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Robert Morris in Jail, Gateway Church in Court: A Look the Multifront Battle Across Texas 

While Robert Morris, the convicted child sex offender and former pastor of Gateway Church, is sitting in a jail cell in Osage County, Oklahoma, the wake of his crime continues to ripple as the high-stakes litigation involving the megachurch and its elders is spreading and unfolding in courts across North Texas.

Morris, the church, its elders and congregants and Gateway’s insurance company are mired in lawsuits playing out in state and federal courts. Claims range from defamation to dishonesty about the allocation of tithe money to a dispute over retirement payments to Morris. 

The Texas Lawbook‘s Michelle Casady takes you inside the morass of civil litigation. 

CDT Roundup: Thirteen Deals, One Theme? Energy Still Rules

For the week ended March 14, the CDT Roundup saw 13 deals reported — same as the week prior and the same as this time last year. The reported values were different, ranging from $5.9 billion last week, down from $48.1 billion during the prior week and $13.7 billion last year. The bump in value in our last report derived from BlackRock’s $33 billion take-private deal of AES. There was nothing of that magnitude this week.

There was, however, plenty of energy represented.

San Patricio County Jury Awards $198M in Sexual Assault Case

A San Patricio County jury awarded a woman $198 million in damages stemming from the sexual assault and attempted murder she experienced over a decade ago. The jury deliberated for two hours after the three-day trial Wednesday and found David Strickland liable for assaulting and shooting of Mary Kristene Chapa. They awarded $100 million in exemplary damages.

P.S. — AZA Draws Record Turnout for Seventh Annual Iftar, Beck Redden Sponsors Women’s History Month Event

In this edition of P.S., women across Houston’s legal community shared their career insights and celebrated each other’s growth in a Women’s History Month event sponsored by Beck Redden.

In observance of Ramadan, hundreds of guests attended an annual Iftar hosted by Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Mensing.

We also highlight a general counsel program sponsored by Dorsey & Whitney’s Dallas office that featured an all-Hispanic panel of legal professionals.

ES3 Minerals Wins $50M+ Jury Verdict in Texas Business Court

A jury in the Third Division of the new Texas Business Court in Austin late Tuesday returned a verdict of at least $50 million in favor of ES3 Minerals, and in support of its claim that several former employees conspired to steal proprietary information and software to start their own competing businesses.

Al Hill III’s Daughter Back in Dallas County Probate Court After Judge Lindsay, Fifth Circuit Sided with Her

Caroline M. Hill, a 21-year-old student at Vanderbilt University, is seeking access to the books and records for the Lyda Hunt-Margaret Trust. Her lawsuit alleges she is a contingent beneficiary of the trust, which should contain at least $15 million but has instead been “looted” and “dissolved.” Disputes involving members of the Hill family and the trusts that hold the family’s fortune are not new.

Walmart Names Erin Nealy Cox as New CLO

Walmart Inc., the largest corporate employer in the U.S., has named former Dallas prosecutor Erin Nealy Cox as its new chief legal officer. Cox, who has been a partner at Kirkland & Ellis in Dallas since 2021, will assume the job as the retail giant’s top lawyer April 13.

Harris County Jury Clears Driver of Negligence in Fatal Crash

Jurors in Harris County found a man was not liable for the death of a woman who had run into the road to pick up tools that had fallen off a tow truck. The jury deliberated for three hours following an eight-day trial that was spread over two weeks before it returned its verdict last week.

The Lateral Portal — Clients are the Winners

Much has been written about the “hot” lateral market for law firm partners in recent years. This publication, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and others have all noted the fierce competition for talent. In years past, that competition centered around transactional or corporate lawyers. Today, it also centers around trial lawyers. Why? With fewer cases going to trial than ever before, even as deals are being done at historically record levels, why would trial lawyers be as in demand as deal lawyers? The answer: There aren’t that many of us around.

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