The Texas Lawbook

Free Speech, Due Process and Trial by Jury

White-Collar/Regulatory tease

‘Are You Kidding?’: Ex-Prosecutor Defends 81-Year-Old Former Doctor in Tossed Kickback Case

Katten's Brandon N. McCarthy said he was perplexed when his client, retired Dr. David Wolf of Houston, was indicted on an alleged kickback scheme that was ultimately dismissed against 10 doctors.

“This was perplexing as my client was 81 years old and had retired from medicine over half a decade ago,” McCarthy said. “He had a 50-year career as a doctor with a perfect record. No medical board issues. No criminal record. My first thought was, ‘What in the world are they doing?’"

Mark Smith

Federal Judge Dismisses Texas Kickback Indictment Involving 10 Doctors, Pharma Executives

A Texas federal judge tossed a superseding indictment accusing 10 doctors, two pharmaceutical executives and two business entities of a kickback scheme involving prescriptions that spanned six years from 2013 to 2019. 

The defendants had moved to dismiss the superseding indictment on several grounds, including statute-of-limitations issues.

Rather than respond to that motion, the prosecutors moved to dismiss the case “in the interests of justice.”

Mark Smith

Former SEC Chief Trial Lawyer Takes Practice to Vartabedian

Prominent white-collar defense and corporate securities lawyer Toby Galloway has joined Vartabedian Hester & Haynes, a 35-lawyer Fort Worth boutique that has witnessed significant growth since it was founded two years ago.

The Texas Lawbook interviewed Galloway about the move to VHH.

Mark Curriden

Agency Recommends $9.6M in Fines for Houston-based Midstream for 2022 Deepwater Spill

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced Monday that it is recommending a fine of more than $9.6 million against a Houston-based company for a November 2023 deepwater oil spill off the coast of Louisiana. The penalty is the result of an investigation by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safe Administration and the recommended levy of $9,622,054 is described as the "largest civil penalty ever proposed" by the agency.

Allen Pusey

How Dallas’s Three New Stock Exchanges May Reshape Securities Fraud Enforcement

In a development that could fundamentally reshape the landscape of federal securities enforcement, three major stock exchanges are establishing operations in Dallas within the Northern District of Texas. This geographic diversification of America’s securities exchange infrastructure represents more than mere business expansion — it signals a potential seismic shift in federal criminal and civil securities enforcement. Cases that historically could only be prosecuted in Manhattan may soon find their way to Dallas courtrooms, bringing with them the possibility of different judicial approaches, jury pools and enforcement priorities.

Elisha J. Kobre

McKool Smith Settles New Jersey Healthcare Suit for $100M

New Jersey and McKool Smith announced Friday that the state has settled its 2021 lawsuit against Horizon Healthcare Services for $100 million. New Jersey claimed that the healthcare services provider had been submitting false funding claims to the state for years. Horizon says it never retained any of the money charged to the state for healthcare provider claims.

Alexa Shrake

© Copyright 2026 The Texas Lawbook
The content on this website is protected under federal Copyright laws. Any use without the consent of The Texas Lawbook is prohibited.