Texas

  • November 04, 2024

    'Don't Cut Corners, Counsel,' Judge In $110M Trial Warns

    A California federal judge delayed rebuttal arguments in Pacific Steel Group's $110 million antitrust trial against rebar giant Commercial Metals Co. Monday after PSG complained that CMC's closings misled jurors about the standard for harm, saying the issue threw "a complete wrench" into the trial and warning CMC, "Don't cut corners, counsel."

  • November 04, 2024

    'Oh, Come On': 5th Circ. Doubts Intuit Ads Misled Consumers

    The Fifth Circuit on Monday seemed skeptical that the company behind TurboTax duped customers into thinking they could file their tax returns for free, with judges engaging in a lengthy back-and-forth with the Federal Trade Commission over how noticeable disclosures on the ads had to be for the agency to consider them truthful.

  • November 04, 2024

    Hurricane Zeta MDL Judge Orders Mediation Amid DQ Battle

    A Houston judge overseeing a multidistrict litigation created to handle claims from crew members who say they were injured while weathering Hurricane Zeta on a Transocean drilling rig ordered the parties to mediation Friday in the midst of a bitter disqualification battle between their feuding firms.

  • November 04, 2024

    Exxon Keeps Win In Sand Blaster's Lung Disease Suit

    A Texas state appeals court won't overturn a summary judgment freeing Exxon Mobil Corp. from a premises liability suit from a sandblaster alleging that he developed fibrosis in his lungs while working at an Exxon facility, saying the trial court rightly excluded his experts as unreliable.

  • November 04, 2024

    Ericsson Settles Cell Site Patent Case On Eve Of Texas Trial

    Ericsson reached a settlement over cellular infrastructure patents on Friday, allowing Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile to avoid a looming trial in Texas federal court over their use of the technology.

  • November 04, 2024

    Philly DA Can't Stop Elon Musk's $1M Giveaway To Voters

    A Pennsylvania judge on Monday denied Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner's bid to halt Elon Musk's $1 million giveaway to registered voters leading up to the 2024 presidential election, issuing a one-page order ending the prosecutor's claims that the tech mogul was operating an illegal lottery.

  • November 04, 2024

    Texas Border Buoy Trial Delayed After En Banc Ruling

    An Austin federal judge paused an impending bench trial between the Biden administration and the state of Texas over a 1,000-foot buoy barrier in the Rio Grande, reopening discovery Monday in the wake of an en banc circuit court opinion that slammed the judge for ordering the removal of the buoys.

  • November 04, 2024

    McKesson Inks $450K DOL Deal Following Hiring Bias Probe

    The U.S. Department of Labor announced Monday that McKesson Medical-Surgical Inc. has agreed to pay nearly $450,000 to resolve the agency's claims that it gave hiring preferences to Asian job applicants over Black, Hispanic and white job hopefuls.

  • November 04, 2024

    Religious Groups Want 5th Circ. To Toss FCC Diversity Form

    Religious broadcasters are asking the Fifth Circuit to step in and stop the Federal Communications Commission from making them turn in diversity data, a recently reinstated policy that they say tramples on their First Amendment rights and pressures them to "engage in race- and sex-conscious employment decisions."

  • November 04, 2024

    Vinson & Elkins Adds Simpson Thacher Atty As M&A Co-Head

    Vinson & Elkins LLP has brought on a veteran mergers and acquisitions lawyer as a New York-based co-head of strategic M&A, the firm said Monday.

  • November 04, 2024

    Mortgage Co. Accused Of 'Bad Faith' In Settlement With Atty

    A former staff attorney with a mortgage company has accused the business of "bad faith" for purportedly trying to renegotiate the terms of a settlement to resolve her Texas state lawsuit alleging she was fired after she witnessed inappropriate sexual behavior by a deputy general counsel.

  • November 04, 2024

    Ogletree Adds Steptoe & Johnson Employment Pro In Texas

    Labor and employment firm Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart PC is expanding its Texas team, announcing Monday it is bringing in a Steptoe & Johnson PLLC litigator as a shareholder in its San Antonio office.

  • November 04, 2024

    Haynes Boone Hires 3 More RE Attys From Holland & Knight

    Haynes and Boone LLP has hired a trio of attorneys from Holland & Knight LLP in Dallas and Northern Virginia, saying Monday that their additions will complement the firm's real estate and finance offerings.

  • November 04, 2024

    Texas Rips Feds' 5th Circ. Bid To Revive Highway GHG Rule

    Texas is telling the Fifth Circuit there's no reason to disturb a district court's decision to vacate a Federal Highway Administration rule that called on states to set targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from federally funded highway projects.

  • November 04, 2024

    TGI Fridays Restaurant Chain Hits Ch. 11, Blaming Pandemic

    Casual dining chain TGI Fridays Inc. filed for Chapter 11 protection in Texas with nearly $151 million in debt, blaming the COVID-19 pandemic and its capital structure and planning a sale within two months.

  • November 03, 2024

    Philly DA Gets Remand Of Suit Over Musk's $1M 'Lottery'

    Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner's suit over Elon Musk's $1 million giveaway to voters in swing states has been sent back to where it started, with a Pennsylvania federal judge ruling Friday that the case belongs in state court.

  • November 01, 2024

    Wheeling & Appealing: The Latest Must-Know Appellate Action

    One circuit court will hold an oral argument for the history books, with dizzying logistics and stakes surpassing almost anything on the U.S. Supreme Court's calendar. Other circuit showdowns will delve into the high court's latest opinions and flesh out fascinating feuds involving big beer brands and emerging theories of "administrative state" overreach. All that and more is making November a month of exceptional appellate intrigue.

  • November 01, 2024

    Boeing Supplier Should Win Texas Probe Suit, Judge Says

    A magistrate judge on Friday recommended a Texas federal judge grant Spirit AeroSystems Inc.'s bid to permanently enjoin a Texas statute requiring businesses to immediately comply with the state's demand to examine business records, saying the statute is unconstitutional.

  • November 01, 2024

    Real Estate Recap: Election Expectations, EB-5, $50B PE Bet

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including perspectives from real estate leaders ahead of Tuesday's election, takeaways from the Advanced EB-5 Industry Conference in Miami, and two private equity firms' $50 billion bet on data center and energy generation projects.

  • November 01, 2024

    Elevance Says Flawed Medicare Rating System Cost It $375M

    Elevance Health Inc. has hit the Biden administration with a $375 million lawsuit in Texas federal court after the government slashed star ratings for its Medicare Advantage and Part D health plan contracts in the latest of multiple lawsuits by insurance companies challenging the government's rating system.

  • November 01, 2024

    Patent Case Sent To Albright Over Qualcomm's Objections

    A federal judge in Del Rio, Texas, agreed Friday to pass along a patent lawsuit to the crowded docket of fellow Western District of Texas U.S. District Judge Alan Albright, despite objections from Qualcomm Inc. that doing so went against the purpose behind efforts to limit the Waco judge's vast and controversial patent docket.

  • November 01, 2024

    Texas Justice Says Amici Should Get Say In Religion Case

    A Texas Supreme Court justice released a statement Friday saying the court should have granted First Liberty Institute's request for five minutes to argue its position in a case about religious freedom under the Lone Star State's constitution, saying help from an amici would be "sensible and advisable."

  • November 01, 2024

    5th Circ. Punts On Bid To Stay CFPB Small Biz Rule

    The Fifth Circuit said it won't immediately start tolling compliance deadlines for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's small business lending data collection rule and will reserve judgment on whether to stay the rule pending an appeal by the bank trade groups challenging it.

  • November 01, 2024

    IBM Settles $19.5M EDTX Case Over 'Blockchain' Software

    IBM told U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap on Friday that it has reached a settlement in principle with an Oklahoma litigation outfit that won a $19.5 million patent verdict from a federal jury in Marshall, Texas, back in September.

  • November 01, 2024

    Behind High Court's Rare Review Of 2nd Texas Capital Case

    Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court took up a case over a Texas inmate's right to new DNA testing his attorneys believe could save him from execution. It’s a rare move for the justices, who in recent years have pointedly stayed out of capital appeals.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Glassblowing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    I never expected that glassblowing would strongly influence my work as an attorney, but it has taught me the importance of building a solid foundation for your work, learning from others and committing to a lifetime of practice, says Margaret House at Kalijarvi Chuzi.

  • What 11th Circ. Fearless Fund Ruling Means For DEI In Courts

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    The Eleventh Circuit's recent backing of a freeze on the Fearless Fund's grants to women of color building new companies marks the latest major development in litigation related to diversity, equity and inclusion and may be used to question other DEI programs targeted at providing opportunities to certain classes of individuals, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • How Associates Can Build A Professional Image

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    As hybrid work arrangements become the norm in the legal industry, early-career attorneys must be proactive in building and maintaining a professional presence in both physical and digital settings, ensuring that their image aligns with their long-term career goals, say Lana Manganiello at Equinox Strategy Partners and Estelle Winsett at Estelle Winsett Professional Image Consulting.

  • Justices' Bump Stock Ruling Skirted Deference, Lenity Issues

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    Despite presenting a seemingly classic case on agency deference, the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last week in Garland v. Cargill did not mention the Chevron doctrine, and the opinion also overlooked whether agency interpretations of federal gun laws should ever receive deference given that they carry criminal penalties, say Tess Saperstein and John Elwood at Arnold & Porter.

  • Emerging Trends In ESG-Focused Securities Litigation

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    Based on a combination of shareholder pressure, increasing regulatory scrutiny and proposed rulemaking, there has been a proliferation of litigation over public company disclosures and actions regarding environmental, social, and governance factors — and the overall volume of such class actions will likely increase in the coming years, say attorneys at Mintz.

  • Firms Must Rethink How They Train New Lawyers In AI Age

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    As law firms begin to use generative artificial intelligence to complete lower-level legal tasks, they’ll need to consider new ways to train summer associates and early-career attorneys, keeping in mind the five stages of skill acquisition, says Liisa Thomas at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Next Steps After 5th Circ. Nixes Private Fund Adviser Rules

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    The Fifth Circuit's recent toss of key U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules regarding private fund advisers represents a setback for the regulator, but open questions, including the possibility of an SEC petition to the U.S. Supreme Court, mean it's still too early to consider the matter closed, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Always Be Closing

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    When a lawyer presents their case with the right propulsive structure throughout trial, there is little need for further argument after the close of evidence — and in fact, rehashing it all may test jurors’ patience — so attorneys should consider other strategies for closing arguments, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Deciphering SEC Disgorgement 4 Years After Liu

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    Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2020 decision in Liu v. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to preserve SEC disgorgement with limits, courts have continued to rule largely in the agency’s favor, but a recent circuit split over the National Defense Authorization Act's import may create hurdles for the SEC, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • Series

    Playing Chess Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    There are many ways that chess skills translate directly into lawyer skills, but for me, the bigger career lessons go beyond the direct parallels — playing chess has shown me the value of seeing gradual improvement in and focusing deep concentration on a nonwork endeavor, says attorney Steven Fink.

  • Litigation Inspiration: Attys Can Be Heroic Like Olympians

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    Although litigation won’t earn anyone an Olympic medal in Paris this summer, it can be worthy of the same lasting honor if attorneys exercise focused restraint — seeking both their clients’ interests and those of the court — instead of merely pursuing every advantage short of sanctionable conduct, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • What To Know As CFPB Late Fee Rule Hangs In Limbo

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    Though the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's final credit card late fee rule faces an uncertain future due to litigation involving injunctions, emergency petitions and now a venue dispute, card issuers must understand how to navigate the interim period and what to do if the rule takes effect, say attorneys at Steptoe.

  • Lean Into The 'Great Restoration' To Retain Legal Talent

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    As the “great resignation,” in which employees voluntarily left their jobs in droves, has largely dissipated, legal employers should now work toward the idea of a “great restoration,” adopting strategies to effectively hire, onboard and retain top legal talent, says Molly McGrath at Hiring & Empowering Solutions.

  • NY Combined Hearing Guidelines Can Shorten Ch. 11 Timeline

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    The Southern District of New York’s recently adopted guidelines on combining the processes for Chapter 11 plan confirmation and disclosure statement approval may shorten the Chapter 11 timeline for companies and reduce associated costs, say Robert Drain and Moshe Jacob at Skadden.

  • Opinion

    The FTC And DOJ Should Backtrack On RealPage

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    The antitrust agencies ought to reverse course on their enforcement actions against RealPage, which are based on a faulty legal premise, risk further property shortages and threaten the use of algorithms that are central to the U.S. economy, says Thomas Stratmann at George Mason University.

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