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New GE Vernova GC Dionne Hamilton: ‘We’re Working to Make the World a Better Place’

Dionne Hamilton was not looking to leave Honeywell Smart Energy where she has served as general counsel for the past five years. The Houston corporate legal veteran had rejected several recruiting efforts over the years. But GE Vernova presented a vision of the company’s vision that Hamilton found enticing. “They are leading a new era of energy — electrifying the world while simultaneously working to decarbonize it,” Hamilton, who is in her second week as GE Vernova’s GC, told The Texas Lawbook.

Mark Curriden

CDT Roundup: From Corrugated to Crypto, Deals Keep Venturing Outside the Box

The week that ended Sept. 13 saw 21 transactions valued at $21 billion. That doesn't count the late arrivals and deals outside our usual space (See "Late Arrivals and other matters..." at the bottom of this column). It's a pretty good week when you average $1 billion per deal. For comparison, the week prior, we saw 19 deals for $8.5 billion and 24 deals for nearly $11 billion at this time last year. But each week seems a bit stranger than the last. That and more in this edition of CDT Roundup.

Allen Pusey & Jason Philyaw

JCPenney Estate, Jackson Walker Reach Potential $1.4M Settlement

Jackson Walker, which represented JCPenney during its 2020 bankruptcy proceedings, has agreed to pay the estate of the department store $1.4 million as a result of a romantic relationship between a former partner and a former Houston bankruptcy judge. This latest settlement proposal requires the court’s approval, but the U.S. Trustee’s Office remains opposed to individual settlements. 

Alexa Shrake

Texas Law Graduates Win Precedent-Setting Civil Rights Case Before Receiving Bar Exam Results 

Just a few days before joining Kirkland & Ellis as litigation associates, and while awaiting the results of their bar exams, Gabrielle Olubanke Howells and Lizeth Badillo Garcia notched their first court win — a precedent-setting decision from a panel of judges at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The rare opportunity to argue a pro bono case before a federal appeals court before bar admission was the result of a collaboration spearheaded by Kirkland & Ellis Partner Zack Ewing, who was inspired by the graduates to emulate a program afforded to him while a student at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.

Krista Torralva

DOBS Gets $34.2M Mesothelioma Verdict for Former Shipyard Worker

A former shipyard worker in Portland, Oregon, developed mesothelioma after working with John Crane gaskets and packing for over a decade. A jury last Friday found the company liable for the fatal cancer. The case was first tried earlier this summer but ended in a mistrial after four days of jury deliberations.

Alexa Shrake

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