Chicago-based Sidley Austin has lured four key lawyers from the highly-regarded transactional practice at Andrews Kurth Kenyon. Their lateral movement comes at a critical time for Houston-based AKK, which has been in merger discussions with the East Coast firm, Hunton & Williams. The Texas Lawbook has the names and other details.
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DBA: Dallas Women Lawyers’ Assc. gets Permanent Director’s Seat
The Dallas Bar Association’s board of directors voted unanimously Thursday to give a director’s position with full voting rights to the leader of the largest women’s lawyers organization in North Texas. DWLA President Dena Stroh said she “could not be more thrilled.”
Conduent Assc. GC Clay Scheitzach Named GC at DriveTime
Clay Scheitzach, a leading voice for corporate compliance in the Texas business law community, is leaving his post as associate general counsel at Conduent – formerly known as Xerox Business Services – to become the new GC at Tempe-based DriveTime. “This is a fantastic opportunity with an amazing management team and a company with an amazing culture,” he told The Texas Lawbook in an exclusive interview.
Mergermarket: Large Corporate Firms Dominate Top 2017 M&A Rankings for Texas Biz
Three law firms continue to dominate the top of the rankings for advising Texas-based companies in mergers and acquisitions. New data provided exclusively to The Texas Lawbook from the global research firm Mergermarket shows that 12 significantly increased the number of deals they’ve handled during the first nine months of 2017. The Texas Lawbook has complete details on the M&A rankings.
Corp. Deal Tracker Weekly Round Up: Six Transactions, 37 Texas Lawyers, $2B in Value
It was slim pickings in M&A and securities work by Texas lawyers this past week, with only six transactions reported involving 36 attorneys in-state and $2 billion in value. The Texas Lawbook has the details here.
Artificial Intelligence
Companies in Texas and beyond are increasingly adopting AI to drive innovation and production. The value of the AI market could top a staggering $46 billion by 2020, according to one estimate. This article from lawyers at Jones Day explains what corporate legal and compliance teams should know about the risks and opportunities associated with AI.
Q3 2017 Texas M&A: Deal Count Drops, Deal Value Jumps
Third quarter mergers and acquisitions involving Texas companies dropped to the lowest point in four years, according to the research firm Mergermarket. Thanks to a handful of large-dollar deals, transactional value jumped 39 percent in Q3 compared to earlier periods in 2017. The Texas Lawbook has the data.
Houston Chronicle: Lake Conroe Dam’s Release Leads to Flood of Litigation
Lake Conroe dam officials released 106 billion gallons of water into the West Fork of the San Jacinto River in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, resulting in the flooding of thousands of homes in Montgomery and northern Harris County. Hundreds of those property owners have filed lawsuits demanding the San Jacinto River Authority be held accountable. (Subscription required).
O&G consolidation forecast: “It’s going to be good for bankers and lawyers.”
A crowded field of investors, sticky oil prices and the return of investor activism have set the stage for a glut of consolidation in the oil and gas sector, predicts a major investment adviser. Lawyers and bankers need to sharpen their pencils. Claire Poole has the details in The Texas Lawbook.
Al Hill Jr. v. Gregory Shamoun: SCOTX Reviews a $48,000 an Hour Legal Fee
Al Hill Jr. v. Al Hill III has spawned more than 20 lawsuits involving the heirs of oilman H.L. Hunt over the past decade. This week, the Texas Supreme Court heard arguments by Al Hill Jr. challenging a $7.25 million fee award to Gregory Shamoun for his role helping to resolve the litigation.” The case also pits Fifth Circuit nominee James Ho against former Texas Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson before a court that includes Justice Don Willett, who is also headed to the Fifth Circuit. The Texas Lawbook has the details.