The Business Court had a historic February. It presided over its first-ever jury trials, resulting in wins on both sides of the “v.” The Court also penned five opinions, including the first interpretation of its intellectual property jurisdiction. This month will be remembered as a culmination of the Court’s first chapter.
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Mitby Pacholder Adds Houston Commercial Litigation Partner
Peter Jordan, a commercial litigation partner, has joined Mitby Pacholder Johnson in Houston from the Houston office of Mayer Brown. He will focus his practice on complex commercial disputes.
The Texas Lawbook caught up with Jordan recently about the move to his new firm, trends he’s seeing in his practice area and more.
My Five Favorite Books: Andrew Gratz (Deputy General Counsel at Archrock)
The lawyers who have the greatest impact are those who know how to lead. This realization led me to create the Lawyers as Leaders course and the Initiative on Lawyers as Leaders at the University of Houston Law Center. These books have influenced how I practice, how I teach, and how I mentor others. They reinforce a simple but powerful idea. Leadership is not defined by a title. It is defined by trust, judgment, and the ability to help others navigate complex decisions with confidence.
Vartabedian Katz Hester & Haynes Adds Three More Employment Lawyers from DLA Piper
Micala Bernardo and two senior associates have officially joined two weeks after Marc Katz’s big move.
Paul Weiss Adds Another Kirkland Veteran to New and Growing Houston Office
Paul Weiss is adding an energy infrastructure partner to its new Houston office as Jennifer Gasser joins the Wall Street firm’s M&A Group within the Corporate Department.
Gasser comes to the growing Paul Weiss Houston office from Kirkland & Ellis. She advises private equity sponsors and public companies in the energy and infrastructure industries on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures.
DOJ Flip-Flops Again, Seeks to ‘Withdraw Motion to Withdraw’ in President’s EO Litigation
Less than 15 hours after telling a federal appeals court that it no longer planned to fight to enforce the executive orders signed by President Donald Trump last spring against Susman Godfrey and three other corporate law firms, the U.S. Justice Department filed new motions today seeking to “withdraw their motion to voluntarily dismiss these consolidated appeals.”
The same two senior DOJ lawyers who last evening told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit that the federal government would no longer fight to reverse orders from lower court judges declaring that the EOs targeting four law firms were illegal and blocked them from being enforced signed a six-page filing today saying that the fight is back on.
Justice Department lawyers gave no explanation for the government’s sudden reversal.
King & Spalding Adds Three More Litigation Partners in Dallas
The Dallas office of King & Spalding is expanding again.
Exactly one month ago today, the Atlanta-founded corporate law firm dramatically grew its Dallas operations by adding prominent trial lawyer Tom Melsheimer, litigator Steve Stodghill and five other partners from Winston & Strawn.
Today, King & Spalding announced that three additional former Winston partners — LeElle Slifer, John T. Sullivan, and Katrina Eash — have joined Melsheimer and Stodghill.
Thoma Bravo Acquires Dallas Parcel and Freight Logistics Firm WWEX Group
Chicago tech investment firm Thoma Bravo said Tuesday that it agreed to acquire WWEX Group, a parcel and freight services logistics provider headquartered in Dallas. Financial terms weren’t disclosed. Bloomberg reports that the deal values WWEX at $5 billion.
Kirkland & Ellis and Latham & Watkins advised on the deal.
Dallas Real Estate and Corporate Partners Move to Seyfarth Shaw
Deborah Ryan, Jonathan Bull and Jeff Cash have joined Seyfarth Shaw, bolstering the firm’s Dallas office. Ryan and Bull will focus their practices on commercial real estate development and environmental regulatory matters, while Cash will concentrate on mergers and acquisitions, private equity and other corporate transactions.
White & Case Adds Houston M&A Partner
Gabriel Salinas, a mergers and acquisitions partner, has joined White & Case in Houston from Mayer Brown, where he was a partner in the Global Energy group.