The lawyer who represents a dozen former DNOW employees said a recent opinion by the Fourteenth Court of Appeals reversed a significant trial award and reshapes the legal landscape in Texas for trade secret and fiduciary duty claims. The appeal resulted in more than $2 million in attorneys’ fees and costs for the ex-employees, who were accused of conspiring to steal DNOW’s trade secrets.
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Texas Fracking Sand Miner Files for Bankruptcy in NDTX
Citing $100 million to $500 million in liabilities and assets, FCI Sand Operation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the Northern District of Texas on Wednesday.
Boston Jury Awards Couple $42M in Johnson & Johnson Asbestos Trial
Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder was allegedly the direct cause of mesothelioma for a Massachusetts couple, according to a Boston jury. Dallas-based attorneys with Dean Omar Branham Shirley represented the couple in the two-week jury trial, which resulted in a $42 million verdict for the plaintiffs.
Baker Hughes to Buy Chart Industries in $13.6B All-Cash Deal
Baker Hughes said on Tuesday it has agreed to acquire Chart Industries for $210 a share in cash, or about $13.6 billion, as the Houston energy technology company furthers its expansion in liquified natural gas and data centers. Also Tuesday, Irving-based Flowserve Corp. said it terminated its offer to acquire Chart because the Baker Hughes offer is a “superior proposal.”
WhereverTV is Headed Back to Trial in its Infringement Claims Against Comcast
WhereverTV accused Comcast of infringing a patent covering its interactive program guide and was trying the case before a jury in April 2023. But before the jury heard closing arguments or began deliberations, a federal judge in Florida agreed with Comcast that it was entitled to judgment as a matter of law, ending the case. Now, the Federal Circuit Court has remanded the case for a second jury trial.
Litigation Roundup: Southwest Airlines ‘A-Lister’ Alleges Racial Discrimination
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, Skechers draws a patent infringement lawsuit in the Eastern District of Texas over its line of slip-on shoes, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines is accused of race discrimination by a doctor who was removed from a flight, and the Fifth Court of Appeals clarifies the rules on supersedeas bonds in an appeal from a $30.7 million jury award.
Marita and Derek — A Shared Journey of Extraordinary Success and Partnership
Marita Covarrubias is a high-ranking Dallas lawyer at Tenet Healthcare who shares a name with a secret agent on The X-Files. Derek Lipscombe was a former Houston Astros bat boy turned award-winning newspaper reporter who is managing counsel for Toyota North America. Both lawyers of color, Covarrubias and Lipscombe have represented their multibillion-dollar corporations in bet-the-company litigation matters — from class-action lawsuits involving cybersecurity and data breaches to massive antitrust challenges — in courtrooms across the country, and both have become critical advisors to the top executives and board members at Tenet and Toyota. Earlier this year, Covarrubias and Lipscombe became the first husband-wife duo to receive the 2024 DFW Corporate Counsel Award for Lifetime Achievement. “Marita and Derek exemplify what it means to dedicate a lifetime of excellence, integrity and the betterment of the legal profession and the North Texas business community,” said Association of Corporate Counsel DFW Chapter President Alvin Benton, who is senior counsel for corporate compliance at Capital One in Dallas.
Premium Subscriber Q&A: Marita Covarrubias and Derek Lipscombe
In this Q&A with The Texas Lawbook, Tenet’s Marita Covarrubias and Toyota North America’s Derek Lipscombe discuss the traits they seek in outside counsel, what outside counsel needs to know when working with them, how their jobs have changed over three decades and being parents to an amazing son with special needs.
Teaming Agreements Can Help Government Contractors Capitalize on Increased Defense Spending
In order to take full advantage of these opportunities from increased defense spending, companies must familiarize themselves with the legal regime that governs preliminary contracts in the industry. In particular, companies considering entering into a teaming agreement — often used to meet the multifaceted needs of a government contract — must understand their agreement’s enforceability and the obligations each party in the “team” incurs. Without this knowledge, companies might find themselves tied up in disputes over the requirements of a potential subcontract, which may delay the project’s completion and undercut its ultimate success.
Industrial 3D Printer Files for Bankruptcy in Houston
Massachusetts-based Desktop Metal Operating and 15 of its affiliated companies have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the Southern District of Texas.