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Texas
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May 21, 2024
Bottini & Bottini Gets Atty Fee Suit Sent To Arbitration
A Texas attorney must arbitrate his $730,000 fee suit against Bottini & Bottini Inc., a federal judge in the Lone Star State has ordered, finding the settlement agreement underlying the lawyer's claims included a binding arbitration clause despite the attorney not personally signing the document.
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May 21, 2024
Locke Lord Adds Wealth Pro In Dallas From Atwood & McCall
Locke Lord LLP has picked up a new partner with a diverse tax and estate planning background for its private wealth practice group in Dallas from Atwood & McCall.
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May 21, 2024
Strategic Hiring Was The New Normal For BigLaw In 2023
The 400 largest law firms by headcount in the U.S. grew more slowly in 2023 than in the previous two years, while Kirkland & Ellis LLP surpassed the 3,000-attorney threshold, according to the latest Law360 ranking.
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May 21, 2024
The Law360 400: Tracking The Largest US Law Firms
The legal market expanded more tentatively in 2023 than in previous years amid a slowdown in demand for legal services, especially in transactions, an area that has been sluggish but is expected to quicken in the near future.
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May 21, 2024
Construction Groups Press To Halt DOL Prevailing Wage Rule
The U.S. Department of Labor's final rule regulating prevailing wages under the Davis-Bacon Act creates tangible damage and a Texas federal court should stop it, a group of construction groups suing the department said.
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May 21, 2024
Contractor For Exxon, QatarEnergy LNG Venture Hits Ch. 11
The general contractor for a liquefied natural gas project co-owned by Exxon Mobil Corp. and QatarEnergy filed for Chapter 11 protection in Texas bankruptcy court Tuesday with more than $1 billion of debt, saying it intends to use the court process to back out of the Texas venture.
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May 21, 2024
Texas Oil Co. Sues To Challenge Colo. Regulators' $23M Fine
A Texas oil and gas company accused Colorado regulators of failing to properly serve violation notices and imposing an "excessive" $23.2 million fine contrary to the rights set forth in the state and U.S. constitutions, in a complaint filed in Colorado state court.
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May 20, 2024
Crypto Groups Move To Ditch 'Irrational' SEC Dealer Rule
A pair of crypto industry groups suing the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over its expansion of the dealer definition have asked a Texas federal judge to grant them a win in the suit and cut down the "unexplained and irrational rulemaking" they claim violated the rulemaking process.
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May 20, 2024
CoStar, Hotel Giants Defend Benchmarking In Price-Fixing Suit
CoStar Group Inc. and a contingent of big-name hotels have asked a Washington federal judge to toss an antitrust lawsuit claiming the hotel operators share industry analytics to inflate luxury hotel room prices, arguing the proposed class action is riddled with legal defects.
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May 20, 2024
Texas Atty Chided For 'Crappy Strategy' Of Ducking Subpoena
A transplant surgeon at Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center accused of tampering with patients' donor acceptance criteria failed to show up to a Houston court hearing — partly thanks to his attorney — in three families' wrongful death case after being subpoenaed, in what a Harris County judge told his attorney was "a crappy strategy."
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May 20, 2024
Texas Judge Rescinds Denial Of SpaceX's Rethink Bid
A Texas federal judge on Monday walked back his decision last week not to reconsider an order transferring SpaceX's National Labor Relations Board constitutionality dispute to a California court, saying he is "awaiting input from the Fifth Circuit."
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May 20, 2024
SEC Says Firm Broke Short-Selling Rules During Pandemic
An Austin, Texas-based trading firm has agreed to pay $1.5 million as part of a deal to end U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission claims it unlawfully bought follow-on offering shares of companies it had just shorted, including those of cruise ship companies bruised by 2020 COVID-19 outbreaks.
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May 20, 2024
Tesla Pushes Charging Station Patent Suit Out Of Texas
Despite Elon Musk's decision to move the headquarters of his company to the Western District of Texas, Tesla was able to persuade a federal judge in Austin to send an infringement suit targeting its charging stations to California, where the company was previously based.
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May 20, 2024
Texas' Naive Witness 'Unacceptable' In Google Ad Tech Suit
A judge overseeing a Texas-led lawsuit accusing Google of anti-competitive conduct in the display advertising market has ordered the attorneys general bringing the litigation to provide an adequate witness who can speak to certain facts about the investigation, calling their failure to do so "puzzling and unacceptable."
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May 20, 2024
5th Circ. Halts Texas County's Electioneering Rules
The Fifth Circuit paused new electioneering rules in Palo Pinto County, Texas, on Sunday, the day before the start of early voting for a local primary runoff election, handing a victory to conservative groups that sought to strike down county rules limiting how they could electioneer outside polling locations.
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May 20, 2024
Biofuel Groups Urge High Court To Undo 5th Circ. Ruling
Two biofuel trade associations called on the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to review a Fifth Circuit decision vacating the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's denial of small refiners' requests for exemptions from their renewable-fuel program obligations, highlighting a split with five other circuit courts.
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May 20, 2024
Nonprofits Renew Bid To Enter Red States' Border Wall Suit
Two nonprofits urged a Texas federal court to add them to a challenge to the Biden administration's plans to use border wall appropriations for remediation projects, saying they were shocked by the administration's acceptance of an order suspending the plan.
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May 20, 2024
7-Eleven Says Insurer Must Cover Wrongful Death Suit
The insurer of a Houston 7-Eleven lessee facing negligence claims after one person was fatally shot and another was injured on its property must also cover 7-Eleven corporate in the litigation, the convenience store giant said, though conceding the lessee store's policy didn't specifically include 7-Eleven as an additional insured.
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May 20, 2024
Stanley Black & Decker Nixes $3.8M Factory Equipment Suit
Stanley Black & Decker Inc. has dropped a $3.8 million lawsuit against a supplier that it accused of providing faulty equipment for a factory in Texas that ultimately shut down, according to a filing in Connecticut federal court.
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May 20, 2024
Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court
Delaware was full of drama last week, as proposed changes to the state's corporate law statutes raised eyebrows and a professor's friend-of-the-court brief sparked a very unfriendly public exchange. Delaware's court of equity banged the gavel on pipeline and social media disputes, and shareholders filed new suits alleging insider trading, vote bungling, unfair stock buybacks and merger shenanigans. In case you missed any of it, here's the recap of all the top news last week from Delaware's Chancery Court.
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May 20, 2024
Atty Wants In On Ch. 11 Pause In Fraud Suit Against Law Firm
A Houston attorney being sued for alleged misconduct in soliciting hurricane victims has asked a federal court to include him in a bankruptcy-triggered pause in the proceedings against his law firm, arguing that any judgment against him would effectively be against the law firm.
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May 20, 2024
BakerHostetler Hires Baker Botts Crisis Expert In Houston
BakerHostetler announced Monday that it has tapped an energy-savvy litigator to lead its new catastrophic accident response team who came aboard in Houston from Baker Botts LLP.
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May 20, 2024
High Court Skips Fight Over 'Impossible' TM Name
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined a cert petition from Illinois-based marketing consulting firm Impossible X LLC, which had asked the justices to review a Ninth Circuit ruling that revived a trademark complaint against it from veggie-burger maker Impossible Foods Inc.
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May 20, 2024
Davis Polk, Wachtell Guide $2B SouthState Banking Deal
Florida-based SouthState Corp. said Monday it has agreed to purchase Texas-based Independent Bank Group Inc. in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $2 billion, with Davis Polk and Wachtell steering the regional lenders on the deal.
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May 17, 2024
Real Estate Authority: Loan Doctors, CFIUS, Mixed-Use Boom
Catch up on the week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including potential conflicts of interest in special servicing, a data center buy stymied by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, and one hospitality pro's prediction for more mixed-use residential and hotel demand.
Expert Analysis
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Opinion
Newman Suspension Shows Need For Judicial Reform
The recent suspension of U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman following her alleged refusal to participate in a disability inquiry reveals the need for judicial misconduct reforms to ensure that judges step down when they can no longer serve effectively, says Aliza Shatzman at The Legal Accountability Project.
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How 2 Cases Could Undermine The Anti-ESG Movement
A decision from a federal court in Texas and another case currently making its way through Missouri federal court signal an emerging judicial recognition of the link between environmental, social and governance considerations and maximizing financial returns, say Amy Roy and Robert Skinner at Ropes & Gray.
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5th Circ. Ruling Shows Need For Proffer Terms Negotiation
The Fifth Circuit’s recent U.S. v. Shah decision, holding that a defendant breached his proffer agreement, illustrates why defense attorneys should insist on negotiating the terms of such agreements with prosecutors to protect their clients at trial, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.
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How And Why Your Firm Should Implement Fixed-Fee Billing
Amid rising burnout in the legal industry and client efforts to curtail spending, pivoting to a fixed-fee billing model may improve client-attorney relationships and offer lawyers financial, logistical and stress relief — while still maintaining profit margins, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
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Opinion
Judicial Independence Needs Defense Amid Political Threats
Amid recent and historic challenges to the judiciary from political forces, safeguarding judicial independence and maintaining the integrity of the legal system is increasingly urgent, says Robert Peck at the Center for Constitutional Litigation.
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How Law Firms Can Use Account-Based Marketing Strategies
Amid several evolving legal industry trends, account-based marketing can help law firms uncover additional revenue-generating opportunities with existing clients, with key considerations ranging from data analytics to relationship building, say Jennifer Ramsey at stage LLC and consultant Gina Sponzilli.
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Strategic Succession Planning At Law Firms Is Crucial
Senior partners' reluctance to retire, the rise of the nonequity partner tier and generational differences in expectations are all contributing to an increasing number of departures from BigLaw, making it imperative for firms to encourage retirement among senior ranks and provide clearer leadership pathways to junior attorneys, says Laura Leopard at Leopard Solutions.
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2nd Circ. OT Ruling Guides On Pay For Off-The-Clock Work
While the Second Circuit’s recent holding in Perry v. City of New York reiterated that the Fair Labor Standards Act obligates employers to pay overtime for off-the-clock work, it recognized circumstances, such as an employee’s failure to report, that allow an employer to disclaim the knowledge element that triggers this obligation, say Robert Whitman and Kyle Winnick at Seyfarth.
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FTC's Health Co. Suit Indicates Agency's Private Equity Focus
The Federal Trade Commission's latest lawsuit against an anesthesia company and its private equity investor highlights the agency's willingness to regulate the health care industry even when relevant acquisitions are relatively dated or when the controlling entity's economic interest is under 50%, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.
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Cases Linking Baby Food, Autism Pose Causation Challenges
Major baby food producers are now in the crosshairs of regulators, consumer advocates and plaintiffs attorneys over allegations their products contain heavy metals that harm children's development — but it will be difficult for plaintiffs to establish causation, as shown by the lengthy court battles over tobacco and talc, says Vineet Dubey at Custodio & Dubey.
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Top 4 Antitrust Enforcement Issues In Health Care Today
The Federal Trade Commission's recent lawsuit against U.S. Anesthesia Partners exemplifies antitrust enforcement authorities' efforts to aggressively reshape the health care industry, ranging from new proposed rules to withdrawals of previous guidance, say attorneys at Fried Frank.
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Maximizing Law Firm Profitability In Uncertain Times
As threats of an economic downturn loom, firms can boost profits by embracing the power of bottom-line management and creating an ecosystem where strategic financial oversight and robust timekeeping practices meet evolved client relations, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.
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End To CFPB's Discrimination Rule Is A Boon To Industry
A Texas federal court's recent order, which vacated revisions to a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau manual that expanded its authority to punish purported discriminatory practices, provides much-needed relief to covered entities that experienced increased regulatory uncertainty and compliance costs under the updated standards, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.
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5th Circ. Ruling Reminds Attys That CBP Can Search Devices
The Fifth Circuit’s recent Malik v. Department of Homeland Security decision adds to the chorus of federal courts holding that border agents don’t need a warrant to search travelers’ electronic devices, so attorneys should consider certain special precautions to secure privileged information when reentering the U.S., says Jennifer Freel at Jackson Walker.
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Enforcement Of International Tax Reporting Is Heating Up
Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s February decision in Bittner v. U.S. changed how penalties for failure to report offshore accounts are calculated, recent developments suggest the government is preparing to step up enforcement and vigorously pursue the collection of resulting penalties, say Daniel Silva and Agustin Ceballos at Buchalter.