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Kirkland, Sidley, Simpson Thacher Advise VoltaGrid, Blackstone, Halliburton Deal - Blackstone and Halliburton agreed to invest $1 billion in VoltaGrid, a Houston company that provides power generation, portable power, CNG fuel supply, infrastructure and energy management services. VoltaGrid also is acquiring Propell Energy Technology, a Granbury manufacturer of oilfield and well-servicing equipment.
Kirkland & Ellis and Sidley Austin are advising VoltaGrid, while Simpson Thacher is advising Blackstone. May 12, 2026
Kirkland & Ellis and Sidley Austin are advising VoltaGrid, while Simpson Thacher is advising Blackstone. May 12, 2026
Judge Gilstrap Mulls Permanent Injunction Against Samsung - MARSHALL — A lawyer for Samsung argued during the hearing that the injunction Collision Communications seeks in the patent infringement case would prevent his client from importing “well above 75 percent of products” the electronics giant produces, including all phones and tablets. U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap took the motion under advisement and told the parties he would issue his decision as soon as practicable. May 11, 2026
Litigation Roundup: Energy Transfer Gets Partial Win in Arbitration Dispute - In this edition of Litigation Roundup, Google gears up to defend against patent infringement claims in Midland, the battle between the Dallas Mavericks and the Dallas Stars won't be going to a jury trial, a $17 million Ponzi scheme architect from Houston goes to prison, and the Texas Supreme Court sides with a lawyer fending off claims from a dissatisfied client. May 11, 2026
President Trump Makes Nominations for Northern, Southern District Benches - President Donald Trump made two nominations for the federal benches in Texas Monday. He nominated Kirkland & Ellis partner Kasdin Mitchell in Dallas and deputy chief of staff to Gov. Greg Abbott, Angela Colmenero, in Houston. May 11, 2026Talen Energy’s GC Change is ‘Getting the Band Back Together’ - When Talen Energy General Counsel John Wander told his fellow executives and corporate board earlier this year that he planned to retire, the hunt for a replacement did not take long. Next week, former Vistra Corp. Deputy GC Dan Kelly officially replaces Wander as the booming Houston energy company’s top lawyer. May 11, 2026
CDT Roundup: Lone Star Deal Machine Keeps 200+ Lawyers Busy for the Week - For the week ended May 9, the CDT Roundup is reporting 21 deals valued at nearly $11.3 billion. And that doesn't include a $3.25 billion notes offering that closed three weeks ago nor the $56 billion unsolicitied offer for eBay by $11 billion-market-cap GameStop scooped by The Wall Street Journal last week.
White & Case is advising Grapevine-based GameStop, with a team led from New York. GameStop's general counsel is Mark Robinson, who received the 2023 DFW Corporate Counsel Award for General Counsel of the Year for a Small Legal Department.
That and more in this edition of CDT Roundup. May 10, 2026
White & Case is advising Grapevine-based GameStop, with a team led from New York. GameStop's general counsel is Mark Robinson, who received the 2023 DFW Corporate Counsel Award for General Counsel of the Year for a Small Legal Department.
That and more in this edition of CDT Roundup. May 10, 2026
Troutman Houston Partners Led National Team in Western Midstream $1.6B Brazos Delaware Deal - Western Midstream Partners has acquired Brazos Delaware II, a Fort Worth-based private gathering and processing platform in the Delaware Basin in West Texas, for about $1.6 billion in cash and stock. Western Midstream, which is based in The Woodlands, said it will pay about $800 million in cash and issue about $800 million in common units at the close of the deal that is expected by June 30.
Christopher B. Dial is Western Midstream’s general counsel, and Troutman Pepper Locke advised the company with a national team led by Houston Partners Jon Daly and Jennie Simmons. Vinson & Elkins served as outside legal advisor to Brazos. May 9, 2026
Christopher B. Dial is Western Midstream’s general counsel, and Troutman Pepper Locke advised the company with a national team led by Houston Partners Jon Daly and Jennie Simmons. Vinson & Elkins served as outside legal advisor to Brazos. May 9, 2026
Nicotine Pouches Are Tobacco Products, SCOTX Determines in Tax Appeal - The Texas Supreme Court on Friday dealt a blow to the maker of a nicotine pouch product, finding that the company’s VELO pouches are subject to the same duty levied on cigars, chewing tobacco and snuff. But the court did leave one door open for RJR Vapor. May 8, 2026
Centerpiece
‘I Only Want You’: How Steven Scheinthal Became Tilman Fertitta’s Go-To Lawyer - Steven Scheinthal has one of the most unique and challenging jobs in corporate law — the general counsel for Tilman Fertitta, whose business holdings include the NBA’s Houston Rockets, the Golden Nugget casinos and hotels, Landry’s Seafood and Morton’s and Del Frisco’s steakhouses. The Houston billionaire is also reportedly interested in acquiring Caesars casinos and hotels.
“It is tough having one boss because his frustrations become yours,” Scheinthal said. “However, we have had a tremendous number of business successes from our IPO to follow on offerings, over 50-plus acquisitions, bond offerings, the Rockets purchase." Those successes continued through 2025. The Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook are honoring Scheinthal with the 2026 Houston Corporate Counsel Award for General Counsel of the Year for a Midsized Legal Department. May 9, 2026
After Finding a ‘Port in a Storm’ in Lawyers, Lyondell Basell’s Dave Louie Now Serves as One for Others Through Pro Bono Work - When Dave Louie was 17, he caused a car wreck. His father feared the family could lose everything in a resulting lawsuit, a possibility that weighed heavily on Louie. But his nerves eased after he met with the legal team hired by the family’s insurance company.
“They were like a port in a storm,” Louie said.
Now a lead counsel at LyondellBasell, Louie strives to provide that same sense of reassurance to the families he serves through his pro bono work. The Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook are honoring Louie, along with Shell USA Senior Litigation Counsel Sara Keith, with the Harry Reasoner Pro Bono Advocacy Award at the 2026 Houston Corporate Counsel Awards on May 28. May 8, 2026
Expert Voices
Business Court: April 2026 Decisions - The Court continues to cement its judicial heavyweight status — with the month’s marquee event ringing in a 90-page opinion in the high-profile fight between the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars over control of the American Airlines Center. The Court also maintained its strategy of deploying Rule 166(g) to narrow cases early and tackled personal jurisdiction. May 11, 2026
Continued Scrutiny of Private Equity and Private Ownership of Healthcare Entities - Private investment in healthcare entities continued at a high pace in 2025, reaching global highs in deal value. A consequence of the high deal volume has been increased attention and scrutiny by many state governments of transactions between private equity and certain healthcare entities. While Texas failed to pass a healthcare transaction reporting law in the most recent legislative session, two proposed bills may be harbingers of similar future regulation to come. May 10, 2026
Stories You Might’ve Missed
‘The Golden Age for Corporate Law in Texas is Now’ (Updated) - Never in history have Texas corporate lawyers worked so many hours, charged such enormous rates and raked in more revenue and profits than they are right now. The Texas offices of more than three dozen law firms scored record-high revenues in 2025 — and many of them surpassed their old records by tens of millions of dollars, according to new Texas Lawbook 50 data.
Citing increased demand for legal services and healthy hourly rate increases, 48 of the Lawbook 50 law firms generated more revenue and more profits in their Texas operations in 2025 than they did in 2024. April 30, 2026
