JAPEX Acquires DJ Basin Assets for $1.3B
Willkie Farr & Gallagher advised JAPEX and Kirkland & Ellis advised Verdad Resources Intermediate Holdings on the deal, which includes more than 100,000 acres of tight oil assets in Colorado and Wyoming.
Documents Unsealed in Paxton Divorce Case
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and state Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney, agreed to unseal the documents in their divorce proceeding Thursday. Counsel for the media intervenors and the attorney general told Judge Robert Brotherton Friday morning at their scheduled hearing that “appropriate” redactions may be made.
TAE Technologies to Merge with Trump Media and Technology in $6B Nuclear Fusion Deal
A Texas-based Baker Botts team led the deal for TAE, which intends to add commercial, scalable nuclear fusion to the Trump portfolio. DLA Piper advised TMTG.
2025 DFW Award Finalists: Senior In-house Counsel at Match, Michaels, Children’s Health, Dropbox and Caris Life Sciences
Six lawyers at North Texas companies have been named finalists for the 2025 DFW Corporate Counsel Awards for Senior Counsel of the Year. During the past week, ACC-DFW and The Texas Lawbook have announced the finalists for Business Litigation of the Year, M&A Transaction of the Year, General Counsel of the Year and Corporate Legal Department of the Year. The finalists for Rookie of the Year, Lifetime Achievement, Achievement in Pro Bono and Public Service and Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion will be announced later this week. The Lawbook has all the details.
Asked & Answered with Haynes Boone’s Catherine Robb: Fighting for the First Amendment & Family Legacy
In this edition of Asked & Answered, Haynes Boone counsel Catherine Robb talks about media defamation cases and what drew her to a First Amendment practice. Robb also discusses her family’s legacy and what she hopes hers is.
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)
Susman 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.
Luminar Technologies Files Bankruptcy in SDTX
A Florida company that makes laser sensors for vehicles filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday in Houston, citing $508 million in liabilities owed to more than 200 creditors but only $189 million in assets.
Luminar Technologies hired Weil Gotshal as its lead outside legal advisor, with Houston partner Stephanie Morrison and New York partner Ronit Berkovich leading the way. The case has been assigned to Houston Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez.
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.
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.