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.
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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.
Trucking Co. Werner Can’t Duck $116M Fatal Crash Judgment on Appeal
In an “exceedingly rare” move, as a dissenting justice noted, the case was not first decided by a three-justice panel before the en banc court considered it. The court’s May 18 divided decision generated two dissents and likely set the stage for an appeal to the Texas Supreme Court.
CDT Roundup: 11 Deals, 8 Firms, 103 Lawyers, $22.5B
At the top of the most active private equity performers during the first quarter of 2023 was Ares Management, according to recent rankings by PitchBook. The CDT Roundup this week looks at the part played by Texas firms in Ares’ activity over the last year or so. That, of course, comes with the weekly roster of firms and lawyers who are reporting deals in what is a less-than-shiny market.
Litigation Roundup: Kinder Morgan Prevails at SCOTX, LG Chem Does Not
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, Kinder Morgan gets a win at the Texas Supreme Court in a tax fight with a school district, a jury sides with the widow of a NASA astronaut in a probate dispute involving space artifacts, and a Houston company is accused of monopolizing an ERCOT savings program.
Joe Davidson – ‘A Proud Rice Owl’ Making a Difference
For 28 years, Joe Davidson has worked as an in-house lawyer at Rice University and is GC of Rice Management Company, the entity that includes Rice’s $7.8 billion endowment, which provides about 40 percent of the university’s operating revenues. His list of successes is long.
“My biggest accomplishments have been to be able to facilitate and support the big visions and thinking of Rice’s faculty, students and administrators — supporting them in obtaining research funding, conducting fieldwork, publishing their results and licensing them for further research and commercial development,” Davidson told The Texas Lawbook.
The Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Lawbook honored Davidson on May 4 with the 2023 Houston General Counsel of the Year Award for a Nonprofit Institution. This is his story.
Q&A: Joe Davidson, GC Rice Management Co.
For 28 years, Joe Davidson has worked as an in-house lawyer at Rice University and is GC of Rice Management Company, the entity that includes Rice’s $7.8 billion endowment, which
Rahul Vashi Jumps from Kirkland to Gibson Dunn
Rahul Vashi led or co-led 14 transactions for Kirkland & Ellis with a combined value of $3.2 billion, including Devon Energy’s $1.8 billion acquisition of Denver-based Validus Energy, according to The Texas Lawbook’s Corporate Deal Tracker. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher believes Vashi will have the same success for it.