Lawyers in the Lone Star State celebrated the holiday week by working on deals involving the heavy stuff: midstream assets, bitcoin mining, Gulf Coast ammonia plants, offshore helicopters, offshore platforms, West Texas power plants and a Fort Worth rail transloading company.
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‘A Servant’s Heart’: NDTX Clerk Reflects on Quarter Century of Service
For a quarter of a century, Karen Mitchell has served as the Northern District of Texas clerk of court, making her the longest-serving clerk of court in the country. The last 25 years have been filled with life-changing events in history, but former judges who know her said one thing has remained constant: her positive attitude.
Judge O’Connor Hears Closing Arguments in $8.5M Treasure Hunter Fight
Treasure recovered off the coast of the Bahamas is being fought over in a legal tug-of-war, with the plaintiffs asking Chief U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor to award $2.5 million in treasure it claims it is owed and punitive damages that would bring the total damages award to $8.5 million. The parties concluded the two-week-long bench trial Thursday afternoon, turning the case over to the court to decide.
Houston Appellate Court Paves Way for 4th Bellwether Trial Against 3M
In its request for a stay or a continuance, 3M argued nine weeks between trials wasn’t enough time to prepare, that its lead attorney had timely filed a vacation letter that, under local rules, should have protected her from the July 13 trial setting, and that it only learned the identities of 20 of the 30 plaintiffs in the case on March 27.
Lehotsky Cohn Opens Dallas Office
Andy Ryan and his team at Ryan Law Partners are joining the national litigation boutique and bolstering its trial group in Texas.
P.S. — Corporate Legal Chiefs Tell Congress Legal Aid Funding is a ‘Uniquely Important Priority’
General counsel and chief legal officers from 132 of America’s biggest companies — including AT&T, USAA and Oracle — are urging Congress to fully fund the Legal Services Corporation, arguing that civil legal aid strengthens economic stability for families, communities and businesses. The executives signed a May 29 letter to every member of Congress asking lawmakers to provide sufficient funding for fiscal year 2027 to LSC, the federal nonprofit that funds civil legal aid organizations nationwide. At least a dozen Texas-based legal leaders joined the effort.
Mayer LLP Goes West
The Dallas-based firm is opening its fifth Texas office in Lubbock. “West Texas and Texas Tech played a big role in my life and career, so seeing Mayer open our newest Texas office in Lubbock is a particularly special milestone,” firm founder Zach Mayer said.
Asked & Answered with Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann’s Mary Goodrich Nix: Influences, Mentorship and Early Battles
In this edition of Asked & Answered, Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann’s Mary Goodrich Nix looks back on her early years as a trial lawyer. She also shares advice she would give to young lawyers and discusses trends she sees impacting the practice.
Judge: Ukrainian Plaintiffs Failed to Plead Causation Against TI, Tech Firms
Lawyers for five Ukrainian citizens who were injured or killed in Russian drone and missile attacks that allegedly used semiconductors and other technology made by American tech companies, including Texas Instruments, failed to state a legal cause of action in their federal lawsuit seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages, a federal judge ruled Wednesday. The judge is allowing the lawyers for the Ukrainians 28 days to refile their complaint to address his concerns about causation.
U.S. District Judge Sidney Fitzwater issued a 21-page decision that the Ukrainians’ claims are not preempted by federal law but that their case is dismissed because the lawsuit failed to show that the “defendant’s conduct is the cause in fact of a plaintiff’s injury” and that the defendant’s “act or omission was a substantial factor in bringing about the injuries, and without it, the harm would not have occurred.”
DISH DBS Hires White & Case to Lead Prepacked SDTX Bankruptcy
DISH DBS Corporation, DISH Wireless and 16 affiliated companies filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Tuesday in the Southern District of Texas.