Claire Poole, one of the brightest lights in business journalism, is retiring. Her last day is today. For decades, she has written about dealmaking in Texas and beyond with integrity, talent and grit. But the biggest story she’s been involved with may well be her own.
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How the COVID Experience is Transforming Juror Attitudes Toward Corporate Defendants and What Lawyers Can Do About It
The pandemic has left a lasting impact on society, particularly in shaping public perceptions of corporate America. Media coverage during COVID-19, often sensationalized and focused on corporate failures or profiteering, has influenced public narratives about corporations. These narratives were further amplified by social media, where individual experiences and opinions shape jurors’ preconceived notions long before they enter the courtroom.
Schouest, Bamdas, Soshea, BenMaier & Eastham Adds Partner to Corpus Christi Office
Litigator Don Jones joins SBSB Eastham from Porter Rogers Dahlman & Gordon. Jones focuses on commercial and construction litigation, real estate and development litigation and oil and gas.
Jackson Walker Pushes for Dismissal from ‘Fiction’ ‘Labeled as a Complaint’ in Judge Jones-Related RICO Suit
On Wednesday, Jackson Walker ripped apart the racketeering and fraud lawsuit former Bouchard Transportation Company CEO Morton Bouchard III had lodged against it in February after the secret romance between former bankruptcy judge David Jones and former Jackson Walker bankruptcy partner Elizabeth Freeman came to light. “Mr. Bouchard’s response fails to solve the standing and pleading defects that plague the fiction his counsel has labeled as a complaint,” the firm told the court, doubling down on arguments it first made in May when it sought dismissal of the lawsuit.
Transcript of Show Cause Hearing Released in Judge Jones Case
On Wednesday morning, a redacted version of a transcript from a recent show cause hearing — in the litigation to determine whether Jackson Walker should be forced to return about $13 million in legal fees earned in bankruptcy cases before former Judge David Jones — was made publicly available.
Arch Resources, CONSOL Energy to Merge, Creating $5.2B Global Coal Operation
Latham & Watkins, Gibson Dunn, Wachtell and McGuireWoods advised on the $2.8 billion merger-of-equals transaction to create Core Natural Resources. The deal combines mining operations across 11 states aimed at global coal exports of metallurgic grade coal.
Jury Acquits DFW Doctor Accused in Alleged University Athletic Billing Scheme
A Sherman jury dealt federal prosecutors a rare acquittal Tuesday in the trial of a Dallas-area doctor accused in an alleged fraudulent scheme to bill insurance companies for medical services provided to injured university student athletes. Jurors deliberated about four hours before finding Dr. Kyle Carter not guilty of a single count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
CDT Roundup: 25 Deals, 16 Firms, 304 Lawyers, $49.2B
According to S&P Global, U.S. M&A deal value has declined between election day and year-end in four of the previous seven election cycles. That also means, of course, that in three of those seven cycles, deal value didn’t decline. This week the CDT Roundup leans on a recent Morgan Stanley report that suggests that deal-making fundamentals this year are strong enough that the outcome of the upcoming election may not make much difference. Things can change, but with 25 deals reported last week valued at nearly $50 billion, a prediction of robust post-election M&A markets doesn’t seem that far off the mark. As always, we have the deals and the names of those who worked on them.
Travis County District Judge Can’t Shake ‘Vexatious Litigant’ Title
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a unanimous panel opinion Monday rejecting Judge Madeleine Connor’s bid to have Chapter 11 of the Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code declared unconstitutional. Judge Connor, who was added to the list of vexatious litigants after filing a flurry of pro se lawsuits against her neighbors, is barred from filing more pro se litigation without first seeking permission from the local administrative judge. She argued that barrier to the courts violated her First Amendment right to petition. The Fifth Circuit disagreed.
Litigation Roundup: CenterPoint Wants a Beryl MDL
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, the Texas Attorney General’s Office — fresh off securing a $1.4B settlement with Meta in a similar lawsuit — has filed a data privacy suit against General Motors, U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor recuses from one X Corp. lawsuit but hangs on to another, and we offer an update on the lawsuits CenterPoint is facing from customers in the wake of Hurricane Beryl and which firms have been tapped to defend the utility company.