Jennifer Harris’ attorney, Brian Sanford of Sanford Firm, told The Lawbook he plans to appeal the ruling either by seeking rehearing en banc at the Fifth Circuit or by petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case. Harris was awarded $366 million, including $365 in punitive damages, by a jury that rejected her claim of racial discrimination but did find that Harris’ firing was retaliatory.
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P.S. — A CMO Honored, An Allied Mixer, A 50th Birthday for LSC
This week’s edition of P.S. features new board leadership at the Dallas LGBT+ Bar Association, an Austin-based chief marketing officer who recently won an award from the Travis County Women Lawyers’ Association, an upcoming mixer involving Dallas-area allied bar associations and the judiciary, and a group of Texas lawyers — including top-ranking lawyers at American Airlines and Energy Transfer — who were recently recognized by Legal Services Corporation for their contributions to pro bono work at the state legal aid organizations that LSC funds.
Plus: info on the North Texas charity Carrington Coleman donated thousands of diapers to last year.
Baker Botts Adds L&E Pro in Houston
Scott Nelson will join as the firmwide leader of the labor and employment practice and will also be a partner in the Houston office’s litigation department. He was previously a partner with Hunton Andrews Kurth.
IRS Leans “Green” — Much-Awaited Section 45V Guidance Creates New Opportunities for Hydrogen Markets
The proposed regulations address many gating questions, including providing rules for determining lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions rates resulting from hydrogen production processes and the introduction of qualified “energy attribute certificates” to ensure feedstock electricity source eligibility.
2023 M&A: A Statistical Elephant and a Parallax View
Texas-related M&A data for 2023 compiled from The Texas Lawbook’s exclusive Corporate Deal Tracker reveals a strangely successful year — even a record year in some quarters. A record number of Texas-related deals were reported: 1,225 mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures with an aggregate value of $739.7 billion. That’s a 13.2 percent climb in deal volume over 2022 (1,082) and more than double year-over-year values ($367.1 billion).
Brister, Gunn, Matthews Among Applicants for TX Business Court and 15th Court of Appeals
Twenty lawyers, including several former Texas appellate and trial court judges, have applied for appointment to the newly created business courts and intermediate appellate court. They include prominent figures such as former Texas Supreme Court Justice Scott Brister, appellate specialist David Gunn and Houston MDL Judge Sylvia Matthews. Five candidates from the Texas AG’s office also are seeking positions. Gov. Abbott will appoint the judges and justices, who begin hearing cases in September. The Texas Lawbook obtained the applications through a public information request.
What to Publish on Your LinkedIn Page: A Guide for Small and Mid-Size Law Firms
While large firms — with their hundreds of lawyers and hefty marketing departments — can churn out news on the regular, small and mid-size firms often struggle with keeping their LinkedIn pages populated. This article offers a roadmap to humanize your brand, connect with your audience, and establish credibility in the legal landscape. Publisher’s Note: This content is premium subscriber thought leadership and is published outside of our paywall.
SCOTX to Decide if ‘Emergency Exception’ Bars Family of Slain Bicyclist from Suing Houston
During oral arguments Wednesday, Justices questioned lawyers about the after-the-fact reviews for determining whether police officers act in good faith in rapidly evolving situations and when government immunity ought to apply.
Justices Eye Scienter in State’s $16M Medicaid Fraud Win
The main issue in the case involves whether the state proved scienter — that Dr. Richard Malouf knew he was in violation of the law when he filed forms for reimbursement 1,842 times representing he had performed certain services that were actually performed by trainees at his All Smiles Dental Clinic — which is required for the judgment to stand. After Texas was granted the early win by Travis County District Judge Catherine Mauzy, Malouf appealed and a three-justice panel affirmed the holding in October 2022. He took his fight to the Texas Supreme Court in January 2023, and in November the court agreed to hear the case.
What to Know About Wearables for the New Texas Privacy Act
As people head back to the gym to meet their New Year resolutions, more wearable devices are used, but what are their privacy concerns?