Nine days after Southern District of Texas Chief Bankruptcy Judge Eduardo Rodriguez conducted a show cause hearing in a sealed courtroom, he has determined that his former colleague, David Jones, acted in bad faith when he consented to an interview with lawyers from Jackson Walker and Rusty Hardin’s firm. The ruling comes in a case where Judge Rodriguez must determine whether Jackson Walker should be forced to return about $13 million in legal fees earned in bankruptcy cases before former Judge David Jones.
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How Meta’s $1.4B Settlement Impacts Your Obligations Under CUBI
The Texas Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier Act has been around since 2009, but it has been making headlines recently due to a $1.4 billion settlement between Meta Platforms and the Texas attorney general. Companies concerned about potential liability under CUBI should undertake a comprehensive review of what data they collect to ensure that they are treating biometric identifiers properly.
Q&A With Gibson Dunn’s Liz Ryan
Earlier this month, Elizabeth “Liz” Ryan left Weil, Gotshal & Manges to join Gibson Dunn as a partner in its litigation and trials practice group. She recently answered some questions from The Texas Lawbook about why she made the move and what she’s looking forward to in this new chapter of her career.
Munsch Hardt Adds Shareholder to Dallas Litigation Group
Stephen J. Huschka joined Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr this month as a shareholder in its Dallas litigation group. Previously, he was a shareholder at Kessler Collins in Dallas.
Dallas Law Firm Obtains $63.4M Verdict Against Johnson & Johnson in Latest Baby Powder Trial
Dean Omar Branham Shirley has obtained three jury verdicts this year against Johnson & Johnson over allegations its baby powder contained cancer-causing asbestos. Another trial ended early when the parties settled. Johnson & Johnson has decried the verdicts and maintained its cosmetic talc products did not cause cancer.
Greystar, Bigge Settle Crane Collapse Suit Mid-Trial
Five plaintiffs who were displaced from their Dallas homes after a construction crane toppled onto an apartment complex in 2019 reached a settlement with the real estate developer and the crane rental company mid-trial Thursday. The confidential settlement resolves all remaining lawsuits related to the crane collapse, lawyers told a Dallas judge.
Plaintiff, Amici Urge En Banc Reconsideration in ‘Literally Unprecedented’ Axing of $222M Wrongful Death Verdict
Earlier this month, Kansas resident Kelli Most filed a motion for en banc reconsideration with the court. She argued that dismissal of her lawsuit against Team Industrial Services — which came after the Sugar Land-based company had unsuccessfully attempted pretrial to get the appellate court to move the suit out of Texas courts — on grounds that Texas was an inconvenient forum is “literally unprecedented.”
Lone Star Funds to Acquire Carrier Global Fire Business for $3B
Carrier Global says the sale to Dallas-based PE Lone Star is part of its continuing divestiture of non-core businesses to refocus as a pure play provider of heating, cooling and solar energy climate-control products.
Pro Bono Opportunities Alive and Well in Patent Law
Intellectual property may not be the first area of law you’d think of to find pro bono work, but it’s just as vital for boosting diversity, equity and inclusion in our country as focusing on the usuals — criminal justice reform, food insecurity, or hiring practices. Pillsbury’s Chad Hammerlind tells The Lawbook about a partnership between the USPTO and an Austin-based nonprofit that houses these IP pro bono opportunities.
“It’s usually wealthy individuals and corporations that can afford getting a patent, so this program helps some other individuals build wealth and get the chance to build some assets,” he says.
Dallas-Area Doctor on Trial in Alleged Multimillion-Dollar University Athletic Billing Scheme
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas has accused Dr. Kyle Carter of conspiring with a third-party billing company to collect thousands of dollars for work treating student-athletes he never saw and who were actually treated by university athletic trainers. Carter’s lawyers from Vedder Price told jurors the doctor was merely a supervising physician and didn’t have insight into the company’s billing.