Houston-based Ascend Performance Material and eight of its affiliated businesses filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday citing $1 billion to $10 billion in liabilities, according to its filing in the Southern District of Texas.
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Lawyer Says Lack of ‘Independent Verification’ to Blame for Nonexistent Case Cites
A lawyer who filed an appellate brief that included four cases the Fifth Court of Appeals could not locate has explained that the culprit is “relying on third-party research without independent verification.”
“This has been a humbling and embarrassing lesson in the importance of verifying every citation at its source,” Heidi Rochon Hafer wrote in a response filed April 20.
Litigation Roundup: AT&T Beats Back $57M FCC Fine
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, a bench trial to determine whether the U.S. Trustee can clawback millions in fees awarded to Jackson Walker for work done on certain bankruptcy cases is officially canceled, personal injury lawyer Thomas J. Henry hires David J. Beck to defend his trademark and a longtime Dallas judge makes a big announcement.
AI Addenda — Navigating the Legal Landscape Across the Software Lifecycle
Legal professionals and organizations must adapt to the shifting landscape by addressing AI-related risks across contracting, implementation and operational phases. The growing need for AI addenda, encompassing everything from privacy and cybersecurity to data ownership and hallucinations, underscores the importance of a proactive and comprehensive approach to managing AI risks.
2025 Houston General Counsel, Corporate Legal Departments of the Year Announced
The general counsel and chief legal officers of Transocean, Hines Real Estate, Microvast Holdings, ChampionX, LGI Homes and Applied Optoelectronics have been selected by the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook as finalists for the 2025 Houston Corporate Counsel Awards for General Counsel of the Year. And the in-house lawyers at Phillips 66 and Talen Energy are finalists for the 2025 Houston Corporate Legal Department of the Year.
CDT Roundup: Deals Still Lagging Versus Last Year at This Time
For the week ending April 19, there were 11 transactions for $8.1 billion. The deals included nine acquisitions involving a home design group, a portfolio of lifestyle brands, a pair of data center operations, a pair of power stations, a pure-play FPGA chip developer, an IPO and several investments in upstream producers. That and more in this week’s edition of CDT Roundup.
Q&A with Trial Lawyer Bob Hilliard
Robert C. Hilliard has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. He was on the forefront of litigation against General Motors over its faulty ignition switches. And he helped free a man from prison for a fatal car wreck that Hilliard proved was the result of an auto defect in a lawsuit against Toyota that netted an $11.4 million jury verdict. But a story of a serendipitous connection between an early client and one of his colleagues is the one he tells to convey how fulfilling his legal career has been.
P.S. — Women’s Champions Honored, Auction Items Sought, First Amendment Lawyer Recognized
Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas has announced its Women’s Advocacy Awards recipients who will be honored at its annual reception June 11 at the Arts District Mansion in Dallas. That and more, including details on the Hispanic Bar Association’s Houston Annual Gala, in this edition of P.S.
Judge Lopez: No Do-Overs for Lawyers in J&J Talc Powder Bankruptcy Dispute
Less than 48 hours after lawyers representing some of the thousands of women claiming that Johnson & Johnson talc powder caused their ovarian cancer asked a Houston judge for “a do-over” and to reconsider his ruling dismissing their efforts to reach a settlement agreement through the bankruptcy court, the judge issued his answer Thursday: No can do.
Lynn Pinker Accuses AAA Arbitrator of More ‘Egregious Conduct’ in Dickey’s Case
Lynn Pinker partner Mary Goodrich Nix told the AAA its arbitrator refused to grant her any accommodation or continuance when she was in the hospital with her fatally ill father. She also told the administrator of the arbitration between her client, Dickey’s, and a franchisee that arbitrator Gary Leydig referred to her in an email as “Ms. Dix” and said he “has never apologized or acknowledged this, despite having been confronted with how offensive it was.”