Tryon D. Lewis (R-Odessa), chairman of the Texas House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee, says lawyers should not expect sweeping legislation to come out of his committee this session. "Most of what we’re looking at is not really broad-based, not wholesale change, rather smaller things that have come up and need adjustment," says Lewis, a partner in Odessa’s Atkins, Hollman, Jones, Peacock, Lewis & Lyon who served on the committee during the two previous regular legislative sessions. As examples, the former state district judge cites likely proposals regulating litigation lending and addressing asbestos-related litigation in South Texas courts. "I don’t think it will be legislation that affects all lawyers," he says nothing on the order of the loser-pays legislation that lawmakers wrestled with two years ago. Lewis, though, adds a caveat to his predictions: "Having said that, I have to say, in the past, something has come up and thrown all the game plans we had at the beginning of a session out the window."
K&L Gates in Houston
K&L Gates opened an office in Houston on Feb. 11 with corporate partner Charles L. Strauss, who had been a partner in Fulbright & Jaworski in Houston and head of the firm’s securities practice group. K&L Gates, based in Pittsburgh, also has Texas offices in Austin, Dallas and Fort Worth. The Houston office is the firm’s 47th office. Mike Rick, associate director for PR and communications at K&L Gates, wrote in an email that neither Strauss nor Peter Kalis, chairman and global managing partner of K&L Gates, is available for comment on the new office. In a press release announcing the office, Strauss wrote that he is "very excited" to join K&L Gates and he looks forward to building an office in Houston. Kalis wrote that the firm is fortunate to have Strauss join the firm as founding partner in Houston. Dan McKenna, director of media relations for Fulbright, did not respond to a request for comment on Strauss’ departure.
