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Founder of Houston O&G Company Owes $39M in Breach of Contract Trial, Colorado Jury Finds - DENVER — The eight-member jury unanimously found Tellurian founder Charif Souki breached a contract with an investor and awarded $39 million in damages after deliberating just over three hours on a snowy Friday afternoon. While the jurors found Parker prevailed on his breach of contract claim based on a 2019 text message exchange, they rejected his five other claims, including breach of a separate agreement, fraudulent inducement, unjust enrichment and promissory estoppel. April 17, 2026
Chevron USA Wins Big at SCOTUS - The U.S. Supreme Court Friday decided that an environmental damages lawsuit in a Louisiana state court against oil and gas giant Chevron USA should rightly be removed to federal jurisdiction because of the company’s history as a vendor for petroleum products during World War II.
Chevron was represented by Paul Clement of Clement & Murphy. Plaquemines Parish was represented by Louisiana Solicitor General J. Benjamin Aguiñaga and Victor Marcello of Talbot, Carmouche & Marcello in Baton Rouge. April 17, 2026
Chevron was represented by Paul Clement of Clement & Murphy. Plaquemines Parish was represented by Louisiana Solicitor General J. Benjamin Aguiñaga and Victor Marcello of Talbot, Carmouche & Marcello in Baton Rouge. April 17, 2026
QVC Group Hires Kirkland, Gray Reed for Bankruptcy Case - Television in the 1980s disrupted the media landscape with MTV and the QVC Shopping Network. MTV long ago gave up playing music videos, and the QVC Group on Thursday officially filed for Chapter 11 protection in the bankruptcy court in the Southern District of Texas, citing $6.6 billion in debts. April 17, 2026
Tellurian Founder Testifies, Motion for Judgment Denied - DENVER — Parties rested their cases Thursday afternoon in the breach of contract case between investor Chris Parker and Tellurian founder Charif Souki over an alleged agreement not to sell Tellurian stock. The eight-member jury will decide whether a text message exchange is a binding contract Friday. April 16, 2026O’Melveny Adds SMU’s Laura Burstein as First Texas Pro Bono Counsel - After 12 years at SMU Dedman School of Law, where she built and led its public interest and pro bono programs, Laura Burstein has joined O’Melveny & Myers as its first Texas pro bono counsel. April 16, 2026
Trial Begins Against 3M Over Deadly 2020 West Houston Explosion - For two hours Tuesday morning, 12 jurors and one alternate seated in a Harris County courtroom were told they would be determining who was responsible for a deadly explosion that rocked a West Houston neighborhood in 2020, claiming lives and damaging or destroying more than 450 businesses and homes. (2020 file photo by Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via AP) April 14, 2026Parties Rest in Energy Transfer’s $432.7M Breach Suit - In a tag-team closing argument Monday afternoon, two attorneys representing a client facing a $432.7 million damages request by Energy Transfer told Business Court Judge Grant Dorfman the amount being sought is both unfounded and a drastic overreach. April 14, 2026
Baker Hughes Sells Waygate Technologies to Swedish Firm for $1.45B - Houston energy technology company Baker Hughes has agreed to sell its Waygate Technologies business to Hexagon, a Swedish measurement technologies firm, for about $1.45 billion cash. April 14, 2026
Centerpiece
Texas Lawbook 50: Despite Historic Demand, Law Firm Headcount Grows Slowly (Updated) - For the first-time ever, Texas has a corporate law firm with 500 attorneys working in the state. A second firm is just two lawyers shy of 500. Four law firms now have 400 or more attorneys and 11 have 200 or more business lawyers operating in Texas, according to new data research by The Texas Lawbook.
Even so, the number of business lawyers in Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio is not growing fast enough to handle the increased demand for legal services from corporate clients. April 15, 2026
Even so, the number of business lawyers in Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio is not growing fast enough to handle the increased demand for legal services from corporate clients. April 15, 2026
Energy Transfer, KBR, LyondellBasell, Plains All American & P66 Win Top 2026 Houston Corporate Counsel Awards - The Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook announced Monday the recipients of the 2026 Houston Corporate Counsel Awards for Business Litigation of the Year, M&A Transaction of the Year, Creative Partnership, Corporate Legal Department of the Year, Lifetime Achievement and Rookie of the Year.
ACC Houston and The Lawbook disclosed the GCs of the Year, Senior Counsel of the Year, Harry Reasoner Pro Bono Advocacy and Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion honorees last week.
"The Houston Corporate Counsel Awards celebrate the exceptional legal talent driving business success across our city, honoring the in-house counsel who work tirelessly behind the scenes to protect and advance the companies and communities that make Houston thrive,” said ACC Houston President Emily K. Shields. “When accomplished lawyers take time to nominate a peer, it speaks volumes about the standard of excellence this recognition represents.” April 12, 2026
ACC Houston and The Lawbook disclosed the GCs of the Year, Senior Counsel of the Year, Harry Reasoner Pro Bono Advocacy and Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion honorees last week.
"The Houston Corporate Counsel Awards celebrate the exceptional legal talent driving business success across our city, honoring the in-house counsel who work tirelessly behind the scenes to protect and advance the companies and communities that make Houston thrive,” said ACC Houston President Emily K. Shields. “When accomplished lawyers take time to nominate a peer, it speaks volumes about the standard of excellence this recognition represents.” April 12, 2026
Expert Voices
Jury Bias Against Big Business is a Big Problem - The anticorporate juror now comes from all directions. Lawyers representing any sizeable business, not just the Fortune 500, must plan to counter this pervasive prejudice.
Where did this surge of intolerance come from? And what is the answer for a trial lawyer? April 16, 2026
Where did this surge of intolerance come from? And what is the answer for a trial lawyer? April 16, 2026
Use It or Lose It — Could AI Hurt by Helping? - The advent of AI is being billed as an upgrade on the scale of the Industrial Revolution. The legal industry appears to be digesting AI tools more comfortably every day. We nevertheless urge caution. Any new technology can have unintended side effects. Smartphones, for instance, devour our attention. We all knew watching too much TV was bad for us, but smartphones are like TV screens on steroids. Like the radio transmitter worn by Harrison Bergeron’s father in Vonnegut’s 1961 short story, smartphones displace deep thought.
AI could be worse. April 14, 2026
AI could be worse. April 14, 2026
