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Report: Reitz Named U.S. Attorney for SDTX - Aaron Reitz, a former Trump administration official and top lawyer for the Texas attorney general, has been selected as the next U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas, according to a Bloomberg Law report published late Tuesday night.
The Texas Lawbook's Mark Smith talked to Reitz during his campaign for Texas attorney general. July 8, 2026
The Texas Lawbook's Mark Smith talked to Reitz during his campaign for Texas attorney general. July 8, 2026
Kyle Bass Entities File Takings Lawsuit in East Texas Water Row - In a new federal lawsuit filed Tuesday, two East Texas real estate entities owned by Dallas hedge fund operator Kyle Bass accuse the Neches and Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservation District of violating the constitution by effectively “taking” property without compensation. July 7, 2026
Energy Transfer Nets $393M Final Judgment in Winter Storm Uri Gas Pricing Dispute - After a three-week bench trial in Bexar County, Judge Laura Salinas hit CPS Energy with a $393 million final judgment in favor of Energy Transfer against CPS Energy in a contract dispute stemming from gas rates during 2021 Winter Storm Uri. July 6, 2026
CDT Roundup: A Holiday Week of Heavy Lifting - Lawyers in the Lone Star State celebrated the holiday week by working on deals involving the heavy stuff: midstream assets, bitcoin mining, Gulf Coast ammonia plants, offshore helicopters, offshore platforms, West Texas power plants and a Fort Worth rail transloading company. July 5, 2026
‘A Servant’s Heart’: NDTX Clerk Reflects on Quarter Century of Service - For a quarter of a century, Karen Mitchell has served as the Northern District of Texas clerk of court, making her the longest-serving clerk of court in the country. The last 25 years have been filled with life-changing events in history, but former judges who know her said one thing has remained constant: her positive attitude. July 5, 2026Judge O’Connor Hears Closing Arguments in $8.5M Treasure Hunter Fight - Treasure recovered off the coast of the Bahamas is being fought over in a legal tug-of-war, with the plaintiffs asking Chief U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor to award $2.5 million in treasure it claims it is owed and punitive damages that would bring the total damages award to $8.5 million. The parties concluded the two-week-long bench trial Thursday afternoon, turning the case over to the court to decide. July 2, 2026
Centerpiece
Texas Feels the Fallout as Federal White-Collar Cases Decline - Federal white-collar crime prosecutions generally have fallen both nationally and in Texas over the past three fiscal years, according to U.S. Sentencing Commission data.
A Texas Lawbook review found that for crimes ranging from antitrust to tax fraud, the numbers have steadily declined both nationally and in the four judicial districts in Texas. July 8, 2026
A Texas Lawbook review found that for crimes ranging from antitrust to tax fraud, the numbers have steadily declined both nationally and in the four judicial districts in Texas. July 8, 2026
Litigation Roundup: Cities Take Battle Over ‘Death Star’ Bill to SCOTX - In this edition of Litigation Roundup, an appellate panel in Dallas wipes out a $7.8 million final judgment against a Munsch Hardt client, and in a case that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, a team of Baker Botts lawyers successfully defended its client’s $213 million trade secrets win. July 6, 2026
Expert Voices
Work Product Is Not for Sale: AI, Access, and Texas Rule 192.5 - Consumer AI tools do for clients what lawyers have always advised: document the facts, organize the timeline, and come prepared. This article argues that Texas Rule 192.5 already extends work product protection to AI-assisted litigation preparation under the same doctrine that covers handwritten notes and voice memos. Building a rule around automatic waiver would not eliminate AI’s role in Texas civil litigation but would create a sharp divide. It would grant enterprise-level protection to clients with the budget for managed AI platforms while leaving everyone else without it. July 7, 2026
The Curious Case of Married Business Partners: Why Texas Shouldn’t Let Love Hide the Ledger - Texas law has always been fond of a good boundary line, and few are trickier than the one between the bedroom and the boardroom. Texas’ economy is bursting with family-run companies, spousal co-ownerships and mom-and-pop empires, and the line between marriage and management can get blurry. The law, however, needs that line to stay crystal clear. June 29, 2026
Stories You Might’ve Missed
‘The Golden Age for Corporate Law in Texas is Now’ (Updated) - Never in history have Texas corporate lawyers worked so many hours, charged such enormous rates and raked in more revenue and profits than they are right now. The Texas offices of more than three dozen law firms scored record-high revenues in 2025 — and many of them surpassed their old records by tens of millions of dollars, according to new Texas Lawbook 50 data.
Citing increased demand for legal services and healthy hourly rate increases, 48 of the Lawbook 50 law firms generated more revenue and more profits in their Texas operations in 2025 than they did in 2024. April 30, 2026
