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Power Pause: Abbott’s Data Center Freeze Slows Texas Dealmaking - Texas M&A volume and value fell together in the third quarter, the first such drop since 2025, and dealmakers point to Gov. Greg Abbott’s pause on data center grid connections and permits. Some investors, even those with behind-the-meter power, are using the pause to make sure their billions in power infrastructure investments will pay off. October 26, 2026Allen Pusey

Top Stories

Top Stories

Major Lenders Form $63B SPV to Lease Broadcom Equipment to Anthropic - On a day when Anthropic's IPO went public, one of its largest vendors and largest lenders moved to shore up its AI compute chain in a buy/lease arrangement with four major AI investors. October 26, 2026Allen Pusey
Litigation Roundup: SCOTX Will Hear Dallas’ Short-Term Rental Dispute - In this edition of Litigation Roundup Jackson Walker and Quinn Emanuel are hired by the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders to pursue trademark violation claims, the Texas Supreme Court agrees to wade into a dispute involving the municipal regulation of short-term rentals and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit determines a federal law regulating switchblades is unconstitutional. October 26, 2026Michelle Casady
Up to $250 a Day Plus Lunch: Why Some Business Court Litigants Are Paying Jurors Extra - Parties in Texas Business Court jury trials have been adding to jurors’ $58 daily pay, with total compensation ranging from $120 to $250 per day with lunch provided. A judge and a veteran trial lawyer say the extra money recognizes the hardship of jury service. It also keeps jurors from resenting litigants fighting over millions of dollars. October 26, 2026Alexa Shrake
EQT, Range Resources Merge in Stock Swap to Form $50B Natural Gas Company - Kirkland and Gibson Dunn advised on the $13 billion all-stock deal to create the largest natural gas producer in the U.S. Both companies hold substantial Appalachian assets poised to supply natural gas for power to the largest concentration of data centers in the world. October 26, 2026Jason Philyaw
CDT Roundup: A Diverse Week for M&A and a Low Moment for Capital Markets - In a week where there were no discernible data center deals and the power transactions were limited to a single deal for wind farms, the M&A legal market had a different look. Capital markets deals, however, were no where to be found. October 25, 2026Jason Philyaw
Dallas Real Estate Broker on the Hook for $1.1M for Fraud Against Commercial Property Owner - Dallas County jurors ruled in favor of a commercial property owner and awarded $1.1 million in damages after finding a real estate broker committed fraud and breached its fiduciary duty. Dallas County District Judge Eric Moyé presided over the three-day trial. October 23, 2026Alexa Shrake
Asked & Answered with Baker Botts IP Litigator Doug Kubehl: Erasing a $847M Verdict and 30 Years in Dallas - In this edition of Asked & Answered, Baker Botts partner Doug Kubehl shares how a temporary move to Dallas became a 30-year patent litigation career, highlighted by overturning an $847 million jury verdict. He also discusses emerging legal risks for data centers and renewable energy, and how fronting a law firm rock band keeps him grounded. October 23, 2026Alexa Shrake
P.S. – Q&A with Rural Justice Initiative’s First Lawyer, MALDEF Honors South Texas College of Law Dean - In this edition of P.S., we bring to you an exclusive Q&A with the first staff attorney hired under the new statewide Rural Justice Initiative, backed with $26.7 million from the Texas Supreme Court. October 22, 2026Krista Torralva
Bankruptcy Judge Mulls Potential Action after Jackson Walker Show-Cause Hearing - Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Eduardo V. Rodriguez took under advisement Thursday whether to sanction Jackson Walker, expand the universe of cases subject to fee disgorgement or even appoint a special master if needed after an hourlong show-cause hearing in Houston. The hearing was prompted by the court’s discovery of more undisclosed cases in which former judge David Jones presided while romantically involved with former Jackson Walker partner Elizabeth Freeman. October 22, 2026Michelle Casady

Centerpiece

When It Comes to Ethics, Vericast’s Shelayne Clemmer is ‘Not Afraid to Speak Up’ - As deputy general counsel and chief compliance officer at Vericast, Shelayne Clemmer built the company’s centralized compliance framework from scratch amid the COVID-19 disruptions. Outside counsel and corporate peers praise Clemmer as a principled, fearless leader whose commitment to transparency and ethical decision-making has defined her 18-year career in San Antonio. She has been named the recipient of the 2026 Lee Cusenbary Ethical Life & Leadership Award by the Association of Corporate Counsel’s San Antonio Chapter and The Texas Lawbook. October 27, 2026Mark Curriden
Frost Bank’s Nick Munro Bridges Pro Sports Sponsorships and Digital Banking Governance - As a third grader in El Paso, Nick Munro wrote that he wanted to be a lawyer for a professional sports team. After helping negotiate the arena naming rights for the San Antonio Spurs, he joined Frost Bank in 2024 — steering high-stakes sports partnerships, rewriting digital banking contracts and crafting AI governance frameworks. Now, he has been named the 2026 San Antonio Senior Counsel of the Year. October 27, 2026Mark Curriden

Expert Voices

In a World Drowning in AI Content, Trust Wins Cases - In an era saturated with synthetic content, the outcome of high-stakes trials will once again turn on "personal advocacy"—where candor, mastery of the record and unshakeable human credibility will decide cases. October 23, 2026John Adams
Contractor, Employee or Something New? The Classification Questions Facing College Athletic NIL Collectives - With booster-funded collectives accounting for the vast majority of college athletic NIL compensation, universities and third-party collectives face mounting legal exposure over whether student-athletes are independent contractors, common-law employees or an entirely new legal hybrid. In Part 2 of a series for The Texas Lawbook, this article examines how clearinghouse scrutiny, performance benchmarks and IRS control tests could trigger joint-employer liability under the Fair Labor Standards Act. October 21, 2026Marc D. Katz & Maria A. Garrett

More Stories

Dallas Business Court Jury Rejects Synergy’s $100M Claims, Orders $1.5M Refund to Blackbrush
Camp Mystic Bankruptcy Judge: Debtors Get a Chance to Cure Conflicts, No Trustee Appointment for Now 
Fort Worth Appeals Court Rules Pro Hac Vice Admission Opens Door to Texas Lawsuit Against California Lawyer and Firm
More Stories


Appellate

Bankruptcy

Commercial Litigation

Corp. Deal Tracker/M&A

GCs/Corp. Legal Depts.

White-Collar/Regulatory

Firm Management

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