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Ex-Prosecutor, Defense Attorney Get Probation for Deleting Messages - A former federal prosecutor and a Dallas-based criminal defense attorney received misdemeanor probation after pleading guilty to a scheme involving deleting text messages they were ordered to produce to the court. February 18, 2026
TI, Intel, AMD and Mouser Successfully Move Ukrainian Lawsuits to Federal Court - Lawyers for four U.S. technology companies, including Texas Instruments, won a preliminary battle Wednesday to move lawsuits brought by five Ukrainian citizens who claim that microchips, processors and programmable devices made by the four companies are being used by the Russian military in its war against Ukraine. But the victory for the technology companies could be a “be careful for what you ask” moment in the litigation. February 18, 2026David Nemecek Bolts Kirkland for Simpson Thacher, Which Intends to Open a Dallas Office - David Nemecek, one of the nation's pre-eminent pre-eminent strategic advisers to distressed companies, is leaving Kirkland & Ellis for Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, according to a news release from his new firm late Wednesday. Simpson Thacher also said it plans to open a Dallas office. February 18, 2026
Dallas Business Court Jury Trial Ends with Directed Verdict - Judge Andrea Bouressa granted the defense's motion for directed verdict Wednesday afternoon and dismissed the jury on the second day of trial. This is the first jury trial for the newly established court to reach a conclusion. February 18, 2026
Ovintiv Exits Anadarko with $3B Sale of Assets - Latham and Kirkland advised on the deal, which helps pay down Ovintiv's debt from two recent purchases in Canada's Montney Shale, as well as their considerable holdings in the Permian Basin. February 17, 2026
Pacific General Electric Acquires 3 Electric Plants in Washington for $1.9B - The acquisitions include one natural gas powered plant and two wind-driven generation facilities. The company said it signed contracts with data centers in late 2025 and early 2026 for 430MW of generated power. Latham & Watkins and Simpson Thacher advised the parties. February 17, 2026
Texas Business Court Begins First Jury Trial in Dallas - The first jury trial for the Texas Business Court in Dallas began Tuesday in a case involving an oral agreement between two businessmen. This is the second jury trial for the Lone Star State’s newest court. February 17, 2026
Centerpiece
In Ex-VP’s Race Discrimination Case Against Exxon, Business Court’s Constitutionality Challenged - Echoing arguments made by opponents of the creation of the Texas Business Court, Houston lawyer Tony Buzbee has filed a motion arguing that the structure of the court is unconstitutional and that his client’s race discrimination case does not belong there. The Texas Supreme Court in August 2024 decided a similar challenge to the constitutionality of the Fifteenth Court of Appeals, finding the law that allowed for its creation was constitutional. February 18, 2026
Litigation Roundup: Exxon’s Defamation Suit Against California AG Will Proceed - In this edition of Litigation Roundup, a team from King & Spalding notches an early win for Vistra in a dispute with the city of Sulphur Springs over the use of land that formerly housed a lignite mine, a healthcare executive faces prison after pleading guilty to fraud, and a $51 million win secured by Dean Omar Branham Shirley against Avon in a mesothelioma case is upheld on appeal in California. February 16, 2026
Expert Voices
Your Client’s ChatGPT Strategy Session Just Became Government Evidence - A Manhattan federal judge’s landmark ruling has direct consequences for Texas lawyers, corporate general counsel and every executive who has ever opened an AI chatbot to think through a legal problem — before calling their lawyer. February 18, 2026
Fifteenth Court Holds, with Caveats, that Pleading Amendments May Defeat Business Court Jurisdiction - The Texas Court of Appeals for the Fifteenth District has issued an opinion deciding an issue of first impression on the Texas Business Court’s jurisdiction that will prove important for commercial litigation in Texas over: Can a plaintiff amend its petition so as to defeat the Business Court’s jurisdiction after removal? The rule announced in the opinion will bear prominently on pleading and removal practice for the Business Court, and it raises further questions for consideration. February 17, 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
