Vartabedian Hester & Haynes adds to its newly launched white collar and investigations practice group with the hiring of Richard Guiltinan. He brings Department of Justice and private practice experience to the firm.
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Oil, One Lawyer and Only 64 Souls: Fifth Circuit Weighs in on Loving County’s War of Neighbors
A West Texas justice of the peace, sheriff and constable walked into a Fifth Circuit courtroom. No joke. This is the story of six residents of Loving County — together, they account for about one-tenth of the county’s total population — who took their decade-long political dispute over allegations of voter intimidation, jury fraud, “lawfare” and even cattle rustling and turned it into a billion-dollar civil rights litigation. Such is life in Loving County, population 64, but only one lawyer. (2021 file photo by David Goldman/AP)
Haynes Boone Welcomes Two-Time SCOTUS Clerk to Appellate Practice Groups
Michael Qian clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Ketanji Brown Jackson before serving as counselor to the attorney general of the United States. His addition boosts the firm’s Supreme Court team.
Thompson Coburn Adds Dallas Partner to its Real Estate Practice
Thompson Coburn has hired Steven Smith as a partner in its Dallas real estate practice, the firm announced in a news release.
Litigation Roundup: SFA’s Plans to Cut Women’s Sports Halted
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, Phillips 66 must pay $195 million in exemplary damages — on top of nearly $605 million in compensatory damages — in a trade secrets case in California, a federal judge in East Texas sides with female athletes at Stephen F. Austin State University who brought a Title IX lawsuit after the university announced it would end several women’s sports programs, and Amazon is the latest target of a company accusing retail behemoths of infringing barcode technology.
Texas Attorney Helps New Jersey Reach Potential $2B PFAS Settlement Mid-Trial
A Texas attorney served as lead counsel in what could be a $2 billion settlement in New Jersey with chemical giants DuPont, Chemours and Corteva, marking the largest environmental recovery for a single state’s claim in U.S. history, according to New Jersey officials. (File photo by Joshua A. Bickel/The Associated Press)
Dallas Women Lawyers Documentary Earns State and National Awards
A Law Unto Themselves: How Women Lawyers of Dallas Transformed Law and Community — Together is a film produced by Chelsea Hilliard and Kandace Walter, presidents of the Dallas Women Lawyers Association and the J.L. Turner Legal Association, respectively. The documentary chronicles the history of women attorneys in Dallas, highlighting how their pioneering efforts laid the groundwork for many of the city’s legal organizations and continue to shape the profession today. Since its premiere, the film has earned both state and national honors and is currently under consideration at film festivals across the U.S., Canada and Europe.
Brink’s Recruits New CLO from 7-Eleven
Kristen Cook, a 15-year lawyer with 7-Eleven who most recently served as chief of staff to the CEO, is joining the Dallas-headquartered global cash and valuables management company as chief legal officer, executive vice president, and corporate secretary. Cook discussed her 7-Eleven tenure and move to Brink’s with The Lawbook.
Methodist Health Lawyer Moves to Serenity Healthcare to Be GC
Dallas lawyer Ashley Yen, who was recognized for her efforts guiding Methodist through Covid-19, is taking her first general counsel role.
Corporate Directors and Officers — Fiduciaries or Discretionaries?
I have enjoyed the privilege of being a chaired professor at Southern Methodist University for over 35 years. That’s a good run, which I hope to keep going for a long while. In teaching my corporate and securities law courses during that time, a key principle arises with frequency — namely, that corporate directors and officers are fiduciaries. These fiduciaries are charged with acting in their respective corporation’s best interests with due care and loyalty. If they fail to do so — according to the rhetoric — they will be held accountable and subject to liability exposure. But is this merely rhetoric without substantive content? Is the term fiduciary a misnomer? In my new book, I answer these questions with a resounding “yes.”