Expert Analysis

• Texas Rule Change Could Speed Trucking Case Dismissals

  

  The Texas Supreme Court's recent comprehensive amendments to Rule 166a, governing summary judgment procedure and standards in Texas state courts, will fundamentally reshape dispositive motion practice, permitting defendants in trucking cases to weaponize the rule against unwitting plaintiffs, and requiring more aggressive early discovery efforts, say attorneys at Hamilton Wingo.

• Drawing A Line Between Settlement Pressure And Extortion

  

  U.S. v. Luo, pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, may force courts to address anew when settlement negotiations become criminal extortion, particularly in the age of easily fabricated digital evidence, says attorney Denis Kiely.

• Responding To US Labeling Brazilian Gangs As Terrorist Orgs

  

  The Trump administration's recent designation of two Brazilian criminal organizations as foreign terrorists affects companies in multiple sectors that must now assess their exposure and enhance their sanctions, know-your-customer and anti-money-laundering screening programs, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

• Wire Fraud Ruling May Upend White Collar Enforcement

  

  A Texas federal court’s recent decision in U.S. v. Garza, dismissing wire fraud charges arising from an alleged $1 billion tax shelter scheme, advances a broader constitutional principle that could affect sentencing and reshape charging practices across white collar criminal cases involving specialized statutory regimes, say attorneys at Benesch.

• FTC Focus: Calibrating Biden-Era Issues In 2026's 1st Half

  

  In the first half of 2026, Federal Trade Commission actions have redefined which of the previous administration's theories it views as legally sustainable, institutionally worthwhile and consistent with a more restrained conception, including a pivot from rulemaking to case-specific noncompete enforcement this spring, say attorneys at Proskauer.

• A Lender's Guide To Fraud: Identifying Risks

  

  The evolving lending landscape, particularly the private credit boom, has heightened lenders' exposure to fraud, but recent bankruptcies demonstrate where fraud risks most commonly materialize and how banks can mitigate exposure at the outset, say attorneys at Moore & Van Allen.

• Series

  Founding An Autism Academy Made Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Starting a nonprofit autism school with no building, no funding model and no guarantee that families would trust us taught me the importance of mission, patience and purpose — lessons that sharpened my practice and showed how meaningful work outside the office can make lawyers better, says Phillip Russell at Ogletree Deakins.

• When Do Murals Qualify For IP Protection?

  

  Artist Robert Wyland recently sued FIFA for painting over his 1999 "Ocean Life" mural to make room for a World Cup promotion in Dallas, spotlighting questions over the extent to which copyright law and the Visual Artists Rights Act protect different types of art, say attorneys at Armstrong Teasdale.

• Texas AG's Payola Theory May Reach Beyond Music Platforms

  

  Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton recently issued investigative demands to five major music streaming platforms, appearing to invoke the payola concept as a consumer protection theory against the streaming business, a novel application that could extend to other companies monetizing on ranking, visibility or recommendation placement, say attorneys at Benesch.

• Opinion

  Rule Of Law Requires Gov't Engagement With Bar, Not Retreat

  

  A federal agency's absence from national and local bar conferences, most recently illustrated by the U.S. Department of Justice's withdrawal from a New York City Bar Association white collar conference, disserves the bar, the government lawyers themselves and, ultimately, the administration of justice, says Muhammad Faridi at Linklaters.

• The Paradoxical Duty To Adopt AI When You Can't Bill For It

  

  Both billing for hours saved using artificial intelligence and preserving billable time by not adopting AI may violate rules of professional conduct, but until bar associations' ethics rules catch up to this emerging economic dilemma, firms must decide how to adjust fee structures themselves, says Ines Lassalle at Peyrot & Associates.

• Trump Admin's Agency Records Purge Tests Judicial Notice

  

  While courts commonly take judicial notice of data in government websites and reports, the Trump administration's recent modification or wholesale deletion of these sources means that litigants must look elsewhere to support trial admission of this information, says Jon Gryskiewicz at Lewis Baach.

• Series

  Cow Horse Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Moving an unwilling 800-pound cow while riding a horse at high speed is exhilarating, a little unhinged and, at least for me, a surprisingly effective training ground for litigation — both demand focus, preparation over rigid planning and the willingness to act despite fear, says Ashley Zitrin at Glenn Agre.

• Opinion

  At High Court, Oil Cos.' Suncor Preemption Claims Fall Short

  

  In Suncor Energy v. Boulder County, pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, oil and gas companies argue that municipalities' climate deception claims are equivalent to emissions standards for their industry — but the suit is ultimately incapable of imposing such standards, say Thomas McGarity at the University of Texas School of Law and James Goodwin at the Center for Progressive Reform.

• Checking For AI Errors Is Now A Two-Way Street

  

  A handful of recent federal and state cases demonstrate the importance of checking for errors generated by artificial intelligence not only in your own court submissions, but also your opponent's, as well as when catching opposing counsel's AI mistakes could result in an award for attorney fees, says Tamara Barago at Hollingsworth.