In this edition of Litigation Roundup, the Texas Attorney General’s Office — fresh off securing a $1.4B settlement with Meta in a similar lawsuit — has filed a data privacy suit against General Motors, U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor recuses from one X Corp. lawsuit but hangs on to another, and we offer an update on the lawsuits CenterPoint is facing from customers in the wake of Hurricane Beryl and which firms have been tapped to defend the utility company.
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Quantum Picks Up Caerus’ Oil, Gas Operations for $1.8B
V&E advised Quantum and its portfolio companies QB Energy and Koda Resources while Davis Graham & Stubbs and Latham & Watkins assisted Caerus, which is backed by Oaktree, Anschutz and Old Ironsides.
Latham & Watkins Lands IP Partner in Austin
Raghav Bajaj, a veteran litigator handling Patent Trial and Appeal Board proceedings, has departed Haynes Boone to join Latham.
Brister Readies for Curtain Rise on Fifteenth COA
Scott A. Brister is winding down his appellate practice as he prepares to once again don a black robe. Brister, who has served at all levels of the Texas court system, on Sept. 1 will step into his new role as chief justice of the Fifteenth Court of Appeals. He will be joined on the first and only intermediate appellate court given statewide jurisdiction by Scott K. Field, a Williamson County district judge and former Third Court of Appeals jurist, and April L. Farris of the First Court of Appeals. The trio will need their combined 30 years of judicial experience as they navigate some 70 state-related cases and prepare to develop jurisprudence for the new business trial courts. (Photo by Laura Skelding)
Judge Slams Ex-Judge Jones but Dismisses Fraud Case in Houston Bankruptcy Romance Scandal
With “some consternation,” a federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a former McDermott shareholder who claims that he was defrauded out of his ownership stake in the company through a conspiracy that included former Houston Bankruptcy Judge David Jones, his secret girlfriend Elizabeth Freeman, her former law firm Jackson Walker and mega-corporate law firm Kirkland & Ellis.
“The Court takes no pleasure in this result. The Plaintiff’s allegations, if true, cast doubt on the integrity of numerous high-profile bankruptcy cases. Litigants should not have to wonder whether the judge overseeing their case stands to gain from ruling against them: but in Jones’s courtroom, they did.”
P.S. — A Farewell from Natalie Posgate
People leave jobs all the time for new opportunities, but when they explain their career move, what are they really thinking? On her last day at The Lawbook, Natalie Posgate offers musings on her own move to Reese Marketos.
Ex-Judge Jones Ordered to Ethics Training After Show Cause Hearing
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.
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.