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Dallas-Based Firm Secures $65.5M Verdict Against J&J in Minnesota - Johnson & Johnson owes a 37-year-old mother of three $65.5 million in damages for causing her mesothelioma, a jury in Minnesota determined Friday afternoon.
Anna Jean Houghton Carley, who was diagnosed with terminal peritoneal mesothelioma in February, alleged exposure to Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder throughout her childhood exposed her to asbestos and contributed to her developing mesothelioma.
Ben Braly of Dean Omar Branham Shirley, who represented Carley at trial, said the case wasn’t just about compensation, but about “truth and accountability.” December 19, 2025
Anna Jean Houghton Carley, who was diagnosed with terminal peritoneal mesothelioma in February, alleged exposure to Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder throughout her childhood exposed her to asbestos and contributed to her developing mesothelioma.
Ben Braly of Dean Omar Branham Shirley, who represented Carley at trial, said the case wasn’t just about compensation, but about “truth and accountability.” December 19, 2025
Camp Mystic Defendants Want New Venue, Deny Wrongdoing - In the four separate lawsuits filed in Travis County District Court by families whose daughters were killed in the July 4 flooding of the Guadalupe River that swept through Camp Mystic, the defendants are arguing the cases should not proceed in Austin.
Instead, the cases should be litigated in Kerr County, where Camp Mystic sits and where “all relevant events in this lawsuit took place,” recently filed motions argue. December 19, 2025
Instead, the cases should be litigated in Kerr County, where Camp Mystic sits and where “all relevant events in this lawsuit took place,” recently filed motions argue. December 19, 2025
Texas Partnership Dreams Realized as Firms Roll Out 2025-2026 Promotions - Each year, as the weather turns (somewhat) colder in Texas, partnership season starts to reshape the legal landscape. Between October and February, law firms decide which experienced associates and seasoned counsel will make the leap to equity and nonequity partner, transforming years of late nights and high-stakes deals and trials into a career milestone, most of them announced this month. December 19, 2025
JAPEX Acquires DJ Basin Assets for $1.3B - Willkie Farr & Gallagher advised JAPEX and Kirkland & Ellis advised Verdad Resources Intermediate Holdings on the deal, which includes more than 100,000 acres of tight oil assets in Colorado and Wyoming. December 19, 2025
Documents Unsealed in Paxton Divorce Case - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and state Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney, agreed to unseal the documents in their divorce proceeding Thursday. Counsel for the media intervenors and the attorney general told Judge Robert Brotherton Friday morning at their scheduled hearing that “appropriate” redactions may be made. December 19, 2025TAE Technologies to Merge with Trump Media and Technology in $6B Nuclear Fusion Deal - A Texas-based Baker Botts team led the deal for TAE, which intends to add commercial, scalable nuclear fusion to the Trump portfolio. DLA Piper advised TMTG. December 18, 2025
Centerpiece
2025 DFW Award Finalists: Senior In-house Counsel at Match, Michaels, Children’s Health, Dropbox and Caris Life Sciences - Six lawyers at North Texas companies have been named finalists for the 2025 DFW Corporate Counsel Awards for Senior Counsel of the Year. During the past week, ACC-DFW and The Texas Lawbook have announced the finalists for Business Litigation of the Year, M&A Transaction of the Year, General Counsel of the Year and Corporate Legal Department of the Year. The finalists for Rookie of the Year, Lifetime Achievement, Achievement in Pro Bono and Public Service and Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion will be announced later this week. The Lawbook has all the details. December 17, 2025
Asked & Answered with Haynes Boone’s Catherine Robb: Fighting for the First Amendment & Family Legacy - In this edition of Asked & Answered, Haynes Boone counsel Catherine Robb talks about media defamation cases and what drew her to a First Amendment practice. Robb also discusses her family’s legacy and what she hopes hers is. December 17, 2025Expert Voices
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. December 18, 2025
Stories You Might’ve Missed
The Legacy of Pennzoil v. Texaco 40 Years Later — The Civil Jury Trial of the Century - Pennzoil v. Texaco's legacy remains significant, as it changed how companies handle mergers and acquisitions, caused the Chamber of Commerce to designate Texas as a judicial hellhole in 1986 and directly led to two decades of massive tort reform efforts that dramatically limited the rights of Texans to sue businesses, doctors and insurance companies for wrongdoing. It also launched Texas trial lawyer Joe Jamail to national stardom and made him the richest trial lawyer in American history.
In this in-depth article, The Texas Lawbook provides a detailed timeline of the events involved in the historic litigation, as well as comments from more than a dozen lawyers about the legal strategies employed. November 18, 2025
