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Bobbleheads and Smoked Brisket at SCOTUS: Recollections and Advice from Former Supreme Court Law Clerks Who Now Practice in Texas

Washington D.C. may have an allure as the “Nation’s Capital,” but Texas certainly has demonstrated its own allure: of wide-open spaces, the Dallas Cowboys, longhorns, Willie Nelson, SXSW to name a few. But Texas has also attracted its share of those top-tier lawyers whose résumés denote them as a former clerk to a U.S. Supreme Court justice.

It’s a rarified distinction, and The Lawbook’s Tony Mauro interviewed a baker’s dozen of them about the path they took to get there, about their experiences inside and about their decision to bring their elite professional skill sets back to Texas. It is safe to say that they remain awed by the experience.

CDT: H1 2022 – A Time for Smaller Deals

The first half of the year in Texas M&A was dominated by the mid- to lower-market transactions, according to data gathered by The Texas Lawbook Corporate Deal Tracker. Although dealmaking was robust, the values of those deals declined dramatically. Of 507 deals reported by Texas lawyers, only a handful were valued at $5 billion or more, and deals valued at more than $1 billion declined dramatically from 2021. On the other hand, deals valued under $100 million help push the year’s deal counts to impressive levels. The Texas Lawbook has the details.

Criminal Trial Begins Monday In Blue Bell Listeria Case

The criminal prosecution of former Blue Bell President Paul Kruse will begin in U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman’s courtroom Monday morning. The government has charged him with seven counts of fraud, but indicated in a hearing Friday they only intend to pursue six counts.

Is ESG a Trade Secret?

This article explores whether ESG is a trade secret or at least confidential information that could lead to a lawsuit when an ESG executive leaves a company for a similar position at a competitor.

Texas Supreme Court Told Whistleblower Act Doesn’t Apply To AG Paxton 

In a brief on the merits filed Wednesday, the Office of the Attorney General argued a whistleblower lawsuit brought against him by former high-ranking attorneys in the office should be dismissed because the Texas Whistleblower Act doesn’t apply to him. Carlos Soltero of Soltero Sapire Murrell, who represents one of the whistleblowers, told The Texas Lawbook he’s confident the Texas Supreme Court — like the Austin Court of Appeals panel and a Travis County District Court judge who have allowed the case to move forward — will find no merit in the argument.

Patent Lawyers: WDTX Waco Order Unfair, Misguided and Hypocritical

Since Judge Alan Albright took the federal bench in 2018, businesses and individuals have filed 2,622 lawsuits in Waco accusing others of patent infringement. New statistics show he handles 24 percent of patent disputes in the U.S. – more than any other judge. His cases proceed quickly from filing to finish. Empirical data shows plaintiffs and defendants each win about half of their trials. Judge Albright rules for defendants 90 percent of the time on summary judgment.

This week, the federal judiciary shut down Judge Albright’s patent docket and has started sending his patent cases to other judges. In an in-depth report, The Texas Lawbook looks at the allegations by some tech companies against Judge Albright, reveals new data about his caseload and provides feedback from 19 patent lawyers in Texas. FYI: They are pissed.

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