On a recent February morning, Ryan Pitts got his first experience in the Texas Supreme Court, accompanying a colleague who argued the case. That afternoon, Pitts learned a U.S. Fifth Circuit panel handed him a victory in his first-ever appellate argument.
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U.S. Bankruptcy Trustee: Jackson Walker Acted in “Bad Faith,” Should Return $11M in Fees
Jackson Walker violated lawyer disciplinary and federal bankruptcy disclosure rules when it failed to disclose the romantic relationship between one of its lawyers and the judge in several high-profile bankruptcies, and the firm should be sanctioned and required to return more than $11 million it was paid in those cases, according to the U.S. trustee for the Southern District of Texas.
V&E, Baker Botts, Hunton AK, Latham Top 2023 CDT CapM Law Firm Rankings
The Texas lawyers at Vinson & Elkins, Baker Botts and Latham & Watkins were the lead legal advisors for the most issuers and underwriters in capital market transactions in 2023.
Dallas Lawyers Score $57M Patent Win in Delaware
A seven-person federal jury in Wilmington heard four days of testimony, deliberated for two hours and then unanimously found that a group of refined-coal plant operators affiliated with CERT Operations “willfully” violated the patented mercury-reducing technology of Corsicana-headquartered Midwest Energy Emissions Corp.
P.S. — A Wildfire Call to Action, A 6-Figure Grant for Pro Se Litigants, A Theater’s 40th Birthday
This edition of P.S. features disaster legal aid efforts underway for the Panhandle wildfire, an upcoming gala celebrating the 40th birthday of one of Dallas’ most established performance art nonprofits, news of two significant grants secured by the Houston Bar Foundation and Texas Young Lawyers Association, and March legal clinic dates hosted by the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program.
IGT Spins Off Gaming/PlayDigital Units to Everi for $2.6B, Creating $6.2B Company
Dallas finance lawyers from Sidley counseled IGT, which plans on using a big chunk of the proceeds to reduce debt and focus on its lottery business.
Legacy
In this essay, Sidley’s Chanse Barnes connects to his family roots, writes about some of his personal struggles as a Black lawyer in modern society and reflects on how the work of those in the present day impacts future generations.
“You may be the only person that looks like you in that room, but remember that people fought and died so you could be right where you are,” Barnes writes. “Sit up straight and take pride in that. Continue the work so that more people that look like you can be sitting shoulder to shoulder in the same room.”
Pictured: Barnes’ paternal grandparents, Isaiah and Hermenes Barnes.
What Does Black History Mean to Me? Education, Motivation and Hope
In this essay, Shackelford associate Artis G. Ulmer III explores the fundamental pillars of Black History Month through the lens of three historical anecdotes: Black cowboys of the American West, Charles Hamilton Houston and Ulmer’s own family history.
Pictured: Ulmer’s paternal grandmother, Ruth Conerly Ulmer (back) with his paternal great-grandparents, Ezra Conerly and Fannie Dillon Conerly (front).
An Opportunity to Honor Those Who Charted the Path Forward
“As we honor Black History Month, let us not only celebrate the achievements of trailblazers and visionaries but also commit ourselves to dismantling barriers and creating a more equitable future for all,” writes Imani Maatuka of Sidley Austin. In this personal essay, Matuuka reflects on the circumstances she was born into that helped her pursue the law and discusses why it’s important to pay it forward to those with less favorable circumstances.
Pictured: Maatuka as a toddler with her parents at her mother’s law school graduation.
Feel Familiar? Texas-related Capital Markets Activity Might Seem That Way
To no one’s surprise, energy dominated other capital market sectors in Texas-related activity.