After initially entering a not guilty plea last year, Christiane Kathleen Irwin on Tuesday pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud. The government accused her of inflating her $140,000 salary at Simon Greenstone Panatier when she submitted biweekly payroll, taking home an extra $1.48 million over three years.
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CDT Roundup: 19 Deals, 13 Firms, 213 Lawyers, $11.5B
Who are the leading law firms in global M&A? Not necessarily who you thought they were. This week’s CDT Roundup features the top-ranked M&A firms in a recent PitchBook list for Q2. There’s that, and the usual listing of Texas deals reported last week, led by three deals of more than $1 billion, including a $7.2 billion bolt-on acquisition by Energy Transfer.
Litigation Roundup: Southwest Attorneys Get Pause on ‘Religious Liberty’ Training, SCOTX Sets Oral Arguments in Harris County Election Administration Fight
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, Southwest Airlines’ attorneys get a temporary stay of an order that they undergo religious liberty training, the Texas Supreme Court declines to grant Harris County emergency relief in its lawsuit over a new law that abolishes the county’s office of election administration, and the full Fifth Circuit revived a lawsuit brought by female Dallas County jailers alleging sex discrimination.
SCOTUS to Take Up Non-Consensual Third-Party Releases in Bankruptcy
The U.S. Supreme Court recently entered a short order that may later be seen as one of the final steps toward definitively addressing a bankruptcy issue that has bedeviled both lawyers and courts for decades.
Dan McDowell, Jake Kemp in Settlement Talks with ‘The Ticket’
Lawyers for both sides told U.S. District Judge Karen Gren Scholer they’d like to resolve a lawsuit accusing the two sports-talk hosts of violating a noncompete agreement by launching a sports podcast after leaving the radio station. “I am very confident you’ll work out a deal,” the judge said after conferring in chambers with the parties and counsel.
Permian Resources Buys Earthstone for $4.5B
Kirkland counseled the buyer and V&E advised the seller in what’s being billed as creating a $14 billion oil and gas explorer and producer in the Delaware Basin.
P.S. — Hope for Humanity, Rising Women, the Hot List
In this week’s edition of P.S., lawyers from Southwest Airlines, TIAA and 12 firms receive awards for advancing women, their DEI leadership, and their commitment to advancing society and combatting hatred; Texas RioGrande Legal Aid receives funding in the six-figures for pro bono disaster relief legal work; an upcoming runway show supports low-income residents suffering from HIV and terminal illnesses — plus more dates for future charity events.
Austin Family Living in Home Filled with Toxic Mold Awarded $3.1M
A jury of 12 sat through six days of trial and deliberated for about eight hours before determining the Baehr family was entitled to $3.1 million in damages. The toxic mold that infested their Austin home also sickened the family of six and prompted Kristina Baehr to launch her own firm to help others in the same situation.
H1 Capital Markets: Weak Everywhere, But Ready for Rebound?
H1 wasn’t a kind environment for capital markets transactions. Saddled with lingering inflation, fed rate hikes, modest market volatility and the occasional bank failure, dealmakers relied on cash, credit and creativity for acquisitions. But with much of that flickering into the rear-view mirror, the stage may be set for a CapM comeback. The Lawbook has details.
Lawyers, Guns and Money: An Occasional Series on Movies, TV and Other Stories About Lawyers and the Law
Michael Clayton (2007, Dir. Tony Gilroy)
Is Michael Clayton a lawyer movie? It’s a fair question, given that the main character isn’t really a lawyer. He operates in the dark corners of the legal profession, trying not to get too dirty, until he reaches a point where he can no longer look at himself in the mirror. Played by George Clooney, Michael Clayton isn’t the kind of movie to supply an unequivocal happy ending. Having settled accounts, Michael climbs into the back of a New York City cab, hands the driver some money and tells him to drive — anywhere. The credits roll over Clooney’s pensive face.