A Dallas County district court judge has issued a standing order barring a Frisco attorney from handling cases in her courtroom — a move the judge said was necessary to ensure “the impartial and efficient administration of justice,” but the attorney says the order constitutes oppression.
More Stories
State Fair of Texas Can Ban Guns, Judge Rules
Firearms can now be listed as a prohibited item at the State Fair of Texas, a Dallas County District Judge ruled. Judge Emily Tobolowsky granted summary judgment to the city of Dallas and its city manager in a lawsuit brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The Home Depot to Acquire GMS Inc. for $5.5B
Weil and Alston & Bird are advising on the acquisition of the Georgia-based building supply distributor. The acquisition is being made through Home Depot’s McKinney-based subsidiary SRS Distribution, which was acquired last year for $18.25 billion.
CDT Roundup: Deals Driven by Data, Plus a Deal to Make More Deals
For the week ending June 28, there were a dozen deals valued at nearly $7.8 billion: six in M&A and funding; six in capital markets and credit. But rather than compare that with last week’s 16 deals for $6 billion or the 14 deals for $6.3 billion this time last year, let’s compare these deals with each other. All in all, it was a curiously complicated week.
Hines CLO Joins Greenberg Traurig in Houston
After 18 years as an in-house counsel and more than four years as the chief legal officer at real estate giant Hines, Richard Heaton is returning to practice law. Greenberg Traurig announced that Heaton has joined the firm’s Houston office as a shareholder in its real estate practice.
Judge Declares Trump EO Against Susman Godfrey Unconstitutional and Retaliatory
A federal judge has declared that President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting Susman Godfrey is an illegal act of retaliation and violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The judge also permanently enjoined all federal officials from enforcing the order against the Texas-based law firm. U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan of Washington, D.C., in a 53-page opinion issued Friday, states that President Trump’s order issued in April “threatens the independence of the bar — a necessity for the rule of law.”
SCOTX Wipes Out $116M Judgment Against Werner in Fatal Crash Case
A case that began 11 years ago with a fatal crash on an icy stretch of highway near Odessa was ended Friday by the Texas Supreme Court when the justices issued an opinion wiping out a more than $100 million verdict against trucking company Werner Enterprises and its driver.
Lease Operator Owns ‘Produced Water,’ SCOTX Says
The Texas Supreme Court addressed ownership of “produced water,” an oilfield byproduct made increasingly valuable by new treatment methods. Absent a specific conveyance, the court said in a closely watched case, a surface estate does not retain ownership of the water separated from hydrocarbons during hydraulic fracturing operations.
SCOTX: Winter Storm Uri Lawsuits Seeking Billions of Dollars Narrowed But Still Alive
The Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday that the Winter Storm Uri lawsuits brought by thousands of individuals and small businesses against electric transmission and distribution utilities in Texas are legally flawed, but the justices allowed lawyers for the plaintiffs to amend their lawsuits to fix the legal issues and even provided a roadmap for their possible success. In a unanimous decision, the state’s highest court dismissed allegations of intentional nuisance and gross negligence against Oncor, CenterPoint and American Electric Power, but the decision to allow the plaintiffs to replead their gross negligence claims is viewed by attorneys for the plaintiffs as a significant victory because it keeps their lawsuits alive and moving forward. (File photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
DNOW Acquires MRC for $1.5B
Kirkland and Akin advised on the combination of two Houston distributors of infrastructure machinery and supplies to create a $3 billion company with 350 service and distribution centers across 20 energy-producing countries.