Seventy years ago, utility companies were routinely granted easements across private property of no fixed width. Those “general easements” have become a concern for landowners who fear they give the companies too much power over their private land. Last week, the Supreme Court of Texas ruled on such a case made by three North Texas landowners. Their ruling offered sympathy, but not a lot of help.
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Two Texas Plaintiffs Firms Score $11.85M Settlement in FCA Case
Lawyers for Dallas-based Baron & Budd and Austin-based Slack Davis worked with federal prosecutors to force Sanofi-Aventis U.S. to pay $11.85 million to settle charges that the pharmaceutical company violated the federal False Claims Act by paying kickbacks to Medicare patients though a nonprofit patient assistance program.
Latham Advises on Another MLP Simplification Deal Worth $4B
Partner Ryan Maierson and his team aided Shell Midstream’s conflicts committee on eliminating incentive distribution rights and general partner interests and acquiring assets from sponsor Royal Dutch Shell, the second such transaction he’s worked on in a 24-hour period.
Texas GC Forum Honors SMU’s Paul Ward
Southern Methodist University General Counsel Paul Ward received the 19th Annual Robert H. Dedman Award for Ethics and Law this week from the Texas General Counsel Forum. The Texas Lawbook has details.
The Long, Short Law Career of Mikel Peter Eggert
This week the First Court of Appeals in Austin rejected an appeal by Mikel Peter Eggert to reverse his 2008 disbarment after his conviction for conspiring to falsify evidence. Although his appeal failed, it stirs up a convoluted tale about a newly-minted lawyer in Erath County who briefly followed in his father’s messy footsteps practicing law outside the law.
Latham Advises Equitrans on Transformative Moves Valued at $10.45B
The actions include acquiring affiliate EQM Midstream, which is part of a continuing trend of companies and sponsors simplifying or eliminating their master limited partnerships.
‘Call of Duty’ Copyright Infringement Suit Will Continue in Eastern District
A federal judge in East Texas is allowing a Houston wrestler’s copyright infringement lawsuit against the publisher of the “Call of Duty” video game to move forward after declining Wednesday to dismiss it. Natalie Posgate has the details.
Birds of a Feather Flock Together, Sometimes: Takeaways from Two Dallas Court of Appeals Opinions
“Birds of a feather flock together,” says the old proverb. But in the Dallas Court of Appeals this year, justices of the same political party do not always rule together, as shown by two recent opinions from that court.
SCOTX: A Tale of Two Lawyers
Two cases decided by the Texas Supreme Court last week involved
lawsuits against lawyers. One involved representational immunity, the other criminal defense malpractice. Not all they had to say favored lawyers. Janet Elliott explains.
Regional Law School Enrollment Declines — But Only Slightly
Regional law school enrollment experienced a decline of less than 1% between 2018 and 2019, according to the American Bar Association. However, two schools increased enrollment by more than 6% and neither of them was the University of Texas.