According to data from The Texas Lawbook‘s exclusive Corporate Deal Tracker, Texas capital-markets lawyers seperated themselves in two distinct ways in the first half of 2026: by staying busiest across a broad pipeline of offerings and by landing roles on the handful of transactions large enough to dominate the value leaderboards.
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Houston Litigator Bill Jackson Leads New Jersey to $2.4B Settlements of ‘Forever Chemical’ Litigation
A Houston lawyer in Kelley Drye & Warren’s environmental law practice group served as lead trial counsel for the state of New Jersey, guiding historic $2.4 billion settlements in “forever chemical” litigation against DuPont and 3M that were finalized via consent orders by a federal judge last week. Jackson previously represented the state of Louisiana in Deepwater Horizon litigation.
Lynn Pinker Pro Bono Team Wins Asylum for Venezuelan Political Activist
After 10 years representing a Venezuelan political activist on a pro bono basis, lawyers with Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann secured asylum for their client after an immigration judge found he had been subjected to a systematic campaign of persecution by the Venezuelan government because of his political beliefs.
Haynes Boone Pro Bono Team Secures Tax Relief for Dallas Habitat Homeowner
A Dallas homeowner who is prohibited from selling her Habitat for Humanity home for more than $160,000 was twice taxed based on appraisals valuing the house at nearly double that amount. Haynes Boone lawyers handling the matter pro bono recently secured an agreed judgment requiring the Dallas Central Appraisal District to recognize the home’s deed restriction when determining its taxable value, ending a dispute the attorneys say threatened to undermine the purpose of affordable home ownership programs.
Kirkland Texas Amps Up the Deal Machine (All the Way to 11)
The Kirkland & Ellis Texas team did not need long to make its case this week with a Texas Triangle deal blitz stretching from Canada to West Texas. In less than 24 hours, the firm’s public relations team, almost as busy as its deal team, rolled out a rapid-fire run of transactions involving its Austin, Dallas and Houston dealmakers.
Here’s What the 5th Court of Appeals Financial Disclosure Forms Show
Stocks in technology companies and reimbursements are among the financial interests detailed in the 5th Court of Appeals justices’ financial disclosure forms for the past year. The Texas Lawbook made an open records request for the forms of the 13 sitting justices.
A Front-Row View of Texas Corporate Law’s Evolution: From the First TBOC Drafts to ‘DExit’ and ‘Y’all Street’
The recent phenomena of “DExit” reincorporations of Delaware corporations to Texas and the development of “Y’all Street” have highlighted the benefits of the Texas Business Organizations Code. The TBOC is the work product over the course of three decades by a dedicated group of volunteer Texas lawyers. Where did the TBOC come from?
Houston Litigator Daniel Mayerfeld Joins Blank Rome
Daniel Mayerfeld, a business litigation partner, has joined Blank Rome in Houston from Skadden. He will focus his practice on complex commercial litigation, with an emphasis on high-stakes energy and commercial disputes.
Asked & Answered with Bell Nunnally’s Heath Cheek: State Fair & Texas Business Court Working Group
In this edition of Asked & Answered, Bell Nunnally partner Heath Cheek discusses his first trial and trial prep. He also shares how he got involved with the State Fair of Texas and how it became a piece of home for him in Dallas.
Sober as a Judge: One Year Without a Drink, and What Came Back
For most of my career, drinking wasn’t a problem I had. It was a skill I was known for. I did my law school homework in the back booth of a pub. I’ve recruited lawyers over long dinners, courted reporters over scotch and raised the seed money for a nonprofit around my backyard fire pit while a bottle of whiskey made the rounds. A friend once described me, fondly: “Mark may be the drunkest guy in the room by blood alcohol content, but he’ll appear as sober as a judge.” In our profession, that’s practically a letter of recommendation. Nobody worries about the lawyer who never slurs, never misses a deadline and outworks the room.
That is the trap, and it is our profession’s trap, specifically.