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Xcel Energy Accused of Causing Deadly Smokehouse Creek Fire - Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday announced he was suing Southwestern Public Service Company, which does business as Xcel Energy, for allegedly causing 2024’s Smokehouse Creek Fire. The fire, which killed three and caused more than $1 billion in damages, was the largest wildfire in recorded Texas history. (File photo by Julio Cortez/The Associated Press) December 16, 2025Susman Godfrey Associate Bonuses Skyrocket - Lawyers at Susman Godfrey have had an extraordinary year — the “second-most successful year in the firm’s history,” according to Susman Godfrey leaders.
During 2025, Susman attorneys achieved a $1.5 billion copyright infringement settlement against Anthropic over its AI scraping of content. They defeated the Trump administration’s executive orders that targeted the Houston litigation powerhouse.
On Tuesday, firm leaders announced record high year-end bonuses for its associates and elected six new lawyers to its equity partnership, including one in Houston. December 16, 2025
During 2025, Susman attorneys achieved a $1.5 billion copyright infringement settlement against Anthropic over its AI scraping of content. They defeated the Trump administration’s executive orders that targeted the Houston litigation powerhouse.
On Tuesday, firm leaders announced record high year-end bonuses for its associates and elected six new lawyers to its equity partnership, including one in Houston. December 16, 2025
Texas Stock Exchange, Toronto Stock Exchange Resolve Trademark Suit - After a November hearing on a motion to dismiss, the two stock exchanges were sent to mediation. Almost a month later, the mediator announced the Texas Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange have come to a resolution in mediation and have until January to file dismissal. December 15, 2025
Fifteen Deals, $10 Billion and a Few Accounting Quirks - For the week ended Dec. 13, the CDT Roundup saw 15 deals reported with a total value of just under $10 billion. At this time last year, we saw 15 transactions come across our desks with an aggregate value of $5.3 billion.
In M&A, this edition of CDT Roundup includes a handful of energy-related deals with a shuffling of midstream assets, Texas solar projects selling minority stakes and some offshore rigs trading hands.
And on the CapM side: a SPAC IPO, a nearly $1 billion private placement, a stock buy-back and a post-merger holiday cleanup on the Constellation-Calpine aisle. December 14, 2025
In M&A, this edition of CDT Roundup includes a handful of energy-related deals with a shuffling of midstream assets, Texas solar projects selling minority stakes and some offshore rigs trading hands.
And on the CapM side: a SPAC IPO, a nearly $1 billion private placement, a stock buy-back and a post-merger holiday cleanup on the Constellation-Calpine aisle. December 14, 2025
New Mexico Jury Slams Michelin with $220M Verdict in Defect Case - A jury in New Mexico sided with a Texas family on Friday, agreeing a defect in a Michelin tire was to blame for an incident that left three people dead. The lawsuit was filed in New Mexico district court in San Miguel County against Michelin North America and Discount Tire Company of New Mexico in 2021. December 12, 2025
Dallas Jury Awards $44.2M in I-35 Pileup Trial - In a 10-2 decision reached after deliberating over two days, a jury in Dallas County last night determined New Prime and its driver owe $44 million in damages to the family of a man who was killed during a fatal pileup on an icy Interstate 35 in February 2021. December 12, 2025
Judge Isgur Says Trustee’s Settlement Demand in D&O Insurance Dispute ‘Reasonable,’ Insurer’s Refusal ‘Wrongful’ - A federal bankruptcy judge in Houston has determined that while a litigation trustee’s $4.65 million settlement demand is reasonable, the court cannot compel Relm Insurance Ltd. to fund the within-limits settlement. December 12, 2025
Houston’s U.S. Attorney Wins Key Senate Vote for Federal Judgeship - The nomination of Nicholas Ganjei to the bench of the Southern District of Texas goes next to the full Senate, where swift approval is expected. Ganjei, currently the Southern District’s top federal prosecutor, is a former chief counsel to Sen. Ted Cruz. December 12, 2025
Centerpiece
Litigation Roundup: Samsung Seeks New Trial After $445.5M Infringement Verdict - In this edition of Litigation Roundup, on the same day a patent holder who won a $445.5 million verdict against Samsung Electronics asked the court for a permanent injunction that would bar the company from selling its infringing phone, the tech giant asked the court for a new trial. December 15, 2025
Update: ACC-DFW and The Texas Lawbook Announce More Finalists for 2025 Corporate Counsel Awards - The Association of Corporate Counsel’s DFW Chapter and The Texas Lawbook are kicking off the ninth annual 2025 DFW Corporate Counsel Awards by announcing finalists in multiple categories over the course of two weeks.
The DFW Corporate Counsel Awards recognize the extraordinary legal and business successes of in-house counsel.
Today The Lawbook and ACC-DFW announce the finalists for the 2025 DFW Corporate Counsel Award for Business Litigation of the Year. December 15, 2025
Expert Voices
Mikal Watts: My 10 Days in Ukraine — ‘Stop the Chips, Stop the War’ - In early November, I addressed a room full of lawyers at a CLE seminar, and said, “nothing is more powerful than a bar card put to good.” A day later, a trusted colleague who was there called me with a crazy idea: Would I consider representing Ukrainian citizens injured or killed by Russian drone and missile attacks? Research provided by the State Capture Accountability Project suggested that American chip suppliers had exported the guidance chips enabling Russian drone and missiles to hit their targets.
A month of subsequent research and diligence confirmed my worst fears. December 10, 2025
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
