminatory. The judge opined that Southwest’s “unconditional surrender” justified ending the case without ruling on the merits.
Condon Tobin Hires Team from Libby Sparks
Condon Tobin Sladek Sparks Nerenberg has hired three new attorneys, the firm announced Wednesday in a news release. The additions — members Dustin Sparks and Jeff Libby, plus associate Rebecca Donachie — will strengthen the Dallas firm’s capabilities in corporate transactional work, M&A and commercial real estate.
Q&A with Lobbyist Amy Bresnen
Amy Bresnen began working at the Texas Capitol in the 2000s as a grunt in the army of college-age students that runs on Red Bull and ambition to complete the behind-the-scenes work critical to each session. The Texas Lawbook recently sat down with Bresnen in a quiet corner of the Capitol cafeteria to discuss her work.
Anti-DEI Group Accuses Southwest Airlines of Trying to Dodge Liability in Federal Lawsuit
Southwest Airlines is seeking a court judgment that would allow it to pay nominal damages and attorneys’ fees without an admission of liability in a federal civil rights lawsuit over a now-defunct program that offered free flights to low-income Hispanic students. Prominent conservative Edward Blum’s American Alliance for Equal Rights, which sued the airline on behalf of white and Asian students, argued in a court filing Tuesday that Southwest’s request is improper and aimed at avoiding legal accountability. The group urged the judge to reject Southwest’s bid and instead grant its own motion for summary judgment to resolve the case on its merits.
With Ivett Hughes at the Helm in Houston, ‘Baker Hughes is a Corporate Leader in Pro Bono Service’
In the first quarter of 2024, Baker Hughes launched a global legal and compliance diversity, inclusion and belonging counsel with the mission of infusing those values into the legal department through internal and external engagement. Led by Ivett Hughes in Houston, a regional team of lawyers and staff partnered with Houston Volunteer Lawyers to represent four clients — roughly one pro bono case per five lawyers. They blew past their goal by 500 percent. The Houston Association of Corporate Counsel and The Texas Lawbook have selected Hughes and Baker Hughes as its 2025 Achievement in Pro Bono and Public Service award recipient.
Federal-Style CFIUS Review May Be Coming to Texas
On March 13, the Texas Legislature introduced HB 5007, which, if enacted, would establish the Texas Committee on Foreign Investment, the first U.S. state regime tasked with screening foreign investments on national security grounds. The proposed TCFI is not an entirely new idea; indeed, it closely mimics the responsibilities and purpose of its national regulatory counterpart, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.
Grocery Deliverer Claims Private Equity Firm Cost It Millions in Longstanding Contracts with El Rancho Chain
Skyward Transportation’s lawsuit claims all was well until El Rancho was acquired in 2023 by an arm of Apollo Global Management.
Sorrels Law Launches Beaumont Office with Veteran Maritime Litigator David James
Sorrels Law has expanded its Texas footprint again, this time by opening an office in Beaumont led by newly named partner David James, the firm announced in a news release on Tuesday.