Within the same week, two separate teams of associates from Haynes Boone prevailed in two pro bono cases that protect the Eighth Amendment rights of an extremely sleep-deprived inmate whose health has suffered and an intellectually disabled inmate on death row. The Lawbook spoke to one lawyer on each team to learn more about the cases, how their firm got them and what the outcomes mean on a micro and macro level.
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Litigation Roundup: Judge Finds BP Violated ERISA; Fifth Circuit Stays Chamber’s Fight with CFPB
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, a judge in Houston sides with a group of former BP employees in an ERISA suit, the Fifth Circuit expedites oral arguments in a dispute between the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau over plans to cap credit card late fees and Parkland Health prevails on appeal in an employment discrimination and retaliation lawsuit.
Nelson Mullins Pulls from Five Firms for Houston Office Launch
The South Carolina-based law firm has recruited a total of 10 laterals from King & Spalding, Foley & Lardner, Frost Brown Todd, Hicks Thomas, and Platt Richmond.
Senior Counsel at DNOW, LyondellBasell, Phillips 66, Virage Capital — Houston Corporate Counsel Award Finalists
The Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook have selected LyondellBasell Lead Litigation Counsel Brittany Ringel Walton and Phillips 66 Senior Counsel Kristina McQuaid as the two finalists for the 2024 Houston Corporate Counsel Award for Senior Counsel of the Year for a Large Legal Department. In addition, ACC Houston and The Lawbook have chosen DistributionNOW Deputy General Counsel Jordan Chester as the sole finalist and thus the recipient of the 2024 Senior Counsel of the Year for a Midsized Legal Department and Virage Capital Management Director of Litigation Funding Leslie Hillendahl as the winner of the 2024 Senior Counsel of the Year Award for a Small Legal Department.
Houston Jury Hits Fracking Company with $8.9M Verdict in Patent Infringement Trial
Nitro Fluids infringed on two of Cameron International Corporation’s patents, a federal jury decided. John Keville, the Sheppard Mullin partner who represented Cameron, discusses what challenges Cameron faced and why he believes the trial went in his client’s favor.
On the Shoulders of Giants
In this guest essay, Sidley Austin associate Maegan Quejada discusses times she’s been underestimated and othered as well as times she’s been supported and believed in, how her formative years shaped her to be the attorney she is today and the impact of who you spend most of your time with.
Following the Path Mapped by Chance
In this essay, Chamblee Ryan partner Reagan Boyce discusses how she went from being a witness in a case for her former employer to entering a career in the law, the lessons she’s learned along the way and the obstacles she’s faced as a female litigator.
P.S. — An Award with Donated Winnings, A Pro Bono Award, A Pledge to Diversify Renewable Energy
This week’s P.S. column features a Houston in-house lawyer who has joined the board of a national renewable energy-focused nonprofit, a nomination period that has opened for in-house lawyers dedicated to pro bono work benefiting legal aid organizations and an award recently received by Vinson & Elkins’ head of pro bono.
Other legal departments mentioned in this edition include CenterPoint, Chevron, Pattern Energy, ExxonMobil and Toyota North America.
Retired Dallas FBI Agent’s Accomplice in Bizarre ‘Secret Probation’ Scam Gets 70 Months
Joseph DeLeon, who helped former FBI agent Bill Stone cheat a Granbury woman out of more than $750,000, apologized and said he, too, was a victim of the grift. But U.S. District Judge Ada Brown was having none of it.
Munsch Hardt Begins Transition to New CEO
The Dallas-based firm announced key leadership changes this week. Phil Appenzeller, the longest serving CEO in Munsch Hardt’s history, informed the firm of his decision to transition out of leadership at its annual management meeting at the end of January.