In this edition of Litigation Roundup, a divided panel of the Fifth Circuit sides with Susman Godfrey and undoes the dismissal of a qui tam False Claims Act suit against Lockheed Martin, and a former financial advisor is convicted of defrauding three NBA players, including two who played for Dallas and Houston.
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Bexar County Jury Awards $175M to HouseCanary
San Antonio jurors deliberated for nearly three hours after a four-week trial in a trade secrets case that’s been litigated for a decade between HouseCanary and Amrock. The jury found Amrock misappropriated HouseCanary’s trade secrets and defrauded the company.
Shell Sells Jiffy Lube to PE Firm for $1.3B
Pennzoil Quaker State, the lubricants business of Shell USA, announced Monday an agreement to sell Jiffy Lube International to an affiliate of middle-market private equity firm Monomoy Capital Partners for $1.3 billion. Kirkland & Ellis provided counsel to Monomoy. Travis Torrence is head of legal for Shell USA.
AI Arms Race, Digital Infrastructure Revolution, Middle Market Producing M&A Super Cycle
The rapid expansion of AI is creating a “super cycle” in data centers, combining headline megadeals with a powerful but less visible middle‑market M&A surge in specialized infrastructure and services. Investors are racing to build and acquire hyperscale facilities, while private equity sponsors increasingly target mission‑critical providers in areas such as cooling, electrical, HVAC, plumbing and more to keep data centers humming around the clock. Legal advisors and their financial counterparts report increasingly sophisticated deal structures (and widely available capital) to support expansion and acquisitions.
CDT Roundup: Biopharma, Logistics and a $33B Take-Private Power Deal
For the week ended March 7, the CDT Roundup saw 13 deals with a total reported value of about $48.1 billion. Thanks to a $33.4 billion take-private deal for yet another power provider, that’s better than the 11-deal $7.3 billion clocked the week prior. And it’s far better than the seven-deal $2.2 billion week reported this time last year. That and more in this edition of CDT Roundup.
DOJ: EOs Do Not Violate Susman Godfrey’s First Amendment Rights, Trump Has Legal Power to Punish Law Firms
President Trump has the constitutional authority to issue executive orders against Houston-based Susman Godfrey and three other corporate law firms because those firms “have taken actions that threaten public safety and national security, limit constitutional freedoms, degrade the quality of American elections, and undermine bedrock American principles,” the U.S. Justice Department argued in court briefs filed Friday. “This is simply the President’s speech. Plaintiffs have no First Amendment right, and the Judiciary has no authority, to silence him,” DOJ wrote. But legal experts say what is missing from the DOJ brief is more important and critical to the litigation.
Texas Business Court to Consider Stars’ Bid to End Dispute with Mavs
At Southern Methodist University, Judge Bill Whitehill heard arguments Friday afternoon on the Dallas Stars’ summary judgment motion. The lawsuit was filed in October 2024 by the Dallas Mavericks, claiming the hockey franchise was in violation of its agreement over its shared lease of the American Airlines Center.
P.S. — Law Rocks Dallas Sets $94K Fundraising Record, Houston Volunteer Lawyers Honors Pro Bono Partners
In this edition of P.S., see which of your favorite attorney-led bands earned bragging rights and helped set a fundraising record with Law Rocks Dallas, a “battle of the bands” style fundraiser for local charities. In Houston, the Houston Volunteer Lawyers honored firms and attorneys making significant pro bono contributions. We also spotlight Susman Godfrey partner Krisina Zuñiga’s graduation from a national Latina leadership program and a $30,000 donation from attorney Jim Mueller honoring Michael Hurst to support pro bono legal services through the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program.
Dallas Government Enforcement Partner Hired by Bradley
Scott F. Mascianica, a government enforcement and investigations partner, has joined Bradley in Dallas from Hilgers PLLC. He will focus on government enforcement proceedings, internal investigations and related litigation involving securities, regulatory and white-collar matters.
Cumulus Media Hires Paul Weiss, Porter Hedges for Restructuring
Atlanta-based Cumulus Media Inc. and 40 of its affiliated companies filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Wednesday in the Southern District of Texas.