News

Will the $4.7B Talc Verdict Hold Up on Appeal?

Max Mitchell | July 13, 2018

The nearly $4.7 billion verdict that a St. Louis jury handed down Thursday against Johnson & Johnson over its talcum powder was by far the largest verdict seen out of a litigation that has already produced several eye-catching wins for plaintiffs.

News

Texas Lawyer Announces Finalists for Its 2018 Attorney of the Year

Heather Nevitt | July 13, 2018

Texas Lawyer is proud to announce the finalists for our 2018 Attorney of the Year as part of the Professional Excellence Awards.

News

Republican AGs Urge Speedy Confirmation of Trump SCOTUS Pick

Katheryn Tucker | July 12, 2018

“As the chief legal officers of our states, we write to urge the United States Senate to promptly hold a hearing on and confirm the nomination of Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court of the United States."

News

Fifth Circuit Reverses Green-Lighting of Civil Claim Over Police Dog Bites

John Council | July 12, 2018

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has reversed a ruling permitting a civil claim against a K-9 police officer for excessive force for allowing his Belgian Malinois to continue biting an arrestee after he’d already surrendered.

News

AIA Patent Invalidations Aren't a 'Taking,' DOJ Insists

Scott Graham | July 11, 2018

Issued patents are only presumed valid, so owners are on notice of potential invalidity proceedings, the government contends before the Court of Federal Claims.

News

$1M Negligence Award to Women Sexually Assaulted in Apartment Reversed

John Council | July 11, 2018

Dallas’ Fifth Court of Appeals has reversed a $1 million jury award to two women sexually assaulted by an intruder who came into their apartment through a window with a faulty latch.

News

Speculation Ends as Kirkland Officially Launches Dallas Office

Roy Strom | July 11, 2018

Kirkland & Ellis is expanding its operations in Texas after hiring a half-dozen lawyers from three rival Am Law 100 firms in Dallas. Kirkland also raided Latham & Watkins in Houston for the co-chair of its oil and gas team.

News

New Survey Finds Public Service Law Salaries Dwarfed By Big Law Pay

Karen Sloan | July 11, 2018

Starting pay for public defenders, local prosecutors and public interest attorneys hovers around $50,000, and pay increases have been slow in recent years, according to a new survey from the National Association for Law Placement.

Texas Lawyer Announces Its Professional Excellence Honorees

Heather Nevitt | July 10, 2018

Texas Lawyer is proud to announce the winners of our 2018 Professional Excellence Awards including Lifetime Achiever, Best Mentors and On the Rise.

Picking Up Immigrants on Roadside Gets South Texas Lawyer Arrested

John Council | July 10, 2018

Armando Treviño and his two passengers, who said they had paid a smuggler $2,500 each but were abandoned after they crossed the Rio Grande, were arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents.

Trump Picks Brett Kavanaugh, Conservative Stalwart on DC Circuit, for Supreme Court

Tony Mauro | July 09, 2018

In picking the 53-year-old Brett Kavanaugh of the D.C. Circuit, Trump opted for a hard-to-defeat nominee whose Ivy League credentials are similar to those of Neil Gorsuch, the president's first Supreme Court nominee. Kavanaugh is a Washington-area native who has ruled to dial back federal agencies and broaden gun rights.

Three Texas Firms Land On The American Lawyer's Pro Bono Scorecard

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | July 09, 2018

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld lawyers in the U.S. averaged 93.5 pro bono hours in 2017.

Commentary

For Solicitor General Noel Francisco, It Was a Banner SCOTUS Term

Ken Starr| July 09, 2018

The SG’s perfect record in switch-in-position cases demonstrates the triumph of ideas and principles that capture the essence of any administration.

In-N-Out Burger Can't Ban Workers' 'Fight for $15' Pins, Fifth Circuit Rules

John Council | July 09, 2018

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has upheld a National Labor Relations Board decision holding that In-N-Out Burger is in violation of labor law for banning its employees from wearing pins to show solidarity with a movement to raise the minimum wage.

Chipotle, Texas and Nevada Defend Sanctions Against Plaintiffs Firms in Labor Suit

Mike Scarcella | July 09, 2018

The three plaintiffs firms, Nevada and Texas said in their Fifth Circuit brief, "should have to take the bitter with the sweet—if they want to piggyback on a rule issued by a federal agency, then they should not be allowed to complain that an injunction against that agency involving that rule affects them also."

News

AG Paxton Leads 11-State Coalition in Brief to Prevent Abortions

Katheryn Tucker | July 06, 2018

“The Constitution does not confer the right to an elective abortion on unlawfully-present aliens with virtually no ties to the country,” Paxton said in a brief.

News

Litigator of the Week: Houston Lawyer Scores $622M Win Against Petrobras in Arbitration

John Council | July 06, 2018

Huge plaintiff awards are usually associated with jury verdicts in Texas. But sometimes they can come without one, as Houston litigator Karl Stern can attest after he recently convinced an arbitration panel to award $622 million against Brazil state-owned oil company Petrobras for breaking a contract with his client.

Watch Your Back, Counselor! It’s the Law Firm Threatdown

Vanessa Blum | Leigh Jones | July 06, 2018

From the Big 4 to rivals next door, our latest Legal Speak podcast investigates the biggest threats to law firms in the modern legal economy.

News

CVR Energy Brings on New GC Amid Corporate Consolidation

Kristen Rasmussen | July 06, 2018

Melissa Buhrig has been working in-house in the refining sector for nearly 13 years, most recently as EVP, GC and secretary at Tennessee-based Delek US Holdings Inc.

News

5 Firms Working on Deal for Dell Technologies to Go Public Again

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | July 05, 2018

Dell Technologies will offer a new class of public common stock in exchange for the tracking stock.

News

Fifth Circuit Criticizes Houston Federal Judge for Alleged Sexist Remarks

John Council | July 05, 2018

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit criticized U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes in a recent decision after he apparently attributed a female…

News

In Texas, the Legal Market Isn't What it Used to Be

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | July 05, 2018

Leaders of Texas firms are fighting to keep lawyers from defecting to the many firms opening or expanding in Texas. It isn't easy.

Expert Opinion

Associates, Don’t Let Salary Hikes Become Your Faustian Bargain

Jay Harrington| July 05, 2018

Make no mistake, young lawyers. These raises are very much part of a calculated plan.

News

2 Texas Firms Rank Among Top 25 on 'Women in Law Scorecard'

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | July 03, 2018

Austin-based Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson and Dallas-based Thompson, Coe, Cousins & Irons ranked among the U.S. firms with the highest percentages of women lawyers and partners.

News

EEOC Accuses Halliburton of Subjecting Muslim Workers to Hostile Workplace

Erin Mulvaney | July 03, 2018

“Passivity in the face of this kind of abuse is certainly enough for an employer to be held accountable, but the participation by supervisors in the mean-spirited degradation of an employee’s ethnic heritage and faith is unconscion­able as well as unlawful,” the EEOC said in its complaint.

News

State AGs Move for Swift Discovery in Lawsuit Over Families Separated at Border

Dan M. Clark | July 03, 2018

The attorneys general filed a motion for expedited discovery in Washington’s Western District Monday, along with 99 declarations from people involved with or affected by the separation policy.

News

Appellate Lawyer of the Week: Houston Attorney Beats School District at Fifth Circuit in Strip Search Case

John Council | July 03, 2018

After an assistant principal allegedly ordered a mass suspicionless strip search of 22 preteen sixth grade girls in an attempt to locate $50, two of their mothers sued the school district, only to see their case dismissed by a federal judge—even though all parties agreed the search violated the girls’ constitutional rights.

News

State Files Motion to Dismiss NRA's Viewpoint Discrimination Suit

Colby Hamilton | July 03, 2018

The motion to dismiss, filed by Attorney General Barbara Underwood's office, claims the targeting of unlawful insurance practices by the state has had no impact on the gun group's speech ability.

News

Preparation Tips to Ensure Business Continuity in the Event of a Disaster

Angela Morris| July 03, 2018

In the midst of a hurricane season capable of producing half a dozen or so hurricanes, having a disaster recovery plan is tantamount for firms operating on the East Coast and gulf—whether you’re a solo lawyer or a big law firm.

News

Texas AG Warns 11 Cities Not to Ban Plastic Bags

Katheryn Tucker | July 03, 2018

“The Texas Supreme Court declared that banning single-use plastic bags is illegal. Municipalities ignoring this law are unlawfully passing their duty to manage solid waste on to their residents and retailers in violation of settled Texas law,” AG Ken Paxton says.

News

Maxell Wins $43M in Smartphone Patent Dispute With ZTE

Scott Graham | July 02, 2018

A Texarkana jury gave Maxell all the damages it asked for, plus a finding of willfulness.

Glasscock Greenlights Indemnification Claims Against Dallas-Based Investment Firm

Tom McParland | July 02, 2018

The Delaware Court of Chancery has allowed a former partner at Highland Capital Management to proceed with indemnification claims against the Dallas-based investment manager in a case seeking to recover $2.6 million he said he is owed from previous litigation in Texas.

News

K&L Gates Hires 2 Energy Lawyers in Houston

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | July 02, 2018

Robert George and Edmundo de la Fuente previously worked at Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle. Their move means Curtis no longer has any Houston-based lawyers.

News

Fifth Circuit OKs Ex-Nurse's Suit Against Assisted Living Center Over Assault by Dementia Patient

John Council | July 02, 2018

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has allowed a nurse at an assisted living center to sue her former employer for fostering a hostile workplace environment after she was allegedly assaulted repeatedly by a resident who suffers from dementia.

Firm Mergers Near Record Pace at Midyear Point

Scott Flaherty | July 02, 2018

The first six months of 2018 has seen 51 law firm mergers, including 21 in the most recent quarter.

Newsmakers: Week of July 2, 2018

Mary Alice Salmon| July 02, 2018

Mark Oakes was appointed partner-in-charge of Norton Rose Fulbright’s Austin office.

July 2018 Issue

Texas Lawyer| July 01, 2018

July 2018

News

Vinson & Elkins, Akin Gump Lawyers Power $350M Solar Energy Deal

John Council | June 29, 2018

Lawyers from Vinson & Elkins represented Goldman Sachs’ renewable energy fund in its purchase of $350 million worth of solar energy assets from South Jersey Industries (SJI), which was advised by a team of attorneys from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld.

Let These Incidents Serve as a Cautionary Tale About Practicing Law While Drinking

John G. Browning| June 29, 2018

The practice of law has always been one of the most widely respected and vital professions in our country. Yet it has also been well-documented that a significant percentage of lawyers struggle with alcoholism and/or substance abuse, depression, and other mental health concerns.

What Legal Risks Are Posed by the Internet of Things?

Sheryl Falk and Serge Jorgenson| June 29, 2018

We live surrounded by the Internet of Things, or more simply put, connected devices. They know what temperature to heat our rooms, what time we get out…

Cyber Crime and the Standard of Care

James W. Walker| June 29, 2018

Protecting the confidentiality of communications and client-sourced documents can prove challenging in an age of routine cyberattacks.

Ten Golden Nuggets in Dividing Retirement Plans in Divorce

Charla H. Bradshaw| June 29, 2018

Whether the retirement order is outsourced, or provided by the divorce attorney, the divorce attorney is responsible that the order not only gets done, but that it qualifies with the retirement plan.

Work Matters: Understanding the Cultural Zeitgeist and How it Affects the Law

Michael P. Maslanka| June 29, 2018

While a cultural zeitgeist doesn’t always translate into a legal ones, the second needs the first in order to flourish.

Parental Alienation In Child Custody Cases

Robert S. Hoffman and Jennie R. Smith| June 29, 2018

While parental alienation has always existed, only recently have family courts begun to take notice of the issue when it occurs, to recognize that it is profoundly harmful to any child or children caught in the middle of a custody case, and to understand that serious measures must be taken to remedy the situation.

Texas Tie Ups Lead Busy 2nd Quarter for Law Firm Mergers

Dan Packel | June 29, 2018

Three of the four biggest mergers in the quarter involved Texas-based firms, as newcomers flock to the "under-branched" state.

Newsmakers: July 2018

Mary Alice Salmon| June 29, 2018

Moves, promotions and honors from around the Lone Star State.

Baylor Law Dean Brad Toben Quietly Outpaces Texas Law School Dean Tenure

Angela Morris| June 29, 2018

Toben has far outpaced the average of four years of service that most law deans put in and also beat all other Texas law deans by a long shot

Report: Texas Lawyer's 2018 Firm Finance

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | June 29, 2018

Despite market disruption in Texas, the highest-grossing Texas firms collectively held their ground in 2017.

Editor's Note: How Hot is Texas?

Heather Nevitt | June 29, 2018

How was 2017 fiscally for Big Law in Texas? It is that time again that we find out and announce the results of our 2017 Report on Firm Finance.

Commentary

The Royal Wedding and the Role of Prenups

Brad LaMorgese| June 29, 2018

Let’s assume for a moment that the royal couple had married in Texas, where premarital agreements offer many options because they are considered legally binding contracts.

Meet the GC at the American Heart Association, Lewis Kinard

Kristen Rasmussen | June 29, 2018

Kinard, executive vice president, general counsel and assistant corporate secretary at the nonprofit organization, speaks with Texas Lawyer about everything from whom he uses for outside counsel to what he does when he's not in the office.

News

Thompson & Knight Is Latest BigTex Firm to Raise Associate Pay

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | June 28, 2018

The firm said it will match the Cravath pay scale, as did Houston litigation firm Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing.

News

Wigdor Firm Seeks Order to Stop 'Threatening' Calls From Party in Defamation Suit

Colby Hamilton | June 28, 2018

In a letter to U.S. District Judge George Daniels, Wigdor partner Jeanne Christensen said Ed Butowsky left threatening phone messages for Douglas Wigdor, asking for a meeting. Butowsky called the move malicious.

Q&A

Beating Beats: A Q&A With the Susman Lawyer Behind the $25M Verdict Against Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine

Ross Todd | June 28, 2018

Susman Godfrey partner Brian Melton led a team that won a $25 million verdict for client Steven Lamar in a royalty dispute over the high-end, celebrity-endorsed headphones.

News

$500M Award Against Facebook-Owned Oculus Halved

John Council | June 28, 2018

U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade has cut in half last year's $500 million award against Facebook-owned Oculus in a case in which a jury found that the company directly infringed on virtual reality technology owned by ZeniMax Media.

News

Kirkland Tries Stealth Strategy for Dallas Base

Miriam Rozen | June 28, 2018

The high-powered firm, riding high from a gross revenue windfall and legions of new lateral hires, appears to be keen on expanding its operations in Texas with a new office in the Big D.

CCA Judge Finds Balance in Life Through Photography

Mary Alice Salmon| June 28, 2018

Photography has provided Richardson a way to see the positive in life, while working at a job that can be hard.

News

Boating Accident Triggers Troubles for V&E Practice Leader

Miriam Rozen | June 27, 2018

A late-night crash in early May near Austin, Texas, has the head of equity capital markets at Vinson & Elkins under scrutiny.

News

What Lawyers and Advocate Groups Are Saying About Kennedy Calling It Quits

C. Ryan Barber | June 27, 2018

Advocates and lawyers on both sides of the political spectrum found aspects of Kennedy’s record to scorn and to appreciate.

News

Haynes and Boone Adds Four-Lawyer Arbitration Team in London

Krishnan Nair | June 27, 2018

Haynes and Boone has brought on an international disputes group from newly-formed legal giant Hunton Andrews Kurth. The new hires include a high-profile former partner at Chadbourne & Parke.

Commentary

Not So Fast! We Have Mandatory Arbitration

Larry Carbo and Kellen Scott| June 27, 2018

Courts routinely enforce arbitration agreements and order employees or former employees to pursue the relief they seek in an arbitral forum and, if appropriately drafted, on an individual basis rather than as part of a class.

News

Obergefell, Fisher & More: Anthony Kennedy's Top 10 Opinions

Tony Mauro | June 27, 2018

During his nearly 30 years on the Supreme Court, Justice Anthony Kennedy, who announced his retirement Wednesday, authored some of the most important…

News

Court Affirms Dismissal of Baylor Football Exec's Libel Claims vs. School, Counsel Over Sex Assault Scandal

John Council | June 27, 2018

Dallas’ Fifth Court of Appeals has affirmed the dismissal of libel claims lodged against Baylor University and Pepper Hamilton in connection with…

News

Susman Godfrey Adopts Retirement Policy: At Age 100, You're Out!

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | June 27, 2018

The Houston-based litigation boutique firm says its lawyers must retire when they hit the century mark.

News

State Bar President Challenges Attorneys to Take Up Cause for Separated Immigrant Children

Angela Morris| June 26, 2018

State Bar of President Joe Longley issued a call to arms for Texas attorneys to put their minds together and find a way to reunite immigrant children with their parents and protect their rights to due process.

News

Texas LGBT Judges Bring Empathy, Wisdom and Life Lessons

Angela Morris| June 26, 2018

At a panel discussion at the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting in Houston, four LGBT judges—from municipal court to district court benches—talked about their pathways to the bench, how they can be role models and help other LGBT lawyers and litigants, and the personal challenges they’ve faced by breaking into the judiciary.

News

Supreme Court's Repudiation of 'Korematsu' Is Bittersweet for Rights Advocates

Tony Mauro | June 26, 2018

"It's sort of a pyrrhic victory," said Supreme Court historian Peter Irons, who organized an effort to persuade the court to overrule Korematsu in 2013. "We really do appreciate the court's action, but wish it was part of a majority opinion that overturned the travel ban."

News

Big Law Rushes to Reunite Families Separated under Trump's Immigration Policy

Ellis Kim | June 26, 2018

Firms including Paul Weiss; Kirkland & Ellis; and Covington & Burling have all gotten involved in some fashion after President Donald Trump backed off from a zero tolerance policy that separated immigrant families.

News

Baker Botts Jumps on Salary Bandwagon, Matching Cravath Scale for Associates

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | June 26, 2018

As of July 1, first-year U.S. associates at Baker Botts will receive a base pay of $190,000 a year, which is the new big-firm market rate.

News

Former Texas Lawyer Gets Prison for Suing on Behalf of Clients He'd Never Met

John Council | June 26, 2018

A former South Texas attorney has been sentenced to five years behind bars after pleading guilty to insurance fraud and barratry for filing numerous…

Commentary

A Better Way to Pitch for Business

Alexander Geisler| June 26, 2018

What truly stands out in today's competitive market? Hint: It's not about legal bona fides or your resume.

$20 Million Judgment Against Restaurant That Gave Alcohol To Minor Was Not Covered By Insurance

Steven A. Meyerowitz, Esq., Director, FC&S Legal| June 26, 2018

This story is reprinted with permission from FC&S Legal, the industry’s only comprehensive digital resource designed for insurance coverage law professionals.…

News

US Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Trump's Travel Ban

Marcia Coyle | Tony Mauro | June 26, 2018

"We express no view on the soundness of the policy. We simply hold today that plaintiffs have not demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits of their constitutional claim," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority.

News

King & Spalding Grabs Finance Group From Reed Smith

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | June 26, 2018

The firm said the three finance partners will help build King & Spalding's transactional strength in Houston.

News

Supreme Court Upholds Texas Redistricting Plan Previously Reversed for Racial Gerrymandering

John Council | June 25, 2018

The U.S. Supreme Court has reversed a ruling that Texas lawmakers discriminated against minority voters by engaging in racial gerrymandering when…

News

Ruth Bader Ginsbird? Osprey Chicks at Oregon Law Get SCOTUS-Inspired Names

Karen Sloan | June 25, 2018

The school let the public choose the names of two osprey chicks hatched on campus, and voters kept with a legal theme.

Newsmakers: Week of June 25

Mary Alice Robbins| June 25, 2018

Charles “Skip” Watson has joined Greenberg Traurig as a shareholder in the firm’s appellate practice in Austin. Watson has focused his practice…

News

Susman Godfrey Tops Cravath Scale for All Associates; Starting Pay Set at $195K

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | June 25, 2018

The Houston-based litigation firm has once again exceeded the associate salary pay scale set by Cravath, Swaine & Moore, with increases of $5,000 at all levels.

News

Appellate Lawyer of the Week: Austin Federal Public Defender Beats the Odds in SCOTUS Victory

John Council | June 22, 2018

Nobody wants to spend any more time in federal prison than they absolutely have to. And that’s why U.S. Sentencing Guideline challenges are by far…

News

Akin Gump Is Second Big Texas Firm to Hike Associate Pay

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | June 22, 2018

The firm joined Vinson & Elkins in matching the new top-of-the-market salaries emanating from New York.

News

Supreme Court Expands Patent Damages Beyond US Borders, Narrowly

Scott Graham | June 22, 2018

Sidestepping the presumption against extraterritoriality, Justice Clarence Thomas' 7-2 opinion OKs damages under narrow overseas inducement statute.

News

Austin Attorney Elected General Counsel to State Bar of Texas Board

Mary Alice Salmon| June 21, 2018

Ross Fischer, a partner in The Gober Group in Austin and a former assistant chief disciplinary counsel to the State Bar of Texas, has become the bar board’s general counsel.

News

From the Bench to the Hot Seat: A Look at 6 Judges Who Faced Legal Trouble

Raychel Lean | June 21, 2018

When the federal grand jury Wednesday indicted West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals Justice Allen Loughry, the judge became the latest jurist to find himself facing criminal or ethics charges.

Commentary

Ex Parte Arbitration: An Idiosyncratic and Unfair Default Rule

Jason A. Rose| June 21, 2018

Public policy strongly favors requiring parties to arbitrate disputes that arise under a written contract with an arbitration clause. Arbitration is…

News

Dallas Law Firm Registers the Nation's 10 Millionth Patent at the USPTO

John Council | June 21, 2018

For some perspective, Raytheon’s patent comes 228 years after the country’s first patent was issued on July 31, 1790, to Samuel Hopkins for a process for making potash, an ingredient used in fertilizer.

News

READ: Justice Department Goes to Court on Family Separation Crisis

Ellis Kim | June 21, 2018

President Donald Trump issued an executive order Wednesday in an effort to stem the continued public outcry over the separation of families at the United States’ southwest border. The order directs Attorney General Jeff Sessions to “promptly” ask the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California to modify the 1997 settlement agreement.

News

5th Circuit Issues Order to Kill DOL Fiduciary Rule

Melanie Waddell| June 21, 2018

U.S. District Court for the 5th Circuit cited groups’ objections on “multiple grounds” to Labor’s fiduciary rule.

News

Federal Circuit Zeros Out Coke Zero Trademark Win

R. Robin McDonald | June 20, 2018

The Federal Circuit gave new impetus to a long-running battle between Atlanta's The Coca-Cola Co. and rival Royal Crown Cola/Dr. Pepper Snapple over the use of the word Zero in no-calorie sports and soft drinks.

News

Here's How Litigators are Pushing Back Against Trump's Border Policy

Jenna Greene | June 20, 2018

As everyone from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to the ACLU recoils at the separation of migrant children from their parents, the legal community is eager to fight.

Commentary

Why This GC of a $25B Company Has Migrated Work Away From the Largest, Most Elite Firms

Bill Deckelman| June 19, 2018

DXC Technology general counsel Bill Deckelman reacts to the GC Thought Leaders Experiment findings on performance of the largest, most pedigreed firms and what he has found from moving work away from those firms.

News

How a Fee Inquiry Led to Hints of Public Corruption That Have Labaton Fighting

Amanda Bronstad | June 19, 2018

What began as a judge's inquiry into a $75 million attorney fee has morphed into hints of public corruption, with one of the top securities plaintiffs firms in the nation on the defensive.

News

In Ongoing Expansion, McGinnis Lochridge Hires Two Lawyers From Haynes and Boone

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | June 19, 2018

The Austin-based firm beefed up its employment law expertise with a partner in Dallas and an associate in Houston.

News

Suit Alleging Houston Woman Seduced Texas Lawyer Walter Umphrey Settles

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | June 19, 2018

In the suit, Umphrey's wife had alleged that a Houston woman seduced her husband and induced him to transfer at least $2 million in money and property to her.

News

Winston & Strawn Lawyers Represent Rent-A-Center in $1.3 Billion Privatization Merger

John Council | June 19, 2018

A team of lawyers from the Dallas office of Winston & Strawn helped guide Texas-based Rent-A-Center in a $1.3 billion merger with the Florida-based…

Q&A

Susman Godfrey Focused on Innovation, Efficiency Before They Were 'Buzzwords'

Lizzy McLellan | June 19, 2018

The firm has been competing with larger counterparts in Big Law for over four decades, using its size to its advantage.

News

V&E Matches Cravath on Associate Pay, Putting Texas Firms on Notice

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | June 19, 2018

First-year associates at Vinson & Elkins will make $195,000 as of July 1, including a $5,000 summer bonus.

News

Which Lone Star Law Firm Will Make the First Associate Salary Move?

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | June 18, 2018

Texas firms taking time to consider whether to meet new, higher market rates for associate salaries.

News

Korean University Backed by Irell Wins $400 Million From Samsung

Scott Graham | June 18, 2018

A team led by partner Jason Sheasby accused the electronics giant of scoffing at a superstar inventor, then profiting from his semiconductor breakthrough.

In Brief

Cuomo Administration Gets Court Date in NRA Lawsuit Discovery Dispute

Dan M. Clark| June 18, 2018

Attorneys for New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and a state agency will make their case to block a motion for expedited discovery from the National Rifle Association—which is suing over the administration's pressure on state contractors to sever ties with the gun-rights advocacy group—in Albany July 11.

News

Kirkland Capital Markets Pro Jumps to Baker Botts in Houston

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | June 18, 2018

Four years after arriving in Houston from New York, partner Justin Hoffman is moving his capital markets practice to a homegrown Texas firm.