The Texas Supreme Court delivered some bad news for The Boeing Company on Friday morning when it issued an opinion clearing the way for the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association to sue the company for damages caused by its alleged misrepresentations about the airworthiness of the 737 MAX. Even with the court’s ruling, the union could face an uphill climb to prove and collect any damages in the case.
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Judge Weighs Sanctions, Dismissal Motion in Pioneer Natural Resources Suit
During a daylong hearing in Martin County Friday, a judge was told Pioneer Natural Resources had “fabricated” the basis for its lawsuit seeking $534 million in damages from a smaller Dallas-based competitor that it accused of interfering with its West Texas leases. Pioneer says the request for sanctions and dismissal are “baseless” and that Pony Oil’s allegations are sanctionable on their own.
Former TV News Anchor Guilty in $300M Pandemic Loan Scam
Stephanie Hockridge and her husband, Nathan Reis, were indicted on federal fraud charges in connection with their efforts to help small businesses obtain forgivable loans under the Paycheck Protection Program. Tried before U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor in Fort Worth, Hockridge was convicted of conspiracy Friday. Reis is scheduled for trial in August.
No Texas Jurisdiction Over Foreign Airplane Engine Maker, SCOTX Says
The Texas Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit from a woman who was severely injured in a small plane crash in North Texas. The court found that she failed to produce evidence that the Austrian manufacturer of the plane’s engine specifically intended its product to enter the Texas stream of commerce.
P.S. — Attorneys Serving the Community Raises More Than $586K for POETIC, Voting Rights Act Commemorated
In this edition of P.S., Attorneys Serving the Community announced it raised more than $586K for POETIC, a nonprofit helping youth survivors of exploitation, with over $60,000 coming from its sold-out annual luncheon featuring Elizabeth Smart. Meanwhile, the Dallas Bar Association and J.L. Turner Legal Association are preparing to honor the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act with a special program featuring civil rights leaders and legal experts.
Houston Texans Associate GC Jumps to Munsch Hardt
After five years in-house with the NFL franchise, Sunil Jamal is returning to private practice to lead Munsch Hardt’s newly formed Sports + Entertainment Practice.
Victims’ Families Urge Rejection of Boeing 737 Max Settlement, Request Special Prosecutor
The families’ request was lodged Wednesday in the criminal fraud case the government brought against Boeing in January 2021 in the wake of two plane crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people. The families filed their briefs after the government, on May 29, filed a motion to dismiss and informed the court it had entered a non-prosecution agreement with the aerospace manufacturing company.
Juneteenth Reading Recommendations from Half Price Books
The Texas Lawbook is pleased to begin a new partnership with Half Price Books. Stay tuned for a regular HPB branded column featuring Texas Lawbook subscribers’ favorite reads. Here, the HPB team highlights four books about Juneteenth on the fourth anniversary of it becoming a federal holiday.
DOBS Scores $8M Verdict in J&J Talc Trial
Lawyers with Dallas-based Dean Omar Branham Shirley battled a Houston partner from King & Spalding in a Boston courtroom over the past month in the latest trial over whether Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder caused the plaintiff’s life-threatening mesothelioma. The Massachusetts jury apparently decided that both Texas lawyers doing battle in their courtroom made strong arguments.
Gray Reed Hires Longtime Houston Exec to Lead Operations and Growth
Gray Reed has hired a veteran strategy officer with experience driving growth, the firm announced Wednesday in a news release.