In Beginning of Trial BMC Lambastes IBM’s Conduct As ‘Not Acceptable’

BMC’s attorney tells the court: BMC “always relied on the plain meaning” of its contracts with IBM and the language “speaks for itself.” But IBM’s lead lawyer countered that BMC breached the non-displacement contract when it did not inform IBM that AT&T had purchased special rights in its own contract with BMC that allowed IBM, as its outsourcer, to displace BMC software in AT&T’s systems without paying extra. “At best, BMC could (and did) try to leverage payments from IBM.”

March 15, 2022 Natalie Posgate

Trial Begins Between BMC & IBM

IT giants BMC and IBM map their cases for U.S. District Judge Gray Miller today in a bench trial alleging fraud and trade-secrets misappropriation. Although BMC begins trial with a breach-of-contract finding already in the bag, Judge Miller made clear in a February order that BMC still has much to prove before it’s considered a win. Opening statements wrapped up just before lunch Monday afternoon and when the parties returned, BMC called its first witness, BMC VP Raul Ah Chu.

March 14, 2022 Natalie Posgate

Crypto Fraudsters Get 50 Months Each in Federal Prison

In Dallas, U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle sentences the two owners of Bitqyck to prison and orders them to pay $1.6 million each in federal income taxes.

March 14, 2022 Bruce Tomaso

More Texas Law Firms Address Russia Crisis  — Updated

Three more corporate law firms in Texas – Akin Gump, Bracewell and Latham & Watkins – have announced they are ending their operations in Russia and will not represent Kremlin-controlled businesses. Several other law firms with large operations in Texas, including Baker Botts, Norton Rose Fulbright and Sidley, made similar announcements earlier this week.

March 10, 2022 Mark Curriden

Norton Rose Fulbright Study: Lawsuits Against Texas Companies Up, Fear of Litigation Up More

Texas companies’ reprieve from litigation due to the Covid-19 pandemic is over. A new study of corporate general counsel in Texas finds that the number of lawsuits filed against larger businesses jumped 75 percent in 2021 over the previous year and that the fear of additional litigation in 2022 has increased, too. The good news for lawyers at Texas law firms is that companies returned to pre-Covid levels of hiring outside counsel to handle their litigation battles in 2021.

March 9, 2022 Mark Curriden & Natalie Posgate

CDT Roundup: 17 Deals, 13 Firms, 137 Lawyers, $6.8B

With clients Tailwater Capital and Montage cranking up deals already this year, 2022 has started with a bang for Kirkland & Ellis partner Kevin Crews. Crews shared with The Roundup some of his early observations on the broader range of deals he's seeing in the new year, as well as his views on the surprising and continuing rebound for IPOs. That, and our weekly rundown of deals handled by Texas lawyers in the CDT Roundup.

March 9, 2022 Claire Poole & Allen Pusey

Prominent E-Discovery Firm Accused of Invading 10 Years of Personal Emails

In a civil suit in state court in Fort Worth, lawyer Rob Miller says the company, Consilio, went far beyond an agreement for discovery in a case involving one of his clients.

March 9, 2022 Bruce Tomaso

Norton Rose Fulbright Wins Verdict for Shell in Dispute Over Crude Oil Sales

A state district court jury in Houston rejects a multimillion-dollar tortious-interference claim by an oil company represented by Rusty Hardin.

March 8, 2022 Bruce Tomaso

Oasis Merges with Whiting Petroleum in $6B Deal

Kirkland and V&E advised the oil companies on the combination, which promises to generate enhanced free cash flow to return to shareholders.

March 7, 2022 Claire Poole

Norton Rose Fulbright to Close Moscow Office

Norton Rose Fulbright announced Monday that the global law firm is “winding down” its operations in Russia “as quickly as we can.” Formerly known as Houston-based Fulbright & Jaworski, Norton Rose Fulbright said it is closing its Moscow office “in compliance with its professional obligations” and that the “wellbeing of our staff in the region is a priority.”

March 7, 2022 Mark Curriden