At first glance, SB 632 resembles Texas House Bill 19 (HB 19), the 2023 law establishing the Texas Business Court. But differences in the Texas Constitution likely provide stronger legal protection for Texas’ new system, which…
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/ Business Organizations, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law
In Texas, legal battles over the subsurface have typically focused on what comes out of the ground: oil, gas, and minerals. But as subsurface use evolves, it raises a new question: Who owns the empty space left once minerals are…
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/ Commercial Law & Contracts, Energy & Utilities, Real Estate - Commercial
Last week, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed Illinois Senate Bill 328 (“SB 328”) into law, marking a significant expansion of the jurisdictional reach of Illinois courts in the realm of toxic tort litigation. The law amends…
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/ Business Organizations, Civil Procedure, Toxic Torts
Business is built on the back of technology. As business organizations become more sophisticated in their operations, so too do their information technology systems. To match the growing scope and complexity of business…
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/ Commercial Law & Contracts, Conflict of Laws, Science, Computers, & Technology
On May 14, 2025, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed Texas Senate Bill 29 (SB 29) into law. The bill, which became effective immediately, overhauls the Texas Business Organizations Code (TBOC) to provide greater certainty in…
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/ Business Organizations, Civil Procedure, Commercial Law & Contracts
When a business is served with a state court action, the first reaction is often to consider whether the action can be removed to federal court based on diversity. But for businesses doing work for the federal government (e.g…
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/ Civil Procedure, Commercial Law & Contracts, Government Contracting
On June 20, 2025, Governor Abbott signed House Bill 40 (HB 40) into law, which, among other things, expands the jurisdiction of the recently created Texas Business Court. HB 40’s changes to the Business Court include: (1)…
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/ Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Civil Procedure, Commercial Law & Contracts, Intellectual Property
Since taking office on January 20, President Donald Trump has used his executive authority to make an unprecedented number of major policy changes. This includes dramatic shifts in the legal and regulatory landscapes, signaling…
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/ Administrative Law, Energy & Utilities, Environmental Law
In today’s competitive business environment, trade secrets have emerged as some of an organization’s most prized assets. They are the hidden formulas, proprietary processes, and specialized know-how that give companies their…
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/ Business Torts, Commercial Law & Contracts, Intellectual Property, Labor & Employment Law
In Texas, as most other states, it is long settled that corporate agents are personally liable for their own tortious or fraudulent conduct—even if the conduct was done in their capacity as a corporate agent. Section 21.223 of…
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/ Business Organizations, Business Torts, Civil Remedies
The U.S. Department of the Interior has long wrestled with how to manage the risk associated with the costly decommissioning of offshore oil wells in federal waters. In recent years, the Department has released, revised, and…
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/ Administrative Law, Energy & Utilities, Environmental Law, Finance & Banking
In recent years, the use of the federal multidistrict litigation (“MDL”) process to address complex multijurisdictional disputes has increased dramatically. Nearly 60% of all civil cases filed in federal court now become part of…
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/ Civil Procedure
Last week we were lucky enough to attend the Institute of Energy Law’s 23rd Annual Energy Litigation Conference in Houston, TX, and hear its unique collection of industry professionals exchange insights and address some of the…
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/ Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Civil Procedure, Commercial Law & Contracts, Construction Law, Energy & Utilities
On April 12, 2024, the Texas Supreme Court handed down two decisions clarifying its interpretation of governmental immunity and waiver under Section 271.152 of the Texas Local Government Code. Governmental units, including…
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/ Administrative Law, Commercial Law & Contracts, Government Contracting
On April 23, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced its final Rule (16 CFR Part 910) that bans non-compete clauses for most workers as unfair competition under federal law, specifically Section 5 of the FTC Act (15…
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/ Administrative Law, Commercial Law & Contracts, Labor & Employment Law
