Texas’ new Fifteenth Court of Appeals is set to hear its first oral arguments at the end of the month, but it will borrow space from the Court of Criminal Appeals to do so. Earlier this month, the first-ever business court hearing took place — a video conference in the Houston-based Eleventh Division.
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SCOTUS Vacates Fifth Circuit Opinion in Citizen Journalist Case
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit’s win-loss record in cases reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court is already in the red and it is only mid-October. The Supreme Court has vacated the Fifth Circuit opinion written by appellate Judge Edith Jones earlier this year that held that Laredo law enforcement officers who arrested a citizen-journalist in 2017 for asking for information deemed non-public cannot be sued for violating the First Amendment rights of the reporter because the officers have qualified immunity.
Phillips 66 Sells Stake in Swiss Venture for $1.24B
As part of a promised $3 billion in divestitures, P66 is selling off its minority share in Coop Pronto, an operator of food-and-gas locations across Switzerland.
Insurance Litigation Duo Leaves Husch Blackwell for Spencer Fane in Dallas
Spencer Fane is bolstering its national insurance litigation practice with partners Scott L. Davis and David H. Timmins. The firm has been markedly expanding the practice group since 2021. The growth caught the attention of Davis and Timmins from where they worked at Husch Blackwell.
Pharmacy CEO Convicted on All Counts in $160M Medicare Fraud Trial
Mohamed Mokbel was convicted on 15 charges for his role in what prosecutors said was a multipart scheme to defraud the government that involved deceiving doctors and patients, too. Mokbel, former CEO of 4M Pharmacies, argued all he was guilty of was trying to compete with the powerful pharmacy benefit managers, entities that manage prescription drug programs for health plans and control 80 percent of the market. The panel of 12 deliberated for about five hours Tuesday before returning the unanimous verdict.
Fort Worth Jury Awards American Airlines $9.4M in Suit Against Bargain-Fare Site Skiplagged
After deliberating for parts of two days, jurors in the court of U.S. District Judge Mark T. Pittman ordered Skiplagged Inc. to pay American Airlines $4.7 million in damages for copyright infringement, and another $4.7 million in disgorged profits.
Litigation Roundup: A $2.2B Zantac Settlement and More
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, Big Oil is denied its request to bring an early end to a climate suit in California, Marriott reaches a data breach settlement with all 50 states, and we bring you details of the $2.2 billion settlement GlaxoSmithKline reached to bring an end to thousands of Zantac lawsuits.
White & Case Snags Veteran LNG Advisor Monica Hwang
Specializing in O&G finance and energy risk analytics, Hwang has worked on LNG projects from Australia to Mozambique, along with extensive experience in traditional energy in the upstream and midstream space.
Secret Courthouse Romance, Ethics Investigations, Tens of Millions in Legal Fees: The SDTX Bankruptcy Scandal One Year Later
Houston Bankruptcy Judge David Jones’ voice was filled with emotion one year ago today in an interview with The Texas Lawbook. “I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know what is going to happen next. I just don’t know. I guess I have to resign.”
The Fifth Circuit had just published notice that it was investigating possible misconduct by Judge Jones over allegations that he had been involved in a multiyear secret romance with a former bankruptcy partner at Jackson Walker. The firm had been paid more than $20 million — fees often approved by Judge Jones — for its role in dozens of high-profile bankruptcies in which Jones served as judge or mediator. Jones officially resigned Oct. 15, 2023. The 365 days since have been pure chaos in the Houston bankruptcy courts, which is one of the three busiest courts in the nation for business bankruptcies.
“The whole thing is a mess, a complete fiasco,” said former UNT Dallas law dean Royal Furgeson. In a first-ever detailed timeline of the events of the past year and several years prior, The Lawbook documents a scandal about romance, secrecy, tens of millions of dollars in legal fees and ethical lapses that have engulfed the bankruptcy courts in Houston.
CDT Roundup: 17 Deals, 12 Firms, 150 Lawyers, $8.4B
Chevron’s announcement last week of a $6.5 billion divestiture of a couple of Canadian upstream interests reminded us that the California company is on the verge of relocating its C-Suite to Houston. But included, along with the household furniture and company file cabinets, is an ongoing beef with their new Texas neighbors, Exxon Mobil, over Chevron’s proposed $53 billion merger with Hess Corp. The CDT Roundup catches up with recent developments regarding the disputed merger, along with the usual list of firms and lawyers behind last week’s Texas-related transactions.