A couple feeds ducks in their neighborhood and now may lose their house from a costly lawsuit brought by their homeowners association. Elon Musk hires lawyers in Austin. Prosecutors in the Northern District of Texas score a plea deal in a money laundering case. In this week’s Litigation Roundup, Natalie Posgate details each case and invites you to tell your own HOA stories.
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Both Sides Cry Foul in a Jurisdictional Dispute Over Volkswagen’s Emissions-Cheating Scandal
After what seemed a last-minute recusal in a case with millions on the line, the Texas Supreme Court asked for the governor’s appointment of two temporary justices to break a probable stalemate in reaching a resolution in the Volkswagen emissions-cheating scandal case. Now the court must determine whether, as VW argues, the governor’s commission of special justices poses due-process violations.
Stonepeak Picks Up Part of CoreSite from American Tower for $2.5B
Sidley Austin advised the private equity firm, including partner Tim Chandler, who also led its sale of thermal power generation projects in New England to Japan’s JERA in May for undisclosed terms.
Texas Law Firms Gird for Battle Against GOP Leaders’ Threats for Providing Abortion Options to Employees
A handful of conservative Republicans are threatening corporate law firms operating in Texas with criminal prosecution, civil sanctions and even disbarment if they play any role in their Texas employees going out of state to get abortions. Texas Freedom Caucus accuses the global law firm Sidley Austin of being “complicit in illegal abortions” and assert the “consequences that you and your colleagues will face for these actions.” But leaders at several law firms tell The Texas Lawbook that the threats are “extreme political debauchery and legally dubious.”
Wave of Lateral Moves Hits Texas Legal Market
Willkie Farr, Greenberg Traurig, McKool Smith, Munck Wilson, Perkins Coie, Blank Rome, Womble and Eversheds Sutherland announced new lateral partner hires this week in their Texas offices. The nine lawyers on the move came from Baker Botts, King & Spalding, Winstead, Norton Rose Fulbright, Gray Reed, Shore Chan and in-house.
Appeals Court Reverses Nail Polish Verdict
A Houston appellate court has reversed a 2019 jury verdict that awarded European cosmetics distributor Benelux Cosmetics $2.7 million against Houston-based gel nail polish manufacturer GHP Nail Systems and its parent company. The decision by the Fourteenth Court of Appeals is a win for a group lawyers at Hicks Thomas and Wright Close Barger.
Q&A with Demetra Liggins: “I had hoped the bankruptcy practice would have become more diverse by now”
The McGuireWoods bankruptcy star fielded questions from The Lawbook’s Claire Poole about her long career: how she discovered bankruptcy law; the prospect of recession-driven Chapter 11’s; and the formation with her twin sister of Corporate Homie to share their tips for Black women to be successful in corporate America.
Ruan v. United States: SCOTUS Potentially Limits CSA’s Application
In a decision favorable to pharmaceutical prescribers, the United States Supreme Court in Ruan v. United States held that the government must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a defendant knowingly or intentionally violated the Controlled Substances Act. The decision firmly establishes a good faith defense, and good faith jury instruction when supported by sufficient evidence, for criminal defendants charged with CSA violations.
Litigation Roundup: TCU Hazing, Ripped Gloves, Attorneys’ Fees Galore
A final judgment in a commercial landlord-tenant dispute. Another juror contracts Covid-19, delaying trial proceedings for a second time. A group of Houston lawyers score big in Las Vegas. All that and more in this week’s litigation roundup.
Brazos Legal/Financial Advisor Fees Hit $80M
As Brazos Electric Co-op edges closer to a solution in its $1.9 billion bankruptcy case, the Waco-based power retailer is discovering the cost of getting a resolution is not cheap. The lawyers and financial advisors working on the Brazos restructuring for the past 15 months have already billed nearly $80 million for their services, according to court records. The final price tag will likely exceed $100 million, according to lawyers involved in the case. The Texas Lawbook has the details.