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.
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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.
Energy Transfer Scoops Up Crestwood for $7.1B in Stock
Kirkland counseled the buyer and V&E the seller in a combination that analysts say makes strategic sense.
With Police Actions Recently Targeting Journalists, Will Courts Protect the Rights of the Free Press?
Last Friday, police in Marion, Kansas, seized the computers, file servers and personal cellphones of journalists at the local newspaper, the Marion County Record. According to a search warrant, officers believed there was probable cause that newspaper personnel had used equipment seized by officers to commit identity theft. Journalism is not a crime. Reporters and editors are not criminals. The First Amendment guarantees it. This common view of freedom of the press in America appears to have escaped the attention lately of at least one police department in Kansas. And one in Texas, too.
Dallas Judge Who Appointed Campaign Treasurer as Receiver Won’t Be Recused
The defendants in a breach of contract dispute had argued that Dallas County District Court Judge Ashley Wysocki’s appointment of her campaign treasurer, James Stanton, as receiver in the case mandated her recusal. Judge Wysocki and Regional Presiding Judge Ray Wheless disagreed.
Updated — Appeals Court Upholds Suspension of Dallas Lawyer David Finn Over Alcohol-Fueled Misconduct
An eight-page opinion by a Fifth Circuit panel cites “several instances of inappropriate behavior” by Finn, a former state district judge, including “twice failing to show up for a client’s sentencing hearing.”
Hey Claude, Evaluate This!
Last fall, ChatGPT took the world by storm, allowing millions to experiment with “generative artificial intelligence” through a simple and intuitive interface. ChatGPT’s success drew competitors, one of which is Claude, whose creators claim it can analyze long PDF documents. To see what Claude could do, I uploaded the petitioners’ and respondents’ briefs from Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, the 2022 case that overruled Roe v. Wade.
CDT Roundup: 19 Deals, 13 Firms, 184 Lawyers, $9.7B
Of course, having noted the continued primacy of the energy industry in Texas dealmaking of late, we hit a week when there are none. Moreover, capital markets came roaring back last week with a dozen deals reported, the most reported for a single week in more than two years. Claire Poole takes a closer look at those deals and the lawyers behind them this week in the CDT Roundup.