Free Speech, Due Process and Trial by Jury
Saying a lower court misconstrued its 2015 decision in Chesapeake Exploration v. Hyder, the Texas Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the deductibility of production costs from energy company royalties is a matter commanded by contractual language. Janet Elliott, who has followed the controversy, explains.
Dallas trial lawyer Shonn Brown had an interesting Friday. In the early morning hours, she won a 10-digit jury verdict in Dallas County District Court. After lunch, she packed up her office at Lynn Pinker Cox & Hurst and moved her litigation practice to Irving-based Kimberly-Clark Corp., where she is now the deputy general counsel over litigation and regulatory.
Lawyers in Texas reported work on 18 percent more transactions last year than in 2017 with $1 billion-plus deals dominating the activity. Claire Poole takes a deep dive into data collected exclusively by The Texas Lawbook’s Corporate Deal Tracker.
Faith Johnson, who lost the Dallas County District Attorney's race in November to John Creuzot, has landed in private practice at a Dallas litigation boutique.
Former Houston Court of Appeals Justice Bill Boyce has joined an appellate law boutique and ex-Dallas Court of Appeals Justice Jason Boatright has signed as a partner at a Fort Worth law firm.
With the increased influence of private equity, dealmaking in a marketplace crowded by money is skewing toward larger and larger deals. But a survey shows that a large number of private equity firms say they are ready to unload their portfolios if there is a market correction in the next 12 months. In her CDT Weekly Roundup Claire Poole explores that further, as well as last week's Texas deals.
Former Dynegy GC Catherine Callaway James was named to the top legal job at infrastructure giant Kinder Morgan Inc. She replaces Curt Moffatt who died unexpectedly in December. Claire Poole has more.
The Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday that a written contract between Mercedes-Benz and a South Texas car dealer exempts the automaker from being held financially responsible for the economic losses it caused by its false oral promises and misleading comments - conduct a jury described as criminal.
Gov. Greg Abbott announced Thursday afternoon that he appointed Busby, a former partner at Bracewell, to the state’s highest court to replace retired justice Phil Johnson.
The Texas Supreme Court has recently been shooting holes in the basic principle that any evidence forming the basis of a decision must have been admitted in a trial court – particularly in contract disputes. Chrysta Castañeda of The Castañeda Firm explains the potential impact on cases going forward.
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