In an opinion issued March 20, a three-justice panel of the Fourth Court of Appeals in San Antonio determined Barbara C. Barnett will not have to sit for a deposition in a lawsuit where insurer Texas Medical Liability Trust argues it should not have to cover the cost of defending a fraud lawsuit Barnett filed against her former oncologist, Dr. David J. Friedman. The ruling reversed a Bexar County district judge’s ruling that Barnett could be deposed.
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The Gender Pay Gap: Strategies for Avoiding and Addressing Pay Inequity in the Workplace
As we commemorate Women’s History Month, one issue that is top of mind for many employers is the increased focus on the gender pay gap, writes Mariah Berry, a senior associate at Muskat Devine. In this article, the management-side labor and employment attorney presents four effective strategies employers can utilize to reduce their risk in the evolving legal landscape of pay equity laws.
CDT Roundup: 18 Deals, 17 Firms, 266 Lawyers, $5.5B
It was an unusual week for M&A, especially energy deals. Not just for the fact that there were so many of them, but for the fact that the flavor of the week was oilfield services. Claire Poole caught up with Gibson partner Gerry Spedale, who led the biggest deal reported last week for his longtime client Dril-Quip, a $1.5 billion merger agreement with Innovex Downhole Solutions. He shared a few insights on what is making energy M&A so attractive these days — and she shares her usual list of Texas-related deals.
‘Precedent Setting’ Agreement Ends McDermott’s Billion-Dollar Colombian Refinery Dispute
Houston-based McDermott International ended its eight-year dispute with Refinería de Cartagena Friday when an SDTX bankruptcy judge signed signed off on a remarkable $900 million package that includes the surrender of 19.9% of the company’s common equity. For Mike Stenglein of King & Spalding, the unprecedented solution marks the end, not only of a grueling international litigation, but resolves all doubt that his Colombian clients were responsible for billions lost in their refinery’s construction.
Litigation Roundup: Chamber Takes CFPB Fight to Fifth Circuit; SXSW Wins Appeal in Covid-related Coverage Row
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, the Fifth Circuit issues a rare ruling reviving a covid-related coverage fight between SXSW and its insurer, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce takes steps
Tom Melsheimer to Co-Chair Winston & Strawn Litigation Department
Melsheimer, who is the managing partner at the Dallas office, is poised to take on a new role, helping to lead the firm’s 450-person litigation team. In an interview with The Texas Lawbook, Melsheimer shares his philosophy for leadership and ways the firm is breaking the mold.
Inspired Long Before I Became a Lawyer
In this personal essay, Jackson Walker healthcare partner Mary Emma Ackels Karam revisits small but impactful scenes of her own personal family history and reflects on how one family member — her mother — was instrumental in shaping Karam into the wife, mother, lawyer and mentor to other women that she is today.
Pictured: Karam (far left) circa 1987 with her parents, Isabel and Lawrence Ackels, and nine siblings.
First Reserve, Forum Energy and SilverBow Finalists for 2024 Houston Corporate Counsel Business Litigation of the Year
The general counsel at First Reserve, the GC at Forum Energy Technology and the associate GC at SilverBow Resources all scored big courtroom victories for their companies last year and have been selected by the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook as finalists for the 2024 Houston Corporate Counsel Award for Business Litigation of the Year.
Jackson Walker Offers 2021 Memo as Proof Partner Lied About Relationship with Bankruptcy Judge
The former McDermott International shareholder who exposed the secret relationship between a former Jackson Walker partner and the Houston bankruptcy judge who handled the McDermott restructuring is a “professional litigant” with a history of “perjured testimony and falsification of evidence” who has no legitimate legal claims against Jackson Walker. Those arguments were part of a 46-page document filed Friday by Houston trial lawyer Rusty Hardin, who represents Jackson Walker, seeking to dismiss the federal racketeering and fraud lawsuit filed against his client and others by McDermott investor Michael Van Deelen who seeks millions of dollars in damages, alleging the firm hid and profited from the romantic relationship between Elizabeth Freeman, a Jackson Walker bankruptcy partner between 2018 and 2022, and former Bankruptcy Judge David Jones.
Q&A with John Polzer of Duane Morris
In this Q&A, Polzer dishes on transitioning from a regional firm like Cantey Hanger to an AmLaw 100 firm, describes the uniqueness of the Fort Worth market, encourages resilience in networking, and talks Buc-ee’s and specialized business courts.