Texas

May 16, 2025
Justices Keep Pause On Some Venezuelan Removals

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday reasserted that the Trump administration cannot remove from the country alleged Venezuelan gang members who are currently detained in northern Texas under the Alien Enemies Act while they challenge the president's invocation of the 1798 wartime law.
May 16, 2025
Jackson Walker Criticizes JC Penney Fee Suit As 'Money Grab'

Jackson Walker LLP wants out of a fee suit brought by former client J.C. Penney, arguing that the bankrupt department store's wind-down debtors entered claims as a "leverage play and a money grab" after learning that a firm partner had engaged in a yearslong undisclosed relationship with a Texas bankruptcy judge.
May 16, 2025
5th Circ. Reverses Intervention Denial For Border Wall Cos.

A Texas federal judge erred when he refused to let several government contractors and the Sierra Club intervene in a lawsuit that blocked the use of border wall funding for anything other than new barrier construction, the Fifth Circuit ruled Thursday.
May 16, 2025
EEOC's Take On Trans Rights Conflicts With Law, Judge Says

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission exceeded its authority when it laid out its worker-friendly take on the U.S. Supreme Court's Bostock opinion, a Texas federal judge found, striking down parts of agency anti-harassment guidance that interpreted the landmark ruling's implications for gay and transgender workers.
May 15, 2025
Wayfair IT Contract Claims Must Be Arbitrated, Court Hears

An information technology firm has told a Texas federal judge that another IT provider must arbitrate its fraud suit against the firm stemming from their contract to provide software and hiring services to online retailer Wayfair LLC.
May 15, 2025
Investor Makes Deal With PE Fund In Fla. Suit Alleging Fraud

A Texas accountant has lodged a federal complaint alleging a Florida-based CEO of a private equity fund and two executives refused to return $1 million of his life savings after buying securities that produced virtually no income, although the parties on Thursday struck a tentative deal to have the lawsuit tossed.
May 15, 2025
Plaintiff's 'Total Victory' Forces End To Southwest Bias Suit

A Texas federal judge intends to issue a final judgment in a nonprofit's suit challenging an award program for Hispanic employees of Southwest Airlines Co., saying the "obstinate plaintiff" has already achieved total victory in the suit.
May 15, 2025
Oil Producer Says Hess Corp. Stiffed It To The Tune Of $69M

An Oklahoma-based independent oil producer claimed New York-based Hess Corp. spun a web of "self-dealing" agreements among its subsidiaries to charge inflated midstream service fees, telling a Texas federal court Hess drained it of up to $69 million in revenue it would have otherwise collected.
May 15, 2025
Apple Accused Of False IPhone AI Promises In 50-State Suit

Apple pulled a bait-and-switch on phone buyers when it promised that new artificial intelligence features would be available on the iPhone 16, despite knowing it hadn't yet developed those features, according to a sprawling proposed class action that brings claims under consumer protection laws in all 50 states.
May 15, 2025
X Wants $105M Video Patent Verdict Thrown Out

X Corp. said it wants to undo a Dallas jury's finding from last month that said it owed $105 million for infringing a startup company's video sharing patent, arguing a reasonable jury could not have found the single claim was worth that much.
May 15, 2025
Greenberg Traurig, Loeb Guiding $1.7B Acuren, NV5 Deal

Acuren Corp. said Thursday it will acquire NV5 Global Inc. in a cash-and-stock deal worth about $1.7 billion, combining two companies that serve key roles in infrastructure and industrial markets.
May 15, 2025
Texas Senate OKs Bill Allowing 1st Amend. Suits Against Bar

The Texas Senate has passed a bill prohibiting the state bar from creating policies that affect bar members' First Amendment rights.
May 15, 2025
Polsinelli Lands Alston & Bird Capital Markets Ace In Dallas

Polsinelli PC expanded its capital markets and commercial lending practice group Thursday with the addition of a partner of 13 years at Alston & Bird LLP bringing experience advising clients in the healthcare, telecommunications financial services and advanced manufacturing industries.
May 15, 2025
5th Circ. Says Samsung Must Face Battery Suit In Texas

A divided Fifth Circuit panel has revived a man's claims against South Korea-based Samsung SDI Co. Ltd. in a suit over an exploding e-cigarette battery, finding the company's marketing to industrial companies in Texas is enough of a connection to the state to grant jurisdiction.
May 15, 2025
Justices Say Context Matters When Evaluating Use Of Force

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday cleared the way for a civil rights lawsuit against a Houston-area traffic officer who shot and killed a fleeing man, ruling that courts must weigh the full sequence of events — not just the instant a threat arises — when deciding if police used excessive force.
May 14, 2025
Audit Firms Agree To $46M Deal Over Alleged GPB Fraud Ties

Several auditors of GPB Capital have agreed to pay $46 million to settle claims about their alleged role in the $1.8 billion GPB Capital-Ascendant Capital fraud scheme, which allegedly victimized approximately 15,000 investors.
May 14, 2025
Texas Appeals Court Asks If It Can Flip Arbitration Order

A Texas appeals court questioned Wednesday whether it can flip an order compelling several whistleblowers at the center of a $14 million settlement with JPMorgan Chase Bank NA into arbitration, saying it may not have jurisdiction.
May 14, 2025
HUD Allocates $1.1B For Tribal Affordable Housing Initiatives

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will allocate more than $1.1 billion in Indian Housing Block Grant funding to support affordable housing efforts in Native American tribal communities, HUD announced Tuesday.
May 14, 2025
Oilify Cleared Of Infringement In Oil Field Product Patent Suit

A Texas federal court has granted a win to the designer and distributor of a device used to separate gas and solids from oil collection in a suit accusing them of infringing a trio of patents.
May 14, 2025
5th Circ. Declines To Rehear SEC's Kroger Proxy Decision

The Fifth Circuit on Wednesday declined to rehear conservative shareholders' case against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over a shareholder proposal from Kroger Co.'s 2023 ballot, following a November opinion that rejected the shareholders' challenge.
May 14, 2025
Alex Jones Can't Duck $1B Sandy Hook Payout During Appeal

Infowars host Alex Jones cannot avoid a $1.3 billion defamation judgment favoring the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre while he crafts an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court in the hopes it accepts his final challenge to the record-breaking verdict, a Connecticut appeals court has ruled.
May 14, 2025
Texas Panel Says Ex-Cop's Phone Fair Game In Bribe Case

The highest criminal court of appeals in Texas ruled Wednesday that an ex-San Antonio police officer cannot suppress evidence found on a cell phone that prosecutors claim contains evidence of child pornography and that the officer had been accepting bribes.
May 14, 2025
Potential Jurors In IP Hot Spots Hold Mixed Views On Big Tech

A survey of possible jurors in popular courts for intellectual property cases has found their overall outlook on Big Tech to be largely positive, but also found that many believe that tech giants will swipe technology from smaller businesses and that they suppress competition.
May 14, 2025
Abbott Signs Bill Codifying Immunity For Corporate Execs

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday signed into state law a corporate reform bill that codifies the "business judgment rule," which provides immunity for corporate directors from personal liability for company decisions.
May 14, 2025
Risks Abound For Higher Ed As Top Court Ruling Turns 2

Since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in higher education admissions, schools around the country have been looking for innovative ways to achieve diversity on campus amid constant threats of additional litigation that could make them the next high-profile high court case.

Expert Analysis

Series

Exercising On My Peloton Bike Makes Me A Better Lawyer

While I originally came to the Peloton bike for exercise, one cycling instructor’s teachings have come to serve as a road map for practicing law thoughtfully and mindfully, which has opened opportunities for growth and change in my career, says Andrea Kirshenbaum at Littler.
Takeaways From SEC's Mixed Results In '24 Crypto Litigation

Though the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's new leadership seems likely to create a more favorable cryptocurrency regulatory environment, it must also confront the consequences of, and lingering questions raised by, the SEC's 2024 policy of investigating and charging cryptocurrency trading platforms for operating unregistered exchanges, say attorneys at Dechert.
Opinion

Aviation Watch: How Court Nixed Boeing Plea Deal Over DEI

A Texas federal court's rejection of the plea agreement between the U.S. Department of Justice and Boeing over the 737 Max aircraft gratuitously injected the court's views on diversity, equity and inclusion into a case that shouldn't have been a criminal matter in the first place, says Alan Hoffman, a retired attorney and aviation expert.
Reviewing The High Court's Approach To Free Speech Online

As the U.S. Supreme Court began addressing the interplay between the First Amendment and online social media platforms, its three opinions from last term show the justices adopting a nuanced approach that recognizes that private citizens, public employees and online platforms all have First Amendment rights, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.
Mich. Ruling Offers View On 'Occurrence' Coverage Definition

As demonstrated by a Michigan state court in its recent decision finding per-wound insurance coverage for a school shooting, the amount of coverage available under occurrence-based policies often depends on how courts interpret "occurrence," say attorneys at Hunton.
Exploring Venue Strategy For Trump-Era Regulatory Litigation

Litigation will likely play a prominent role in shaping policy outcomes during the second Trump administration, and stakeholders have several tools at their disposal to steer regulatory litigation toward more favorable venues, say attorneys at Covington.
5th Circ.'s Nasdaq Ruling Another Piece In DEI Policy Puzzle

The Fifth Circuit's recent en banc opinion vacating Nasdaq's board diversity listing rule wades into the hotly debated topic of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at a time when many public companies are navigating the attention that DEI commitments are drawing from activists and shareholders, say attorneys at Debevoise.
A Guide To Significant 2024 Data Broker Legal Developments

2024 saw notable developments in U.S. data broker regulation and enforcement, and this momentum will likely carry into 2025, despite hypothetical efforts to the contrary under the new administration, say attorneys at Frankfurt Kurnit.
Series

Playing Esports Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Competing in a global esports tournament at Wimbledon last year not only fulfilled my childhood dream, but also sharpened skills that are essential to my day job, including strategic thinking, confidence and networking, says AJ Schuyler at Jackson Lewis.
How Changes In State Gift Card Laws May Affect Cos. In 2025

2024 state legislative movements around the escheatment of unused gift card balances and consumer fraud protections should prompt issuers to consider whether changes in company domicile or blanket cash-back policies are needed in the new year, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.
An Associate's Guide To Career Development In 2025

As the new year begins, associates at all levels should consider establishing career metrics, fostering key relationships and employing other specific strategies to help move through the complexities of the legal profession with confidence and emerge as trailblazers, say EJ Stern and Amanda George at Fractional Law Firm.
What To Watch For In The 2025 Benefits Landscape

While planning for 2025, retirement plan sponsors and service providers should set their focus on phased implementation deadlines under both Secure 1.0 and 2.0, an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court ruling, and the fate of several U.S. Department of Labor regulations, says Allie Itami at Lathrop GPM.
The Justices' Securities Rulings, Dismissals That Defined '24

The U.S. Supreme Court's 2024 securities rulings led to increased success for defendants' price impact arguments, but the justices' decisions not to weigh in on important issues relating to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act's pleading requirements may be just as significant, say attorneys at Skadden.
Series

Fixing Up Cars Makes Me A Better Lawyer

From problem-solving to patience and adaptability to organization, the skills developed working under the hood of a car directly translate to being a more effective lawyer, says Christopher Mdeway at Kaufman Dolowich.
2024 Has Been A Momentous Year For ESG

Significant developments in the environmental, social and governance landscape this year include new legislation, evolving global frameworks, continued litigation and enforcement actions, and a U.S. Supreme Court decision that has already affected how lower courts have viewed some ESG challenges, say attorneys at Katten.