As law firm hiring season shifts into high gear, top students are faced with a plethora of choices.  In addition to the traditional on-campus interviews (or their Zoom equivalents) by Big Law recruiting departments, a growing number of boutique litigation firms are offering competitive packages—including top-tier salaries and benefits—to prospective summers and first-years. Hiring partner Adam Dinnell of Houston-based Hicks Johnson talks candidly about the pros and cons of boutique firm life.

Public nuisance claims have long been understood to rest on “an unreasonable interference with a right common to the general public.” Typically, litigation sought recovery for damages in connection with (among other examples) interference in land use and public spaces, polluting public waterways, or making too much noise.

On May 21, the U.S House Committee on Financial Services released draft legislation excluding all SPACs from the safe harbor for forward-looking statements provided in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA). Hicks Johnson partner Varant Yegparian and Jon Janes, a vice president at insurance brokerage firm Woodruff Sawyer, teamed up to assess the increased potential liability that could befall SPACs, their targets, and their respective directors and officers should the legislation be passed.

While the recent suit brought by 57 Texas High Plains wine grape growers against Bayer-Monsanto and BASF is receiving extensive press coverage, it is not clear whether the Texas wine industry can survive the onslaught. Some vineyards have experienced a 90 percent reduction in their grape harvest, which brings in more than $2,500 a ton.

Cyberattacks on the nation’s critical infrastructure are becoming more frequent, more severe, and more dangerous. This article outlines crucial steps businesses can take to insulate themselves from liability before a cyberattack occurs.

The special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) boom has hit a major roadblock in the form of faulty disclosures. Given the centrality of the SPAC’s disclosures to a plaintiff’s claims, SPACs need to take special care in crafting their disclosures going forward. This article will examine how SPACs can use guidance issued by the SEC to craft robust disclosures that will weaken a plaintiff’s claims.

As healthcare becomes more technology-driven, the traditional understanding of what constitutes a “heathcare provider” has been blurred. Brandon Winchester and Andy Hicks examine protections afforded by the Texas Medical Liability Act, which can be used as an important tool for medical technology companies facing possible liability related to the provision of medical care.

Transactions involving special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) have risen at a meteoric rate in recent months. Partner Varant Yegparian examines key legal issues that could arise in the event of SPAC litigation and provides sponsors—including private equity firms and investment banks—with a general outline of steps that may mitigate legal exposure.

This article focuses on a spate of recent decisions from the Texas federal courts to show how the two laws can impact a trade secret dispute and how a party in litigation can maneuver them towards a favorable resolution.