Following a weeklong trial, the 12-member jury awarded no damages Thursday morning after deliberating for nearly four and a half hours. A group of 13 investors had sued a Houston lawyer claiming he breached his fiduciary duty when he sold a property that formerly housed an LA Fitness for $8.5 million instead of a higher value.
More Stories
Dallas Developer Faces Accusers in Sexual Assault Jury Trial
Jerry Jones’ neighbor, reality TV show actor and Dallas developer Bill Hutchinson, has been sued by three anonymous plaintiffs claiming he sexually assaulted them. The women also sued Virgin Hotel Dallas, of which he used to be a minority owner, alleging it was negligent and aware of his behavior toward young women but failed to act. Counsel gave opening statements Thursday morning.
Dallas PE Partner Moves to Akin
Dilen Kumar has joined Akin in Dallas as a corporate partner. He will focus his practice on private equity transactions, mergers and acquisitions, investment strategies and corporate governance matters.
Houston Real Estate Partner Laterals to Seyfarth Shaw
Real estate partner Consuella “Connie” Simmons Taylor has joined Seyfarth Shaw in Houston from Baker Botts. Taylor, who most recently served as firmwide chair of Baker Botts’ real estate & construction practice, will focus her practice on commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, financing, leasing and development.
Houston Energy Partner Moves to Mayer Brown
Edmund “Eddy” Daniels has joined Mayer Brown in Houston from McGuireWoods. The power and energy partner will focus his practice on power, energy and infrastructure transactions, including project development, acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures and commercial agreements for energy and infrastructure assets.
McGuireWoods Snags Houston Energy Dealmaker
David Aaronson is joining McGuireWoods as a partner in Houston as the firm continues to expand its energy M&A and finance practices.
The SpaceX IPO and the New Frontier of Corporate Governance: A Test of Investor Autonomy
SpaceX’s impending initial public offering — potentially the largest in history at a valuation exceeding $1.25 trillion — has generated extraordinary controversy among institutional investors, corporate governance scholars and securities regulators. What makes SpaceX different is not merely the scale of its offering or the celebrity of its founder, Elon Musk. Rather, the company is testing a proposition that cuts to the core of American securities law.
DOBS Gets $32M Win in California J&J Case
A Los Angeles jury hit Johnson & Johnson with a $32 million verdict in favor of the family of a woman who used the company’s baby powder for years and died of mesothelioma. Johnson & Johnson has vowed to “immediately appeal.”
Austin Commercial Litigation Partner Moves from Kirkland to Latham
Shayne Henry, a commercial litigation partner, has joined Latham & Watkins in Austin after six years at Kirkland & Ellis across town. He will focus his practice on commercial and intellectual property disputes in state and federal courts, as well as domestic and international arbitration.
AZA, Vartabedian Join National Law Firms in Raising Associate Pay
Two Texas law firms this week have joined a half-dozen national law firms in announcing associate compensation increases of $10,000 for new and more junior lawyers and $20,000 salary jumps for more senior associates.
The pay hikes will raise compensation for first-year associates to $235,000, fourth-year lawyers to $320,000, and the base salary for eighth-year associates — the year before being up for partnership — to $445,000. With annual bonuses, many corporate law firms will pay their most senior and successful associates nearly $600,000 annually.