Jamal Wilson, an inmate at Alabama’s St. Clair Correctional Facility, survived a brutal stabbing in 2019 that left him with a fractured skull. Fearing for his life, Wilson, represented pro bono by in-house lawyers from AT&T and Foley Lardner, filed a lawsuit in 2021 alleging the prison’s failure to protect inmates from rampant violence, poor security, and mismanagement — violations of the Eighth Amendment. The Department of Justice investigated, and a settlement was reached in 2024, with Wilson set for transfer to a safer facility. Tragically, before the agreement was implemented and just months before being eligible for parole, Wilson was beaten to death. His case was among 10 prison condition cases and two death penalty appeals handled pro bono by AT&T’s lawyers, who worked with officials at Montgomery-based Equal Justice Initiative and its executive director, Bryan Stevenson.
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27 Texas Law Professors Sign Amicus for Susman Godfrey
Susman Godfrey is getting a little help from their friends in the academic community. In an amicus brief filed late Wednesday in Susman Godfrey’s lawsuit against President Donald Trump, 775 law professors — including 27 from Texas law schools — asked a federal judge to rule in favor of the Houston-based litigation firm to help protect “the independence and integrity of the legal profession [and] the rights of clients to seek redress in the courts.”
Susman Godfrey Seeks Summary Judgment Against Trump and Executive Orders
Lawyers representing Susman Godfrey asked a federal judge late Wednesday to declare that President Donald Trump’s executive order declaring the Texas-based law firm a threat to national security violates the constitution and asked the judge to award the law firm a complete and immediate victory by granting its motion for summary judgment. Exactly two weeks after President Trump issued his executive order accusing Susman Godfrey of “spearheading efforts to weaponize the American legal system and degrading the quality of American elections” and “undermining the effectiveness of the United States military,” the firm’s lawyers asked U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan to issue a permanent injunctive relief that puts a stop to the president’s “unprecedented abuse of the powers of his office.”
After Virginia Judge Found Google Operates Advertising Tech Monopoly, What Does it Mean for Texas Case?
Google, which was recently found by a federal judge in Virginia to be operating a monopoly over advertising technology, is trying to convince a federal judge in Texas that it should not have to face a similar trial — albeit one that includes state law claims — in that state. In an interview this week with The Texas Lawbook, lead counsel for the plaintiffs, Mark Lanier of Lanier Law Firm, said the states are “absolutely entitled to a jury trial.”
V&E’s Michael Marek moves to Kirkland
Marek had been a frequent presence on corporate teams at Vinson & Elkins, including some of the firm’s largest deals in 2025. Marek had been with V&E since his graduation from University of Texas School of Law in 2014.
Kirkland, V&E Advise on EQT Acquisition of Olympus Energy Assets for $1.8B
EQT Corporation announced late Tuesday that it had entered an agreement with Olympus Energy Holdings, Hyperion Midstream and Bow & Arrow Land Company to acquire Olympus Energy’s upstream and midstream assets for $1.8 billion. Lawyers from Vinson & Elkins and Kirkland & Ellis are advising on the deal.
Q&A With Trial Lawyer Angela Zambrano
Angela Zambrano often tests her arguments against her children before presenting to a judge or jury. Because if there’s one thing kids understand, it’s fairness, Zambrano reasoned. The co-leader of Sidley’s Dallas office and the firm’s global litigation practice shared these and other tips in an exclusive interview with The Texas Lawbook.
Willkie Adds Veteran Duo From Baker Botts
Willkie Farr & Gallagher announced Tuesday that it has hired two Texas-based partners, Jon Platt and Larry Hall, to its Dallas office, which was launched nearly a year ago. The duo joins from Baker Botts after each spent significant time working within the firm’s transactional practices there.
Kirkland, Bracewell Lead Chemical Company in Billion-dollar Bankruptcy
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.
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.