Free Speech, Due Process and Trial by Jury
In 2025, the Lone Star State was once again at the forefront of some of the biggest legal stories of the year. Join Androvett Legal Media & Marketing as we take a look back at the Top 10 Texas Legal Stories that shaped the past year. We start here with No. 10 thru 6, which includes sports battles in court and the Texas Business Court.
Illiquidity has always been a feature (and a bug) of real estate transactions. That prime piece of retail space is one of a kind, and you can’t click “sell” on that multifamily asset the same way you can on a share of a blue-chip company. Tokenization is changing that premise by turning the economics of property ownership into fractional tradable units that can be bought or sold through digital exchanges at the touch of a button. This shift matters for corporate counsel because once something trades like a security, the market structure becomes an additional risk on top of the investment itself.
In a development that could fundamentally reshape the landscape of federal securities enforcement, three major stock exchanges are establishing operations in Dallas within the Northern District of Texas. This geographic diversification of America’s securities exchange infrastructure represents more than mere business expansion — it signals a potential seismic shift in federal criminal and civil securities enforcement. Cases that historically could only be prosecuted in Manhattan may soon find their way to Dallas courtrooms, bringing with them the possibility of different judicial approaches, jury pools and enforcement priorities.
Digital assets are no longer on the margins of wealth management. Today, cryptocurrency represents a meaningful portion of many estates, from Bitcoin and Ethereum to non-fungible tokens (NFTs), stablecoins and illiquid tokens. According to an article published by State Street Investment Management, 31% of high-net-worth investors hold crypto. With that shift comes a new reality: estate plans that don’t account for digital assets are incomplete.
The economic loss rule provides a limitation on damages in cases alleging both breach of contract and certain other causes of action sounding in tort, by precluding a party’s recovery of damages when the only economic loss is the subject matter of the contract. In operation, the rule "restricts contracting parties to contractual remedies for those economic losses associated with the relationship, even when the breach might reasonably be viewed as a consequence of a contracting party's negligence." This article explores this rule and when it applies — as well as the exceptions to it.
In the midst of a relocation, it’s tempting for companies and professionals alike to narrow their focus on the obvious to-dos, like finding new homes or offices or hiring new staff. But what’s equally important is ensuring all parties understand what their move means in terms of employee job mobility, specifically when it comes to covenants not to compete.
Over the past two years, Texas has emerged as a leader in the U.S. state privacy regulatory landscape. The state’s attorney general has launched a broad privacy enforcement initiative, secured notable settlements and filed lawsuits against major players across industries ranging from social media to insurance. With new privacy laws that have come into effect in 2024 and 2025 and a steady stream of enforcement activity, Texas has established itself as a state that businesses must pay close attention to when evaluating compliance obligations.
In a recent False Claims Act matter, an expert used AI tools to fabricate (among other things) sworn testimony of a federal agency, prompting a motion that may lead to attorney disqualification and even dismissal of the entire case. The pending motion highlights an important issue for litigators to consider in engaging experts. This article summarizes the pending motion and suggests potential solutions and best practices to avoid this issue biting counsel and clients and to protect clients and counsel in the event an expert goes rogue with AI.
The ever-changing landscape of college sports left many yearning for stability. To get it, some have turned to Congress. Federal legislation could provide uniformity and finality, ending the patchwork of state regulations and settling college athletics on a fixed framework. And, depending on who you ask, it could provide an antitrust waiver — removing the gavel that has struck down a litany of NCAA rules (and empowered student athletes in the process).
But, as with all things involving Congress, there is disagreement on what that legislation should entail. The debate has pitted institutional NCAA interests against athletes’ rights groups, created unlikely bed fellows, and tested the influence of a prominent West Texas billionaire with the ear of the President.
Like many firms, Baker Botts is exploring how best to leverage AI — both for the benefit of our clients and for training our lawyers. This summer, the firm hosted an AI Learning Lab that immersed 70 summer associates in a simulated typical workflow for a trade secret dispute. What we learned was encouraging.
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