Free Speech, Due Process and Trial by Jury
Law firms in Texas are engaged in a fierce battle to represent businesses, private equity funds and banks involved in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures – and an estimated $3 billion in legal fees are at stake.
After a week of perfect spring weather, a 20-year anniversary and a $15 million coda to a fraud trial that had lasted nearly a fortnight, Houston lawyer Jared Levinthal was ready to celebrate a very, very good week.
In their monthly account of disciplinary actions, the State Bar of Texas reports discipline taken against three judges: a Waco judge who appointed a police detective as foreman of a controversial grand jury, a Parker County judge who hired and promoted an assistant with whom he was having a sexual relationship, and a judge in New Braunfels who interrupted jury deliberations in a criminal trial by announcing that God had informed him a conviction would be a miscarriage of justice. In other actions, one lawyer resigned his license, eight lawyers were suspended from practice and three received public reprimands.
The unanimous verdict does far more than exonerate Range from the $17.5 million that the plaintiff royalty owners had sought. The verdict also marks the first time in 21 years for a producer to win a case tied to Oklahoma’s marketable product rule. Litigation writer Natalie Posgate explains.
What does it take to become a corporate general counsel in Texas? The chief legal officers at Toyota, J.C. Penney, Match Group and a leading corporate executive headhunter gave their advice this week to a group of 130 members of the Association of Corporate Counsel’s DFW Chapter. The Texas Lawbook was there and has the exclusive details.
What began as a bitter legal dispute between Kainos Capital and one of its co-founders exploded into a bitter full-fledged feud Tuesday after the Dallas private equity firm filed a countersuit in Delaware. The company alleges that the original suit, filed by one of its co-founders, was timed to inflict as much damage on Kainos as possible. Natalie Posgate explains. (Editor's Note: this is an in-depth update from an earlier version of the article).
The Center for American and International Law (CAIL) has announced that William McRaven, who led the Navy Seals raid that killed Osama bin Laden, will give a talk titled "The Rule of Law in a Trouble World" on April 17 in Houston. This article has the details.
With economists forecasting slower growth in the U.S. economy, companies and law firms should take steps to prepare for the next downturn. Experts at Bentham IMF explain how litigation funding can be a lifeline for pursuing valuable legal claims when traditional sources of capital become scarce.
Baker Botts called 2018 "the year of the special situation." It was certainly that, with activists everywhere, especially in the O&G and the power and utilities markets. So what does that mean for 2019? More activist-incited M&A? Maybe. Claire Poole has the scoop along with her weekly Roundup of Texas deals.
A Texas judge is considering whether she should end the legal battle between Neiman Marcus and Marble Ridge Capital or further entertain the possibility that the hedge fund issued defamatory statements about Neiman Marcus that hurt its business.
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