Kevin Wakefield, a real estate finance lawyer, has joined Jones Day from Hunton Andrews Kurth as of counsel in the firm’s Dallas office. He will focus his practice on commercial real estate finance and transactions, representing institutional lenders in commercial mortgage and mezzanine loan originations, while also advising clients on commercial real estate acquisitions, dispositions, development and leasing.
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SDTX Bankruptcy Judge Moves Forward, Sets Trial Date in Jackson Walker Fee Fight
For most of a two-and-a-half-hour scheduling conference Tuesday in the Jackson Walker bankruptcy fee case, the parties sat in silence while Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Eduardo V. Rodriguez drafted and signed a pair of orders governing when the parties will be back for a hearing and when trial in the case will begin.
Mark Cuban’s Day in Court Sees Delay
Area Development Intermediate filed notice of removal to the Texas Business Court Friday evening, delaying Mark Cuban’s petition for a pre-suit deposition. Cuban’s filing claims the pre-suit deposition of the ADI’s corporate representative is aimed at uncovering details about how the Mavericks struck a deal to buy the Valley View Mall property. Cuban, who maintains an ownership interest in the American Airlines Center, is seeking information regarding how the deal may impact his contractual rights.
Williams Buys Houston Natural Gas Midstream in $5.5B Bet on Gulf Coast
Texas private equity firm EnCap Flatrock Midstream has sold Momentum Midstream to Oklahoma energy infrastructure company Williams for $3.5 billion in cash and debt and roughly $2 billion of Williams equity. Willkie and Kirkland advised on the deal.
Texas Business Court Opinion Summaries for Q2 2026
In the second quarter of 2026, the Texas Business Court continued to build on the progress of its first two years of operation, issuing both jurisdictional and procedural rulings and a growing body of substantive decisions. The larger story of the quarter, however, was the Court’s merits opinions, particularly in cases dealing with contract interpretation. The quarter also produced several high-profile disputes and significant awards.
Litigation Roundup: Former Lawyer Gets Prison, Buc-ee’s Goes After Ohio Cartoon Beaver
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, we highlight one plaintiff lawyer’s thoughts on Johnson & Johnson’s proposed $5.5 billion settlement of ovarian cancer cases, and detail Buc-ee’s latest court battle to protect its brand.
AI Boom Meets Grid Limits as Texas Pauses New Power Requests
On Monday, in apparent response to concerns about potential disruption to the Texas electrical grid, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the state’s top two energy agencies to pause any new data center grid connections while the effect of those connections is studied by the state.
U.S. Trustee, Jackson Walker Strike $15M Settlement in Bankruptcy Fee Cases
On Sunday, the U.S. Trustee and Jackson Walker told Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Eduardo V. Rodriguez they had agreed to a deal where the law firm will pay $15 million to end efforts to claw back millions in fees it earned in certain bankruptcy cases.
Willkie Broadens Texas Reach with High-Profile Litigation Hires
Willkie Farr & Gallagher opened its Dallas office just two years ago, initially concentrating on transactional work. Now, the firm is advancing to the next phase by expanding its global litigation capabilities in Texas by hiring Grant Schmidt and Andrew Bean from Hilgers.
Houston Public Finance Lawyer Hired by Greenberg Traurig
Carey Troell, a public finance shareholder, has rejoined Greenberg Traurig in Houston after practicing there from 2005-2008. He will focus his practice on public finance transactions, serving as bond counsel to state and local governmental entities throughout Texas, structuring financing transactions for school districts, cities, water districts and other public and quasi-public institutions. He also represents nonprofits, financial institutions and underwriters in public finance matters.