In this edition of Litigation Roundup, Jerry Jones hires a Jackson Walker First Amendment pro to defend him in a defamation suit, Texas reaches multimillion-dollar settlements with Audi, Volkswagen and Walgreens and a chemical company lost a bid on appeal to saddle an insurer with a $16 million bill after paying fraudulent invoices.
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New Law Will Reshape Privacy Regulation in Texas
Over Memorial Day weekend, the Texas legislature passed the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act. Texas is now poised to join a rapidly growing list of U.S. states that have passed “comprehensive” privacy regulations, a trend that began in 2018 with the enactment of the California Consumer Privacy Act. The TPDSA will likely have a much broader impact than the similar laws enacted in Virginia, Utah, Colorado and Connecticut.
Under Attack, Dallas Juvenile Probation Department Hires KRCL
Dallas trial lawyer Brian Hail has successfully represented more than two-dozen clients in business disputes that resulted in multimillion-dollar trial victories. But Hail has been hired by the Dallas County Juvenile Department to fight a subpoena issued by Dallas County Commissioners for tens of thousands of “observation sheets” of children being detained earlier this year. In a lawsuit filed Tuesday, Hail says the subpoena is illegal.
CDT Roundup: 17 Deals, 10 Firms, 67 Lawyers, $12.2B
While the CDT Roundup has noted the part played by Texas lawyers at Vinson & Elkins and Kirkland & Ellis on behalf of PE giants KKR and Blackstone, another has raised its hand: Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. This week’s Roundup notes the seven deals involving Texas bar card holders at the vaunted New York white shoe firm. As always there’s the usual rundown of transactions reported last week, along with the names of the firms and lawyers attached to them.
Weil, Innocence Project & Dallas DA Obtain Exoneration for Innocent Man
Last Wednesday, a team of lawyers from Weil, Gotshal & Manges, the Innocence Project and the conviction integrity division of Dallas’ District Attorney Office obtained the exoneration and actual innocence finding of a man after he served 26 years in prison and, upon his parole, was required to register as a sex offender. Natalie Posgate provides the background of the case and a Q&A with lead Weil partner Paul Genender.
Chris Bennett leaving STB for Weil
The recruiting of Bennett is part of Weil’s buildout of its energy practice in Texas after some recent departures. Bennett is the second prominent addition to Weil’s energy group in Houston in the past month, following the arrival of partner Omar Samji in April.
BMW Settles Dallas Suit Over Sale of ‘Lemon’ Used Car
On the eve of trial, the automaker reached an out-of-court settlement with a Highland Park woman who claimed she bought a used i3, an electric hatchback, that BMW knew was defective.
P.S. — Foster Child Advocacy, Jury Duty, Mark Melton’s New COO
In this edition of P.S., Natalie Posgate highlights a grant received by St. Mary’s School of Law, an upcoming fundraising birthday party of a Houston nonprofit focused on supporting foster children, a big lateral move in the Dallas-area nonprofit world, June legal clinic dates in Dallas and also reflects on her two days serving on a jury this week. The verdict? It’s both entertaining and fulfilling if you actually show up.
Fifth Circuit Seeks SCOTX Input in Flight Attendants’ Boeing Suit
A three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit has asked the state’s high court to answer two certified questions that will determine if two flight attendants, Marvin Sanders and Matthew Sodrok, can proceed with their suit against Boeing over the alleged malfunction of a smoke detector on one of the company’s planes.
Meaningful Change Requires Personal Investment
As female attorneys who have worked in-house and in various firm environments, we have seen firsthand the challenges that women and marginalized communities face in the legal profession.
While there has been progress in recent years, there are still far too few female partners and other underrepresented leaders in the field, such that we can’t rely on structural and institutional change alone. More progress cannot occur without lawyers across the spectrum investing in the next generation of lawyers from underrepresented communities.