Highland Capital Management L.P., a unit within Highland Capital Management’s alternative investment platform, voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Wednesday in Delaware. The firm said in a statement that HCMLP’s filing stems from a potential judgment being sought against it that could exceed the entity’s liquid assets.
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SEC Director David Peavler: More Crypto-Fraud, Less Oil & Gas Schemes
The new head of the SEC’s Fort Worth Regional Office says there are changes upon us. Cryptocurrency fraud is all the rage, oil and gas offering fraud is blase. SEC enforcement lawyers are getting more aggressive with witnesses and targets earlier in cases. Whistleblowers with evidence of corporate fraud are being more warmly welcomed. And a new, but not nearly as funny, Twitter feed is in the works.
CDT Roundup: 19 Deals, 14 Firms, 55 Lawyers, $4.3B
Lawyers talked trends at UT Law School’s M&A Institute last week, from reps and warranties insurance to deal flow, while transaction activity kept humming along. Claire Poole reports.
Former Stream CLO Lands at Baker Botts
Daniel Terrell worked his way out of a job after closing a $330 million transaction on August 1. But it all worked out and he is now the newest member of the corporate group at Baker Botts. Terrell spoke with The Lawbook about why he chose Baker Botts and the advantage of working at a law firm.
Innovative App Helps Kids Appreciate Their Lawyer Moms
A new interactive storybook by Dallas lawyer Jodie Slater Hastings does more than keep children entertained while on smart devices. It also helps them appreciate the privilege it is to be a lawyer — and better understand the legal profession that their moms leave the house every morning to go do. Better yet: Hastings launched this idea forward after reporting for jury duty. Natalie Posgate has the story.
Kirkland, V&E Counsel on Parsley Energy’s $2.27B Purchase of Jagged Peak
Analysts say that the deal is accretive on financial metrics that matter, their acreage positions in the Delaware Basin fit like a glove and the transaction’s synergies are significant.
Texas M&A Dealmakers in 2019: Kirkland & Everyone Else (updated)
In a year when mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures in Texas are down significantly, lawyers at Kirkland & Ellis are actually expanding their position as the go-to M&A law firm for businesses in the state. M&A activity declined or was stagnate at 17 of the top 30 corporate law firms during the first nine months of this year, according to Mergermarket. Five firms are down double-digits in deal count from 2018. Kirkland is the only firm in the top 30 up double-digits. The Texas Lawbook has the details.
Bill Brewer Sanction Case Gets Testy at SCOTX
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.
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.