In an interview with The Texas Lawbook, York discusses his new responsibilities as global DEI chair, immediate and long-term goals, why diversity, inclusion and equity is important at a law firm and to him personally, and his take on the aftermath of the SFFA v. Harvard U.S. Supreme Court decision.
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A New JV has Astros and Rockets Playing Ball — Together
With the announcement of a joint venture between the Houston Astros and the Houston Rockets, Houston sports fans can breathe a sigh of relief that, at least, for the immediate future they will be able to witness live sports on live TV. But a bankruptcy filed in March in Houston remains the center of similar sports storms in cities from New York to San Diego.
Houston Judge Beats the Buzzer on Facing Contempt Proceedings
According to a time-stamped copy of a letter Harris County District Judge Ursula Hall sent to the First Court of Appeals Monday, she avoided by one hour and 44 minutes what the justices had threatened would be the “immediate initiation” of contempt proceedings for her lengthy delay in ruling on two pending motions in a foreclosure dispute. When the court issued a writ of mandamus to Judge Hall Sept. 25, she had failed to rule on a motion for summary judgment for three years, five months and 18 days.
CDT Roundup: 17 Deals, 13 Firms, 189 Lawyers, $1.9B
Non-SPAC IPOs are on the uptick in Texas typified by one filed last month by Mach Resources, a company created by natural gas icon Tom Ward, former jefe at Chesapeake Energy and a few other familiar energy stops. Claire Poole looks at that deal along with the firms and lawyers behind last week’s 17 Texas-related transactions.
Kirkland Promotes 21 Lawyers to Partner in Texas
Kirkland’s 21 newly promoted Texas partners is down from 25 last year but it is still likely to be one of the largest new partner classes of any business law firm.
Fifth Circuit Upholds Forest Park Medical Center Convictions
An appellate panel rejects every ground raised by seven convicted defendants in one of the biggest medical fraud cases in Texas history.
Be Careful 😳: A Texted Emoji 👍 Might Create an Enforceable Contract
A recent ruling by a Canadian court declared that an emoji can confirm the acceptance of a contract. This article addresses how this opinion might be applied under U.S./Texas law, implications beyond contract law and other emerging digital contracting issues.
Litigation Roundup: Paxton Back in Action, Sues Yelp; SEC Says Austin Promoter Duped Investors
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, Ken Paxton returns to office and sues Yelp over disclaimers the company affixed to listings for “pregnancy resource centers,” the SEC accuses an Austin oil and gas promotor of defrauding investors out of $5 million and Dallas law firm Caldwell Cassady & Curry is tapped to bring a trade secrets lawsuit for a financial technology client in Chicago.
Litigation Over Dallas Co. Juvenile Department Heats Up
Dallas County Commissioner Andrew Sommerman said he was being a “hammer” when he made the motion to withhold pay increases from top juvenile probation officials last month for their refusal to turn over records of youth detainees. But Sommerman and his fellow Dallas County Commissioners could end up being the nail, according to a new lawsuit filed over the weekend by the Dallas County Juvenile Department. The legal battle between the Dallas County Juvenile officials and the Dallas County Commissioners Court escalated Friday night when lawyers for the juvenile care officials filed an amended complaint calling the commissioners’ decision three weeks ago to withhold their pay increases illegal and seeking to have it immediately voided.
Perella Weinberg and Tudor, Pickering, Holt to Pay $2.5M for SEC Violations
Houston-based Tudor, Pickering, Holt and its owner, New York-based Perella Weinberg Partners, have agreed to pay a $2.5 million fine for violating federal securities laws’ recordkeeping provisions, according to an administrative order filed Friday by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The allegations against the Texas-headquartered boutique energy banker and its parent were announced in a blitz of charges filed Friday by the SEC as the federal government comes to the end of its fiscal year and as the agency and the government face a potential shutdown.