For the first half of the year, more than $2.35 trillion in M&A transactions have been reported globally – a record pace – thanks to economic growth, low interest rates, technology shifts and the Trump-driven tax cuts, according to analysts. And Texas attorneys benefitted last week to the tune of 13 deals worth $7 billion. Claire Poole has the particulars in her weekly Corporate Deal Tracker Roundup.
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KBR Pays $2.5M Penalty Settling 2013 Financial Overstatement
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced Monday that Houston-based KBR employed insufficient financial controls and procedures that resulted in the global engineering and construction company overstating in publicly-filed documents
‘Mami, Por qué dejas que me lastimen?’ – Corp. Lawyers Help Anguished Parents & Children at the Border
Lawyers arrive in the early morning hours at the Port Isabel Detention Center in an attempt to meet with detained parents from Central America who fled their homes in fear
SCOTX: State Not Immune From Anti-‘SLAPP’ Penalties
AUSTIN – (July 2) – In a 5-3 decision, the Texas Supreme Court Friday ruled against an effort to remove from office a county hospital district trustee who wanted to zero out the district’s tax rate. The state not only failed to establish a case for the trustee’s removal, it might owe attorney’s fees under the state’s “anti-SLAPP” statute. The Texas Lawbook has the story.
Federal Court Dismisses Pier 1 Shareholder Suit… Again
A Dallas federal judge this week dismissed a shareholder class action that alleged Fort Worth-based Pier 1 Imports and two former executives committed securities fraud when they misrepresented the company’s financial health to investors. The significance of the ruling is twofold: it not only marks a big win for a team of Bracewell lawyers, but it also went through a somewhat unusual procedure. Spoiler alert: the parties had to fully brief the motion to dismiss issue twice. The Texas Lawbook has the details.
Report: Private Equity-Driven Mid-Market M&A Remains Strong
Private equity-related M&A activity in the middle market – transactions valued at $10 million to $250 million – remains strong, with debt available to support deals and valuations climbing for
Judge Kinkeade Cuts Half-Billion-Dollar Jury Verdict against Oculus/Facebook by 50%
U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade Wednesday refused to set aside last year’s verdict against Facebook and its virtual reality subsidiary Oculus, but he slashed in half the Dallas jury’s $500 million award to video game company ZeniMax Media. Both sides are expected to appeal. The Texas Lawbook has the story.
Law Firms Pledge Lawyers, Resources for Families at the Texas Border
Thirty-four large corporate law firms – half of them with offices in Texas and two firms based in Texas – have signed a pledge to provide legal support and resources for immigrant families who are separated from their children when crossing the border to seek asylum.
Sabine Saga: 2nd Circuit Upholds Rejection, Cites Approach that Could Broadly Undercut Texas Gathering Agreements
The 2nd Circuit decision emphatically declares that horizontal privity continues to apply under Texas law. Accordingly, unless the May 28th decision is reconsidered or otherwise overturned, virtually all existing gathering dedications in Texas are potentially at risk under the 2nd Circuit’s reasoning.
Locke Lord Partner Brad Weber Named Chair-Elect of Antitrust and Business Litigation Section of State Bar
Weber will step into the chair role in June 2019.