In this edition of Litigation Roundup, the Fifth Circuit issues a ruling that affects unnamed members of limited liability companies in a case of first impression, a North Texas software CEO gets 20 years in prison and a 156-year-old ban on distilling liquor at home is struck down.
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Updated — Kirkland & Ellis Adds Stonepeak Managing Director
At Stonepeak, Claire Smyser Campbell served as legal lead for the Houston deal teams and supported transactions across the alternative investment firm’s New York and London offices. Campbell, who started her career at Vinson & Elkins, is returning to Big Law as a partner at Kirkland. The self-described “deal junkie” visited with The Lawbook about the reasons why and what she learned at Stonepeak.
P.S. — America’s Civil Justice Gap is ‘a Chasm, Really’
Without legal aid, domestic violence survivor Veronica Gonzalez was almost certain she would have been forced to return to her abuser in Washington state and lose custody of her child. Getting pro bono representation prevented that from happening, but at least hundreds of thousands of other domestic abuse survivors — and over 1 million other low-income Americans facing civil legal issues — are turned away from legal aid organizations each year due to a lack of funding. Gonzalez, Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht, and two other witnesses sought to remedy this issue last week when they testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee to advocate for increased funding to Legal Services Corporation.
“The justice gap burdens society, the economy, businesses and taxpayers who must pick up the costs of people’s inability to make do because of unmet civil legal needs that study after study has confirmed,” Hecht said during his testimony.
Supreme Court of Texas: Which Appeals Courts Fared Best?
The Texas Supreme Court reviewed 96 cases from the state’s 14 intermediate appellate courts this past term. Overall, the distribution of outcomes varied, with some courts experiencing a higher rate of affirmations while others saw more reversals or mixed decisions. The Lawbook examined the performance of the appeals courts by the state’s highest judicial authority.
How One Word in TCPA Puts Pro Bono Litigants at a Disadvantage
One little word within the text of the Texas Citizens Participation Act effectively disincentivizes First Amendment lawyers from taking libel and defamation cases on a pro bono basis. Two lawyers who have won dismissal of such lawsuits brought against their pro bono clients spoke to The Lawbook about prospects for a legislative fix this upcoming session.
Houston Real Estate Partners Join Sheppard Mullin
The duo of Douglas Yeager and Jeffrey M. Smith have practiced together for more than two decades. They were most recently at Winston & Strawn.
Dallas Lawyer Obtains DOJ Case Closure for Armenian Businessmen
Armenian brothers Artyom Khachatryan and Gurgen Khachatryan faced accusations that their multimillion-dollar Beverly Hills mansion was purchased with bribes. Following a two-year investigation, the government announced it had closed the case and reached a settlement with the family to share proceeds from the sale of the luxury estate. The resolution is touted as a significant victory by the brothers’ Dallas lawyer, Ephraim “Fry” Wernick.
Hurricane Beryl: How to Maximize Your Company’s Insurance for a Faster Recovery
A key step in recovering from a hurricane involves accessing insurance. Many insureds have questions such as: Are we covered? How do we prepare our claim? What if we suffered because our customers or suppliers were impacted? Are governmental funds available to aid our recovery? These and other issues are crucial to accelerating and maximizing the recovery process.
SDTX Bankruptcy Judge Jones Seeks Dismissal of Romance-Related Lawsuit
A lawsuit against former Houston Bankruptcy Judge David Jones claiming that he conspired with lawyers at corporate law firms should be dismissed because “well-established judicial immunity doctrine … provides absolute immunity from suits for damages” for judges, lawyers for Judge Jones argued in court documents filed Thursday.
“This immunity applies even when the judge is accused of acting maliciously and corruptly, and the immunity extends to allegations of intentional misconduct,” David Boies, lawyer for Judge Jones, wrote in the motion to dismiss.
Judge Tosses Breach of Contract Suit Against Fort Worth Oil and Gas Company
State District Judge Megan Fahey granted summary judgment to Fort Worth-based Tug Hill Inc. in a lawsuit brought by a former executive. The ex-exec argued a verbal agreement was reached with the company’s president that entitled him to management incentive units that should have been paid out to him in an amount over $10 million.