Is Dallas-based developer Mike Ward a shrewd, hardworking businessman who has made a few mistakes? Or is he a power-hungry conman who used illegal transfers to steal millions of dollars over 20-plus years from the Property Owners Association at The Cliffs Resort?
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Amber Shushan Brings Mega-Litigation Experience to PetroChina
Early in her career, Amber Shushan was a senior counsel at a law firm representing Transocean, which owned the 2010 BP-operated Macondo Prospect. As a result, she was in a position to glean great knowledge from the plethora of lawsuits and disputes that resulted from the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill. Now she’s advising global energy giant PetroChina on how to avoid that kind of economic and public relations disaster. She’s also a finalist for Senior Legal Counsel of the Year in the 2019 Houston Corporate Counsel Awards.
David Houck: The Care and Curiosity of a ‘Lifetime Learner’
David Houck had no interest in the oil and gas industry when he first became a lawyer. Now, more than four decades later, he is considered the dean of the energy bar. ACC Houston and The Texas Lawbook are rewarding his work and lifetime of learning with a Lifetime Achievement Award in the 2019 Houston Corporate Counsel Awards.
Tidewater’s Amelia Xu – A Rookie with a Lot of Big Deal Experience
Amelia Xu is only 30 years old, but as a lawyer she’s already been involved in 14 separate corporate transactions valued at $100 million or more – two of which exceeded $1 billion. Now she’s a nominee for Rookie of the Year in the 2019 Houston Corporate Counsel Awards. Mark Curriden reports.
Litigation Finance’s Longford Opens in Dallas
Litigation finance firm Longford Capital announced Tuesday that it is opening an office in Dallas. The Chicago-based private investment company has hired John Garda, a commercial litigator who has been the managing partner of the Dallas office of K&L Gates, to lead its Texas operations. The Texas Lawbook has the insider details.
Superior Energy’s Blaine Edwards – From Small Claims Court to a $70M Jury Victory
Blaine Edwards began his legal career as a teenager, filing in small claims court to collect unpaid bills for his parents’ petroleum wholesale business. Now he’s being honored as a finalist for Senior Counsel of the Year in the 2019 Houston Corporate Counsel Awards. Mark Curriden tells his story.
Mandamus in the Fifth Circuit: An Extraordinary Remedy, Except When It Isn’t
Mandamus petitioners are supposedly unwelcome visitors in the federal courts of appeal. Although the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has echoed that mantra, contemporary mandamus practice suggests a gap between the “law in the books” and the “law in action.”
CDT Roundup: 13 Deals, 10 Law Firms, 90 Texas Lawyers, $13.5B
As The Texas Lawbook has noted, capital markets activity – especially in the energy industry – has been moribund so far this year. Last week, the Austin analytics provider Drillinginfo confirmed that unsettling view. While the $22 billion worth of debt and equity raised in the first quarter was up 9% over the fourth, it was down a concerning 45% year-over-year. Drillinginfo says Wall Street is enforcing discipline in the energy sector, and in her weekly Roundup, Claire Poole describes exactly what that means.
Plains All American’s Lawrence Dreyfuss – A Legend in Texas Oil & Gas Law
In his decades in the legal department for Plains All American Pipeline, Lawrence Dreyfuss worked through 62 completed acquisitions and divestitures with an aggregate value of over $8 billion. He oversaw the legal work for Plains’ capital projects totaling more than $7 billion. He was directly involved or supervised the handling of more than 3,000 legal claims. And during his tenure, Plains’ EBITDA grew from $89.1 million in 1999 to $2.684 billion in 2018. So, it’s no surprise that he will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Corporate Counsel Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook. Mark Curriden has his story.
Fermeen Fazal of UniversalPegasus: ‘The Ferminator’
Fermeen Fazal is chief counsel and chief administrative officer for Houston-based UniversalPegasus International. She’s so nice, that colleagues say it’s easy to forget that she can be a very fierce advocate. The company president has nick-named her “The Ferminator.” But she’s approachable, team-oriented and has a history as a very fine litigator. She’s also a finalist for GC of the Year for a Small Legal Department in the 2019 Houston Corporate Counsel Awards.