Texan Elon Musk, who has seen his net worth plummet hundreds of billions of dollars this month due to a steep decline in Telsa stock, quietly added a new foe last week — Susman Godfrey and Houston partner Justin Nelson — which could be a courtroom-size headache for the world’s wealthiest person. Nelson, who led the Dominion Voting Systems $787.5 million victory over Fox News in 2023, filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Media Matters against X Corp/Twitter, accusing the social media platform and its owner of abusing the civil justice system to get vengeance against media entities that he blames for his economic losses.
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EQT Group, Zayo To Acquire Crown Castle’s Fiber Solutions and Small Cells Business for $8.5 Billion
EQT Group announced Thursday that it had acquired Crown Castle’s small cells solutions business for $4.25 billion through its EQT Active Core Infrastructure fund. In addition, EQT and Digital Bridge-backed company Zayo also announced its own acquisition of a Crown Castle fiber solutions business for $4.25 billion. Lawyers from Kirkland & Ellis and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett are advising on the deals.
P.S. — Toyota and Baker Botts Bring Legal Aid — and Laughter — to Exploited Victims
For several weeks that a woman found refuge at Dallas’ New Friends New Life for formerly trafficked and sexually exploited victims, the staff hadn’t seen a small measure of her joy: laughter.
Finally, at a pro bono legal intake clinic with attorneys from Toyota North America and Baker Botts, staffers caught a glimmer of hope as they heard the woman laugh after receiving legal aid. It was a moment that resonated with the staff and the volunteer lawyers, said Scott Young, managing counsel of Toyota North America in Plano.
“That is more than just turning a page,” Young said. “That’s like freeing her from her limitations.”
Texas Transaction Trailblazers: Michael Piazza Led in Deals, Shamus Crosby in Dollars
Driven by a mix of private equity interest, family office investments and strategic consolidations across multiple sectors, dealmaking was strong in 2024, particularly in Texas, revealing resilience even as the year closed amid tightening credit and unexpected headwinds. Two lawyers stood out in that Texas M&A landscape, each making their mark in distinct ways: Gibson Dunn’s Michael Piazza and Simpson Thacher’s Shamus Crosby.
Planning for Growth in a Contracting Economy
Without a doubt, all law firms will eventually be tested on their ability to survive a contracting economy. Not all firms will pass the test.
EDTX Chief Judge Mazzant Carves Up Sherman Docket, Four More Judges Take a Share
On the first day he became the new Chief Judge of the Eastern District of Texas, Amos Mazzant III issued an order that shook up the caseload assignments for the eight judges who serve in that district.
Here, we share Chief Judge Mazzant’s answers to a handful of questions The Lawbook posed to him regarding the new order.
Texas Legal Market Free Agency Continues with $5M to $13M Annual Comp Offers
The number of Texas law partners who moved their practice to a new firm during 2024 hit record highs and the trend seems to be continuing in 2025. And for a growing percentage of the lateral moves, this was their second or third jump in recent years. Texas Lawbook data shows that 20 percent more partners at business and litigation practices in Texas jumped to a competitor last year. Three law firms added 10 or more lateral partners in 2024. Twenty-two firms hired five or more lateral partners. Three law firms lost 10 or more partners to competitors in 2024. The Lawbook examines the data and the individual specific lateral moves for trends.
Corporate Deal Tracker: 2025 M&A Transactions
Below is a list of qualified M&A transactions reported to The Texas Lawbook for 2025. The list is organic, designed to grow as needed. So if you have deals that qualify or
Judge Awards Cardinal Midstream $51.9M in Pipeline Explosion Suit Against Energy Transfer
A judge in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, has determined that Cardinal Midstream is owed $51.9 million in damages from Energy Transfer in a lawsuit stemming from a 2018 gas pipeline explosion.
Texas’ Business Courts Are Proving Their Supporters Right
Texas’ new system of business courts came with the kind of “fear and trembling” that often accompanies change on such a grand, institutional scale. “What else are courts created for business supposed to do besides favor business,” many worried. But our new business courts have spent the last several months both dispelling those fears and proving why these courts are a smart investment — as much for the public as for litigants.