Texas

  • September 05, 2024

    PE Firm Argues Tossing of FTC Case Also Ends Workers' Suit

    The dismissal of a government antitrust action against Welsh Carson Anderson & Stowe warrants the dismissal of a second lawsuit brought by a Houston workers' benefit fund since the complaint is "unapologetically based" on the parallel Federal Trade Commission action, the private equity firm told a Houston federal judge in a hearing Thursday.

  • September 05, 2024

    Texas Bank Ordered To Boost AML Compliance For Crypto Biz

    The Federal Reserve has told a Texas institution to shore up "significant deficiencies" in its risk management and anti-money laundering procedures as they relate to crypto customers, among other concerns.

  • September 05, 2024

    CrowdStrike Brass Face Investor Suit Over Global Outage

    Executives and directors of global cybersecurity company CrowdStrike have been hit with a shareholder derivative suit alleging that they overstated the capabilities of the company's technology that eventually caused a massive disruption over the summer when its system crashed.

  • September 05, 2024

    Texas Judge Extends Block On DHS Spousal Parole Program

    A Texas federal judge Wednesday denied the Biden administration's bid to lift a soon-to-expire pause on issuing parole under its new program for certain U.S. citizens' relatives seeking green cards while in the U.S., extending the temporary stay for another 14 days.

  • September 05, 2024

    Placid Oil Tells 5th Circ. It's Clear Of Contamination Claims

    Placid Oil told a Fifth Circuit panel that previous bankruptcy proceedings cleared it of contamination claims on a Louisiana property, saying during oral arguments Thursday that language in the contract calling it a party to the surface lease agreement didn't count as an assignment.

  • September 05, 2024

    Green Groups Fight Red State AGs' Attack On Civil Rights Regs

    Environmental and civil rights groups are opposing a petition filed by attorneys general from 23 primarily Republican-led states demanding that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency roll back civil rights regulations that prohibit actions that may unintentionally affect racial groups in different ways.

  • September 05, 2024

    5th Circ. Rejects Overtime For Highly Paid Oil Rig Workers

    A group of reamers for an oil and gas company aren't entitled to overtime under federal law because they are paid an annual salary and performed exempt duties, a Fifth Circuit panel ruled, affirming a lower court's decision.

  • September 05, 2024

    EPA Asks To End Texas, Okla. Air Plan Fight Due To Lost Docs

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is asking the Fifth Circuit to vacate its challenged 2016 rule that partially disapproved regional haze plans created by Texas and Oklahoma and imposed a federal plan, having lost key records needed to justify its decisions.

  • September 05, 2024

    EPA Issues Carbon Sequestration Well Permits In Texas

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued draft permits to Oxy Low Carbon Ventures LLC for three proposed carbon sequestration wells, marking the first time the agency has issued such permits in the state of Texas.

  • September 05, 2024

    Two Sentenced To Prison In $111M Tax Fraud Scheme

    Two members of a crime ring who admitted to participating in a $111 million tax fraud scheme involving stealing the identities of accountants and taxpayers were sentenced to prison, according to Texas federal court documents.

  • September 05, 2024

    Feds Ask Justices For 'GVR' In Abortion Guidance Case

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is urging the nation's high court to simultaneously grant its certiorari petition, vacate a Fifth Circuit decision blocking guidance for hospitals to provide emergency abortions, and remand the case to lower courts in light of new developments. 

  • September 05, 2024

    Debevoise, Cravath Steer Verizon's $20B Frontier Takeover

    Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is guiding Verizon Communications Inc. on a deal disclosed Thursday that will see the telecommunications giant absorb Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP-advised Frontier Communications at a $20 billion enterprise value. 

  • September 04, 2024

    SEC Lets Deadline Pass For 5th Circ. Private Funds Appeal

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission won't challenge a Fifth Circuit decision that vacated its recently passed disclosure rules for private fund advisers, taking no action as its deadline to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court passed.

  • September 04, 2024

    Albertsons Denied Texas Court Remand In Opioid MDL

    An Ohio federal judge overseeing multidistrict litigation over accusations that drug distributors contributed to the opioid epidemic denied a motion to transfer to Texas a portion of the dispute involving pharmacy company Albertsons.

  • September 04, 2024

    Who Wore '8' Better? Jackson, Aikman Locked In TM Battle

    Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is banking his popularity will make consumers think of him when they see the number "8" on products he sells, but a beer company associated with Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman — who wore the same jersey number — doesn't see it that way, as the players square off in a trademark fight.

  • September 04, 2024

    Universal Service Fund's End Called Crushing For Broadband

    A rural telecom trade association is warning of skyrocketing rates and provider loan defaults if the U.S. Supreme Court upholds a Fifth Circuit decision to end the Universal Service Fund as it's currently constructed, citing internal survey findings that 68% of responding telecoms would cancel broadband deployment projects next year.

  • September 04, 2024

    Dynapass Drops Patent Suit Against Bank Of America

    A litigation outfit has agreed to drop its patent infringement allegations against Bank of America, ending a lawsuit in the Eastern District of Texas over the programming behind user-authentication software.

  • September 04, 2024

    CommScope Must Pay $5.4M Atop $11M IP Verdict

    A Texas federal judge has ordered North Carolina network infrastructure business CommScope Holding Co. Inc. and its related companies to pay $5.4 million in addition to the $11 million in patent infringement damages CommScope already must pay to a licensing company that prevailed in its claims asserting six patents.

  • September 04, 2024

    Marathon Faces Wrongful Death Suit Over Refinery Explosion

    The family of a Texas machinist who burned to death in a refinery explosion is suing Marathon Petroleum Co. and others, claiming their shoddy build, maintenance and management of the facility caused the catastrophic failure.

  • September 04, 2024

    2011 Case Bars Houston Strip Club's Fee Row, 5th Circ. Told

    The Texas Comptroller told a Fifth Circuit panel Wednesday that a Houston strip club's challenge to a new state law that would increase a fee imposed on customers of sexually oriented businesses is barred by a decade-old court decision upholding the legislature's initial enactment of the fee.

  • September 04, 2024

    Customs Suspects Biz Of Skipping Duties On Chinese Imports

    U.S. Customs and Border Protection has instructed a chemical company to pay duties on Chinese-origin glycine imported from Malaysia, saying it had reason to believe the company was importing the amino acid through Malaysia to avoid paying tariffs on Chinese-origin glycine.

  • September 04, 2024

    FCC Sued In 5th Circ. Over Wi-Fi Plan For Schools, Libraries

    A couple who run an anti-cyberbullying nonprofit are suing the Federal Communications Commission in the Fifth Circuit over its new rules to subsidize Wi-Fi service for school and library users off campus, saying the subsidy violates limits built into the law that created the E-Rate program.

  • September 04, 2024

    Steward Health Gets OK To Sell Mass. Hospitals For $343M

    A Texas bankruptcy judge on Wednesday approved Steward Health Care's $343 million sale of six of its Massachusetts hospitals and new funding that will help the company keep its facilities in the Bay State operating.

  • September 04, 2024

    LinkedIn Speech Not Covered By Labor Law, 5th Circ. Told

    A logistics company told a Fifth Circuit panel during oral arguments Wednesday that an employee who was fired for allegedly disparaging comments made over LinkedIn wasn't protected under labor law, although the panel pointed out that an employee can take protected wage complaints to outside parties.

  • September 04, 2024

    NFL Kicker Gets Sexual Assault Suit Tossed, For Now

    A suit accusing former NFL kicker Brandon McManus of sexually assaulting two flight attendants on a team charter flight last year has been dismissed by a Florida state judge, with leave for the women to refile under their real names, which their attorney plans to do soon.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • Opinion

    Bankruptcy Judges Can Justly Resolve Mass Tort Cases

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    Johnson & Johnson’s recent announcement of a prepackaged reorganization plan for its talc unit highlights that Chapter 11 is a continually evolving living statute that can address new types of problems with reorganization, value and job preservation, and just treatment for creditors, says Kenneth Rosen at Ken Rosen Advisors PC.

  • Series

    Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Atop the list of ways fishing makes me a better lawyer is the relief it offers from the chronic stress of a demanding caseload, but it has also improved my listening skills and patience, and has served as an exceptional setting for building earnest relationships, says Steven DeGeorge​​​​​​​ at Robinson Bradshaw.

  • 5th Circ. Venue-Transfer Cases Highlight Mandamus Limits

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    Three ongoing cases filed within the Fifth Circuit highlight an odd procedural wrinkle that may let district courts defy an appellate writ: orders granting transfer to out-of-circuit districts, but parties opposing intercircuit transfer can work around this hurdle to effective appellate review, says Charles Fowler at McKool Smith.

  • A Healthier Legal Industry Starts With Emotional Intelligence

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    The legal profession has long been plagued by high rates of mental health issues, in part due to attorneys’ early training and broader societal stereotypes — but developing one’s emotional intelligence is one way to foster positive change, collectively and individually, says attorney Esperanza Franco.

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