Dionne Hamilton was not looking to leave Honeywell Smart Energy where she has served as general counsel for the past five years. The Houston corporate legal veteran had rejected several recruiting efforts over the years. But GE Vernova presented a vision of the company’s vision that Hamilton found enticing.
“They are leading a new era of energy — electrifying the world while simultaneously working to decarbonize it,” Hamilton, who is in her second week as GE Vernova’s GC, told The Texas Lawbook.
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CDT Roundup: From Corrugated to Crypto, Deals Keep Venturing Outside the Box
The week that ended Sept. 13 saw 21 transactions valued at $21 billion. That doesn’t count the late arrivals and deals outside our usual space (See “Late Arrivals and other matters…” at the bottom of this column). It’s a pretty good week when you average $1 billion per deal. For comparison, the week prior, we saw 19 deals for $8.5 billion and 24 deals for nearly $11 billion at this time last year. But each week seems a bit stranger than the last. That and more in this edition of CDT Roundup.
How Candidates and Employers Can Avoid AI Pitfalls in the Hiring Process
Artificial intelligence has quickly worked its way into every corner of the hiring process, from resumes to job descriptions. In theory, that should make life easier for both candidates and employers. But when used as a crutch, it produces documents that are inaccurate, inflated or so vague that they mislead both sides of the hiring table. My diagnosis: Too much AI, not enough human oversight.
P.S. — House Moves to Slash Legal Aid Funding as Senate Proposes Increase, SALSA Makes Plea for Giving, Texas Tech Tops ABA Competition and More
In this week’s P.S. Column, we cover the House Appropriations Committee’s vote to cut Legal Services Corporation funding by 46 percent, a move that could leave millions without access to legal aid. Meanwhile, the San Antonio Legal Services Association makes a plea for donations to support core operations.
JCPenney Estate, Jackson Walker Reach Potential $1.4M Settlement
Jackson Walker, which represented JCPenney during its 2020 bankruptcy proceedings, has agreed to pay the estate of the department store $1.4 million as a result of a romantic relationship between a former partner and a former Houston bankruptcy judge. This latest settlement proposal requires the court’s approval, but the U.S. Trustee’s Office remains opposed to individual settlements.
Litigation-Financing Firms to Battle in Arbitration Over Alleged Trade Secrets and Breach of Contract Violations
Signal Peak, a new Houston-based litigation financing firm, is being sued by its founders’ former place of employment, Siltstone Capital, which has attempted to get a temporary restraining order. Texas Business Court Presiding Judge Grant Dorfman denied the request.
Ross & Smith Announces Partnership with Full-Service Maryland Firm
Dallas-based bankruptcy and litigation boutique Ross & Smith announced Thursday that it has inked a business partnership with Offit Kurman, a 280-attorney full-service firm founded in Maryland that now has 20 offices across the U.S.
Barbara Lynn’s Fourth Act: The Role of Sage and Admired Advisor
Dallas federal Judge Barbara Lynn has shattered many legal industry glass ceilings, impacted the careers of hundreds of Texas lawyers and handled some of the biggest and most important trials in North Texas over the past quarter century — the civil rights trial against former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger, the corruption trial of then-Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill and terrorist Hosam Maher Husein Smadi, who attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction in an effort to blow up the 60-story Fountain Place skyscraper.
Last week, Judge Lynn — the first woman in history to be the chief judge of the Northern District of Texas and widely praised as one of the best trial judges in the U.S. — stepped away from public service to join the litigation boutique founded by her husband, where she will focus on mediating complex and large-dollar disputes and advising lawyers involved in bet-the-company litigation.
As Judge Lynn enters her encore, legal experts agree that her career has had an historic impact on North Texas, the legal profession and the role of women in the law. (Illustration by William Pelic)
Win, Lose or Draw? SCOTX Punt in Poker House Appeal Leaves Legal Gray Area Intact
The city of Dallas failed to convince the Texas Supreme Court that its intervention was warranted in a dispute that started after the city granted, then revoked, then reinstated, a certificate of occupancy to a local poker room.
Former Student Seeks $100M for TCU’s Alleged Mishandling of Rape Investigation
A former Texas Christian University student filed a lawsuit Wednesday with the Eastern District of Virginia claiming discrimination and gross malfeasance for how university officials handled her rape complaint. The anonymous student, going by Emily Doe, claims the university violated Title IX policies in how it handled her complaint.