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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.

Fort Worth Jury Convicts E-Discovery Firm of Class B Misdemeanor

Consilio, which claims to be the largest e-discovery firm in the world, committed a Class B misdemeanor offense when it accessed a woman’s computer without consent, a jury recently determined. Rob Miller of Miller Copeland, who represented the plaintiff, told The Texas Lawbook he believes this is the first lawsuit of its kind to be decided by a jury.

East Texas Jury Clears Nokia In Patent Case

A federal jury in Marshall deliberated about an hour and a half Wednesday before returning its verdict for Nokia. Correct Transmission had sought to prove Nokia infringed on three of its patents and should pay about $35 million.

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