Texas Supreme Court oral arguments Thursday in the dispute over judicial sanctions against Dallas trial lawyer Bill Brewer featured lawyers on all sides making factual allegations, highly engaged justices actively interrupting and pushing back and one attorney threatening to quit the legal profession if the court ruled in favor of Brewer. One of the lawyers went so far as to argue that Texas law gives the justices no choice but to uphold the sanctions against Brewer. The Texas Lawbook has full details.
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Litigation Finance Can Help Bankruptcy Lawyers and Their Clients Achieve Optimal Results
With the global economy slowing and debt obligations in the energy sector coming due, many experts foresee a wave of bankruptcies hitting Texas very soon. Law firms looking to bulk up their bankruptcy practices can turn to litigation finance to help them grow and compete in Texas’ busy restructuring market.
Texas Lawbook Exclusive Event: New SEC Director David Peavler Takes Questions, Gives Insight
David Peavler has been the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s top federal cop in Texas overseeing corporations, financial institutions and investment firms for three months and one day. This Tuesday, Peavler and a panel experts are discussing the SEC’s challenges, new focuses and recent developments and trends in an exclusive CLE ethics program. In this article, Peavler and the panelists give a sneak, but substantive preview of their talking points.
CDT Roundup: 18 Deals, 19 Firms, 166 Lawyers, $14.5B
M&A numbers may be down across the globe, but there is one sector that is holding its own: U.S. oil and gas. In her weekly Roundup Claire Poole explores the data along with last week’s deals involving Texas lawyers.
ETP v. Enterprise SCOTX Arguments Live Up to Billing — Updated
AUSTIN – For one side it was a partnership; for the other, it was simply “a feasibility study.” But Tuesday’s collision between Energy Transfer Partners and Enterprise Products Partners in the Supreme Court of Texas lived up to its billing as a case that involves more than a failed joint venture and a $535 million jury verdict.
M&A Down Substantially in Texas in Q3
While the deal count stayed above 200 in the third quarter, it was the lowest level over a 12-year period since the second quarter of 2013. Observers blame trade wars and economic concerns as the culprits.
Lubbock Jury Awards Ford Motor Credit Co. $53.7M
In a unanimous verdict, the jury ordered the principal of a large Texas-owned car dealership to pay Ford’s financial services arm $53.7 million. The case is part of one of the nation’s largest auto-dealer frauds.
Dallas Judges Poll: Two Women Jurists get Highest Ratings, Three get Lowest
U.S. District Chief Judge Barbara Lynn and Texas District Judge Tonya Parker are the two best civil court judges in Dallas, according to a new poll of lawyers who practice before them. The survey gave three other judges failing grades. The Texas Lawbook has details.
Legal Experts: Environmental & Safety Incidents Facing Increased Scrutiny
Companies that experience major environmental and workplace incidents are facing increasing scrutiny, including criminal investigations, according to lawyers who represent corporations involved in crisis situations. Baker Botts partners Greg Dillard and Scott Elliott say that public repercussions for businesses experiencing serious environmental, health and safety issues has expanded significantly, especially those involving workplace deaths.
D-Day is Here for the ETP-Enterprise SCOTX Legal Battle
On Tuesday morning, lawyers for Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners and Houston-based Enterprise Products Partners will square off before the Texas Supreme Court to argue over reinstatement of a $535 million jury verdict. At the heart of their battle, however, is not just money; it’s a case that could determine the nature of business relationships in Texas. Lawbook litigation writer Natalie Posgate outlines the history of the dispute, the legal arguments for both sides and what’s at stake for Texas businesses.