Just a few days before joining Kirkland & Ellis as litigation associates, and while awaiting the results of their bar exams, Gabrielle Olubanke Howells and Lizeth Badillo Garcia notched their first court win — a precedent-setting decision from a panel of judges at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The rare opportunity to argue a pro bono case before a federal appeals court before bar admission was the result of a collaboration spearheaded by Kirkland & Ellis Partner Zack Ewing, who was inspired by the graduates to emulate a program afforded to him while a student at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.
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Asked & Answered with Jackson Walker’s Juan Alcala: Crawling out of Poverty and Finding Passion
Asked & Answered is a standing feature The Texas Lawbook will bring readers every other week, highlighting the work of leading Texas lawyers and offering insight into their lives outside the courtroom. In this edition, Jackson Walker partner Juan Alcala discusses representing Chevron and arguing before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Alcala recently joined Jackson Walker from Holland & Knight.
A Tribute to Alistair Byrne Dawson
Alistair Dawson loved the courtroom. He relished the crucible of trial, the chance to stand before a judge and jury and advocate with clarity and conviction. His skill was evident early. At an age when most lawyers are still finding their footing, he was entrusted with cases involving some of the nation’s most prominent executives and businesses. He represented real estate magnate Sheldon Solow in a high-stakes dispute in New York. He led a case for Marvin Davis, the legendary oil wildcatter. He took on complex antitrust litigation for AT&T. These were not assignments given lightly nor to just anyone. Clients who could have hired any lawyer in the country chose Alistair. And they chose wisely. His loss is immeasurable.
Martin Sosland, Candice Carson Join Vartabedian Hester
Vartabedian, Hester & Haynes announced Tuesday that the 30-lawyer DFW-based firm is expanding its business bankruptcy and restructuring practice with the addition of two lawyers from Butler Snow — Martin Sosland and Candice Carson.
Phillips 66 Acquires Full Ownership of WRB Refining for $1.4B
The deal, advised by Sidley Austin and Bracewell, gives Phillips 66 full control of refineries in Illinois and Texas.
Banks Brings Decades of Experience to Husch Blackwell’s New Biz Dev Leadership Role
Husch Blackwell has hired veteran Texas legal marketing and business development professional Erin Banks to bolster the firm’s growth, innovation, and enhance brand visibility by “allowing lawyers to focus on lawyering.” The Texas Lawbook recently caught up with her about her new role.
Litigation Roundup: Houston Lawyer Helps Steer $1.5B AI Copyright Settlement
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, Texas sues over a data breach that targeted students and teachers, a Susman Godfrey partner in Houston helps secure a $1.5 billion settlement for authors in an AI copyright lawsuit, and a final judgment is entered in favor of a luxury home designer who alleged a competitor copied its designs.
DOBS Gets $34.2M Mesothelioma Verdict for Former Shipyard Worker
A former shipyard worker in Portland, Oregon, developed mesothelioma after working with John Crane gaskets and packing for over a decade. A jury last Friday found the company liable for the fatal cancer. The case was first tried earlier this summer but ended in a mistrial after four days of jury deliberations.
EchoStar Sells Spectrum Licenses to SpaceX for $17B
White & Case and Gibson Dunn advised on the megadeal which will enhance the ability of SpaceX to expand its Starlink “Direct to Cell” service.
Daria Russell Has Helped Mattress Firm Navigate a Decade of Highs and Lows
Daria Russell has experienced a lot since she joined the legal team at Houston-based Mattress Firm in 2015 — more than a dozen M&A transactions, including a 2016 $3.8 billion merger, a crippling accounting scandal involving the company’s former corporate parent, a subsequent 2018 multibillion-dollar corporate bankruptcy and then a $5 billion merger with Tempur Sealy that closed earlier this year. In May, Mattress Firm rewarded Russell for her decade of extraordinary legal work by promoting her to general counsel, overseeing five in-house lawyers, two health and safety professionals and seven loss-prevention contractors. Russell, like most corporate chief legal officers, is dealing with issues ranging from artificial intelligence and intellectual property rights and data privacy issues to ESG compliance and everything digital.