Free Speech, Due Process and Trial by Jury
In this week’s edition of Litigation Roundup, juries in Dallas and Tarrant County doled out damages to individuals permanently injured in separate botched surgeries, FedEx is slammed with nine-digit damages in a racial discrimination and retaliation case and the entire Fifth Circuit votes to rehear a lawsuit over a citizen-journalist’s arrest in Laredo.
About 75 lawyers attended in-person or online a CLE that delved into enforcement priorities at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Fort Worth Regional Office, what impact recent Fifth Circuit decisions could have on SEC actions, and how to navigate clients through uncertain times during an increase in rulemaking initiatives.
A Dallas tax lawyer who “exploited his position as an attorney” and promoted illegal tax shelters for wealthy Texas clients for several years has been charged with 41 counts of tax and wire fraud.
A federal jury in Detroit listened to 15 days of testimony and arguments and then deliberated nearly 10 hours before ruling Wednesday that Ford Motor Co. misused Versata’s trade secrets and the carmaker to pay Austin-based Versata Software $105 million in damages. The nine-digit verdict is the largest courtroom victory for Houston-based Mitby Pacholder Johnson, a three-partner litigation boutique formed earlier this year. The Texas Lawbook has the inside story.
In the case that pits a group of cotton farmers against Helena Chemical Co., the Texas Supreme Court justices focused much of the questioning during oral argument Wednesday morning on the intricacies of the evidentiary standard Helena is asking the court to adopt. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce filed a brief in favor of Helena, while the farmers garnered amicus support from the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association and the High Plains Wine & Food Foundation.
The Texas Supreme Court heard arguments in a case that could lay out the rules for deciding how to read a drilling lease’s force majeure clause. The case involves a driller’s response to unforeseen circumstances and its miscalculation of a deadline.
The Texas Supreme Court will decide whether Jim Crane can proceed with his lawsuit over the allegedly inflated price he paid for the stake in a regional sports network. Two lower courts have denied bids by the team's former owner and Comcast to end the lawsuit. Michelle Casady tuned into oral arguments Tuesday as the Houston Astros prepare for Game 1 of the World Series.
Dallas District Judge Tonya Parker announced Monday that she intends to seek election to an upcoming opening on the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas.
Judge Parker, a widely respected trial judge who consistently ranks among the top three judges for judicial temperament and legal knowledge by Dallas Bar Association members, sent an email to supporters stating that she has been “seriously considering a run for court of appeals” for some time.
Energy pricing may have rebounded to heights not seen in years, but that doesn't mean that industry confidence hovers alongside. Haynes Boone's latest borrowing base redetermination survey suggests that both lenders and borrowers expect current bases to remain flat — or even lower. This week's CDT Roundup explores possible reasons for the current state of caution, along with the usual review of last week's deals.
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, a $10 million class action settlement over defective, leaky pipes gets Fifth Circuit approval, the Texas attorney general sues Google for unlawful biometric data collection and a Dallas-area real estate analytics and software company draws an antitrust lawsuit in California.
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