Harris County judge whose electoral win was deemed invalid will remain on bench as legal battle continues
What happened: The recent overturning of Jude DaSean Jones’ 2022 election to a Harris County trial court thrusts the county into uncharted territory and creates major uncertainty for the cases that have already been decided since Jones has taken the bench. Jones narrowly won against Republican Tami Pierce by 449 votes. Pierce, along with several […]
Texas Triples U.S. Job Growth Rate In April
What happened: Texas grew jobs at three times the national rate in April, adding 42,600 jobs. The Lone Star State also leads the nation in jobs added over the last 12 months. We’re the gold standard: Chief Executive magazine’s annual survey of C-suite leaders ranked Texas the Best State for Business for a record-breaking 20th […]
Texas takes investment to court
Here’s what happened: Texas’ new specialized business court is attracting significant interest from major job creators looking to incorporate and invest in operations locally. Remind me: The business court will have jurisdiction over three types of actions: corporate governance disputes with a minimum $5 million in controversy, certain contract or commercial transaction disputes with $10 […]
PARSLEY: Let’s Keep Foreign Interests Out of American Court Decisions
Here’s what happened: Third-party litigation financing (TPLF) has emerged as a vehicle for foreign powers to use our legal system to advance their strategic goals, posing a threat to national security and the U.S. economy, writes TLR President and General Counsel Lee Parsley. In TPLF arrangements, entities ranging from private equity funds to foreign investors […]
Opinion: Chicago’s Climate Lawsuit Betrays Its Civic History
Here’s what happened: Congressman Mike Flanagan (R, Illinois) is out with a new opinion piece criticizing the city of Chicago’s “frivolous” climate nuisance lawsuit against energy companies. A troubling trend: Chicago is one of dozens of local governments that have filed climate nuisance suits in an attempt to pad their budgets and achieve at the […]
What it takes to advocate for legal abuse reform
What happened: Legislatures around the country are passing critical reforms to rein in the abusive lawsuits that are causing massive spikes in nuclear verdicts, particularly related to commercial vehicles. Tackling from all angles: Indiana passed legislation allowing evidence of seatbelt use to be introduced in trials, Iowa passed legislation capping noneconomic damages at $5 million, […]
SC lawsuit reform died with a whimper in the Legislature last week. Here’s how.
Here’s what happened: Efforts to pass common-sense lawsuit reforms in South Carolina—including measures to clarify defendants’ financial responsibility in lawsuits—failed to pass this legislative session. Zoom in: The South Carolina Justice Act would have made defendants fully liable for damages only if they were found to be more than 50% at fault. If they were […]
‘Grave Threat’: Calls Mount For SCOTUS To Intervene In Key Climate Lawsuit Against Major Energy Companies
Here’s what happened: A group of former government officials, ex-military personnel and legal scholars has joined the movement urging the U.S. Supreme Court to review Hawaii’s climate nuisance lawsuit. Tell me more: The group includes former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr, former chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, law professors and other legal experts […]
GOP state AGs press Supreme Court to take up Hawaii climate change case they say is ‘grave threat’
Here’s what happened: 20 Republican attorneys general filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to rule whether state court is the appropriate venue for Hawaii’s climate nuisance case and the dozens of other similar cases that have been filed in state courts around the country. Texas joined the brief filed by the Alabama […]
The Modern Public Nuisance Movement Is a Growing Threat
What happened: The Hawaii Supreme Court is asking SCOTUS to clearly define whether state public nuisance law can apply to global climate change lawsuits. Honolulu is one of dozens of cities, states and municipalities that have filed public nuisance lawsuits against energy companies. Dig deeper: Public nuisance lawsuits—including those related to climate change—have proliferated as […]
