Vernon Lewis says the past two decades as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas – including three years as chief of the fraud section – have been the highlight of his career as an attorney.
More Stories
Texas Capital GC Heads to a New Bank
Kelly Rentzel, former general counsel at Texas Capital, has a new job: general counsel of First Foundation Inc. The emerging California-founded financial services firm is moving to Dallas, and they’ve tagged Rentzel to help them grow. Natalie Posgate reports.
Ogletree Shareholder Laterals to Gray Reed in Houston
Stephen Quezada joins Gray Reed as counsel.
Judge Greenlights Final Steps of $24M Settlement in Royalty Dispute
A long-simmering dispute between Talisman Energy and 2,700 royalty owners has nearly ended with the distribution approval last week of a $24 million settlement by a federal judge in Houston. Litigation writer Natalie Posgate has details of the deal and the names of the lawyers involved.
Fifth Circuit Thrusts Texas Bar into the ‘Bar Wars,’ and the Supreme Court May Take It Up
The blockbuster July 2 ruling that the State Bar of Texas violated the First Amendment rights of some of its members by using mandatory dues to support politically controversial efforts unrelated to the regulation of the legal profession has lawyers wondering whether and when the U.S. Supreme Court might take up the case. But some worry SCOTUS could make it even worse for the bar association. The Texas Lawbook has details.
Fifth Circuit: Some Texas Bar’s Lobbying Efforts Violated Constitutional Rights of Bar Members
The Fifth Circuit decision is a major defeat for progressives in the state bar, but legal experts say the opinion could have been much, much worse. The Texas Lawbook has the full story, including a statement from the state bar’s executive director.
John Strasburger Reunites with Dave Bissinger
At a time when large corporate law firms operating in Texas have been feasting on talent from litigation boutiques, Bissinger, Oshman & Williams has landed a reply punch. The six-lawyer Houston litigation firm announced Thursday that John B. Strasburger, a partner in the trial department at Winston & Strawn, has joined Bissinger Oshman.
The SCOTUS Term Just Ended was No Bonanza for Texas
In the U.S. Supreme Court term that just ended, Texas fared…well, poorly. When you lose all three cases you take before the court, there’s probably no better way to characterize the outcome. But all was not lost, reports Tony Mauro, The Lawbook’s Supreme Court correspondent. In his review of the October 2020 term, he found that Texas still has some clout before the court.
Jackson Walker, Locke Lord, McGuireWoods, Kirkland – A Week of Lateral Moves
The first six months of 2021 ended in a flurry of lateral moves, as nearly a dozen partners were on the move this week. Jackson Walker, Locke Lord and Kirkland beefed up their Austin offices. McGuireWoods added a partner in Houston. The Texas Lawbook has the details.
SCOTX Walks Back Demand for PUC Review in Common Law Cases Against Utilities
In 2018 the Supreme Court of Texas established a precedent requiring common law cases involving the operation of utilities, even those involving personal injury, to be reviewed by the Public Utilities Commission before reaching the courts. In three opinions filed since Friday, the court has been recalibrating that requirement. The Lawbook’s Allen Pusey reviews those cases and the issues that caused the court to take a new look at its own precedent.