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P.S. — DBA Honors Shonn Evans Brown with MLK Jr. Justice Award, SMU Law Secures Major First Amendment Clinic Funding, and More - In this edition of P.S., we spotlight the Dallas Bar Association’s Martin Luther King Jr. Justice Award Luncheon. During the event, Shonn Evans Brown of Heidelberg Materials North American was honored with the MLK Jr. Justice Award for her leadership, commitment to justice and service to the legal profession and broader community. We also share news that SMU Law donors met a fundraising goal set by the Stanton Foundation, which provided a $2 million endowment gift. There’re also some important dates you don’t want to miss: Attorneys Serving the Community has opened applications for its 2026–2027 beneficiary partnership, and the annual Champions of Justice Gala announced the date of its 2026 event. Last but not least, William Toles, a litigation shareholder at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, has been selected to receive the James H. “Blackie” Holmes Award from the Dallas Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates. January 23, 2026
Asked & Answered with Chrysta Castañeda: Cases, Career and Coffee - In this edition of Asked & Answered, trial lawyer Chrysta Castañeda reflects on her career and offers advice for young lawyers. While she has closed her firm, retiring for good is not in her plans. January 21, 2026Litigation Roundup: Egg-Cellent Settlement Nets 2.1M Eggs for Texas Food Banks - In this edition of Litigation Roundup, we give you details on the unusual terms of a settlement Texas reached with Cal-Maine Foods in a price gouging suit, the U.S. Court of Appeals issues a ruling being hailed as a victory for taxpayers, and a doctor in the Valley goes to prison for fraud involving adult day care centers. January 20, 2026
Bondholder Sues Ex-Judge Jones, Firms Over SDTX Bankruptcy Scandal - A proposed class action lawsuit filed in the Southern District of Texas claims former bankruptcy Judge David Jones, former Jackson Walker bankruptcy partner Elizabeth Freeman and major law firms allegedly hid the romantic relationship between Jones and Freeman. Jones resigned from the bench in 2023 after news of his relationship with Freeman was publicly reported. January 20, 2026
Energy Dominates as Deals Hit $18.4B (The Best Week Since November) - The week ending Jan. 17 saw 19 deals reported to the CDT Roundup with a total value of more than $18.4 billion.
The week prior had 18 deals valued at nearly $9 billion, and there were 19 deals worth about $7.4 billion during the same week last year. But last week was the best week by value since an absurd 21-deal, $75 billion week in early November.
That and more in this edition of CDT Roundup. January 18, 2026
The week prior had 18 deals valued at nearly $9 billion, and there were 19 deals worth about $7.4 billion during the same week last year. But last week was the best week by value since an absurd 21-deal, $75 billion week in early November.
That and more in this edition of CDT Roundup. January 18, 2026
Mitsubishi Enters U.S. Shale Business with $7.5B Deal - Mitsubishi Corp. said Friday that it has entered the U.S. shale gas business with the acquisition of specific assets from Dallas-based private investment firm Aethon Energy Management for about $7.5 billion. Latham & Watkins advised Aethon and Vinson & Elkins represented Mitsubishi. January 16, 2026
Harris County Judge Lauren Reeder Succeeds in Keeping Challenger Off Ballot - The race for the 234th District Court bench in Harris County has gotten ugly.
Incumbent Judge Lauren Reeder and challenger Kim McTorry both allege the other played a role in trying to coerce them into dropping out of the race. The allegations range from threats to expose a brief decade-old affair to offers of a $50,000 bribe.
At the conclusion of a hearing that stretched across two days, Senior Judge Christi Kennedy, who was sitting on the case by assignment, determined Thursday night that McTorry's petition was invalid and ordered that she not appear on the March primary ballot. January 15, 2026
Incumbent Judge Lauren Reeder and challenger Kim McTorry both allege the other played a role in trying to coerce them into dropping out of the race. The allegations range from threats to expose a brief decade-old affair to offers of a $50,000 bribe.
At the conclusion of a hearing that stretched across two days, Senior Judge Christi Kennedy, who was sitting on the case by assignment, determined Thursday night that McTorry's petition was invalid and ordered that she not appear on the March primary ballot. January 15, 2026
Centerpiece
‘Put on this Earth to Serve:’ Award Honoree Shannon Cagnina Helped Pass Trey’s Law, Camp Safety Legislation - Shannon Cagnina, general counsel for Phillips Enterprises, is being honored with a 2025 Corporate Counsel Award for her pro bono and public service work on Trey’s Law and Texas camp safety legislation. Cagnina’s humility and faith-driven commitment to service have made her a quiet force behind reforms that are already reshaping protections for abuse survivors and camp goers. January 23, 2026
‘Life is a Team Sport,’ Says Toyota’s Scott Young - Toyota Managing Counsel Scott Young is being honored with a 2025 Corporate Counsel Award for Achievement in Pro Bono and Public Service in recognition of his lifelong commitment to service, shaped by his upbringing and early humanitarian work. Alongside major legal leadership roles at Toyota, including transformative development and manufacturing projects, Young has led and expanded the company’s pro bono efforts, providing legal assistance to vulnerable communities. January 23, 2026Expert Voices
AI as a Service — Divergent State Tax Approaches and Their Impact - Artificial intelligence as a service is transforming business operations across industries, but its tax treatment remains inconsistent among states. For example, Texas applies sales tax to many AIaaS offerings under its “data processing” framework by taxing 80 percent of the service charge, while Indiana exempts AIaaS entirely as a nontaxable service. These differences have significant implications for deal structuring, compliance risk and valuation in private equity transactions. This article examines Texas’ controversial stance, contrasts it with Indiana’s approach and explains why these distinctions matter for investors and operators. January 22, 2026
My Five Favorite Books: Kristen Cook (Chief Legal Officer at The Brink’s Company) - While I gravitate toward fiction, I do enjoy mixing in leadership and business books to challenge myself and broaden my perspective, but I won’t stray from fiction for too long, as I am convinced that even the lightest works of fiction offer valuable insights. Each of these works has moved me profoundly, resonating with me on a personal level. They all share themes that have shaped my outlook and contributed to my understanding of myself and the world. January 21, 2026
Stories You Might’ve Missed
The Legacy of Pennzoil v. Texaco 40 Years Later — The Civil Jury Trial of the Century - Pennzoil v. Texaco's legacy remains significant, as it changed how companies handle mergers and acquisitions, caused the Chamber of Commerce to designate Texas as a judicial hellhole in 1986 and directly led to two decades of massive tort reform efforts that dramatically limited the rights of Texans to sue businesses, doctors and insurance companies for wrongdoing. It also launched Texas trial lawyer Joe Jamail to national stardom and made him the richest trial lawyer in American history.
In this in-depth article, The Texas Lawbook provides a detailed timeline of the events involved in the historic litigation, as well as comments from more than a dozen lawyers about the legal strategies employed. November 18, 2025
