Sameea Kamal
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Articles by Sameea Kamal
Life After the Judge’s Robes: Alan Albright’s Return to Big Law
It’s about 9:30 a.m. on a Thursday, and Alan Albright already has about two dozen emails piled up in his inbox. That’s a shift for the former judge, who is weeks into his new role as an intellectual property litigation partner at A&O Shearman. “It’s been like a huge river was launched and I’m on a dinghy,” says Albright, who, as a judge, may have gotten about three emails a day. That’s not the only change.
As TXSE Takes Off, Many Companies Retain Wait-And-See Approach
The Texas Stock Exchange’s early wins are piling up, but some lawyers are advising that companies watch and wait — at least a bit longer — before joining the upstart challenging the nation’s established stock markets.
Bloomberg Law Texas Brief
K&L Gates’ Kate Goodrich says one of the most rewarding parts of her job as a partner in the firm’s public policy and law practice group is working on affordable housing. That’s included work such as preserving the property tax exemption that makes affordable-housing financing deals possible. Goodrich shared the policy trends she’s closely watching, the questions data center growth poses, and the challenges of being a lawyer in Texas. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
AI-Run Company Experiment Tests Law’s Limits: Delaware Brief
The first-ever post-trial opinion from the Delaware Chancery Court for corporate oversight claims gets one step closer this week, with closing arguments in the long-running lawsuit against the senior leaders of Blue Bell Creameries over a fatal listeria outbreak. A co-founder of Destiny XYZ Inc., which manages funds invested in high-profile private ventures like , won a legal ruling restoring his stake after he was ousted ahead of the company’s public listing.
Texas Sees 50 Percent More Reports of Legal Work by Non-Lawyers Original
Texas is seeing a rise in reports of non-attorneys providing legal services for profit, driven in part by heightened demand for immigration assistance. The state’s Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee, appointed by the Supreme Court of Texas, fielded about 455 reports last year, up from the annual average of 300 from 2011 to 2024 — an increase of more than 50%. Immigration-related reports made up 23% of the total — a gradual rise from 16% in 2016.
Bloomberg Law Texas Brief
Texas’ online case management system has been something of a scofflaw for nearly two years — though court watchers won’t be offended once they learn why. In a change we first noticed this week, re:SearchTX is now charging for case documents in the Texas Business Court, ending the no-fee downloads users have enjoyed since the court opened in September 2024. But don’t be too upset: Users should’ve been paying all along.
Texas Tackles AI Power Demand With New Data Center Grid Rules Original
Texas regulators approved a new process Thursday for reviewing grid-connection requests from large power users, such as data centers, as artificial intelligence drives a surge in electricity demand. The Public Utility Commission of Texas approved a plan from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to evaluate large energy users’ requests in groups rather than individually.
Masimo Founder’s Dispute Sent to California: Delaware Brief
Masimo founder Joe Kiani won a Delaware court ruling Tuesday, sending his dispute with the biotech company back to California, where he first sued for hundreds of millions after losing control to an activist hedge fund. A judge rejected the company’s bid to litigate the dispute in Delaware’s Chancery Court, where Masimo responded to Kiani’s first-filed California lawsuit — seeking severance worth $450 million at the time — by seeking to invalidate his employment agreement.
Why Exxon Dropped Paul Weiss for a Boutique: New York Brief
It’s been a rough month for Paul Weiss after the revelations earlier this month that its former leader, Brad Karp, helped Jeffrey Epstein. Now, Brian Baxter, Meghan Tribe, and Eric Killelea report that Exxon’s dropping the firm as its counsel on national climate change litigation. Instead, they’re swapping in Hueston Hennigan, a litigation boutique, according to three people familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity to discuss a change that hasn’t been announced. Why the change?
Texas Business Court Grows Up, Prepares for Its First Jury Trial Original
The upstart venue, established two years ago as a challenge to longstanding business courts like Delaware Chancery, is slated to have its first jury trial next week. For Judge Grant Dorfman, who presides over the Eleventh Business Court Division in Houston, that means tackling issues others don’t have to. Specifically, without a dedicated courtroom, where is he even going to seat jurors? In its first year (ending Aug.
Jury Finds Construction Company Wasn't Liable for $9M Injury Claim
Law.com CompassLaw.com RadarVerdict SearchScholar .China Law & PracticeLegal Dictionary Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. Related information Topics NewsLitigation Despite getting hired late in the trial, the defense was able to overcome early challenges.
Jury Finds Construction Company Wasn't Liable for $9M Injury Claim
Credit: ABCDstock/Adobe Stock A Galveston-based jury ruled that a construction firm was not liable for a $9 million personal injury claim after a plaintiff fell near a construction site. The plaintiff alleged that the company blocked his driveway during a construction project for the City of Dickinson. That forced him to park away from his home and walk home in the dark, when he fell into a ditch and sustained a concussion and brain injury.
Fifth Circuit to Weigh Church's Defamation Defense
Credit: flordigitalartist/Adobe Stock Are a church’s statements about a former pastor’s sexual abuse case protected from defamation claims under the First Amendment? That’s the argument the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in Texas is weighing. The case relates to Robert Morris, a pastor who pleaded guilty in October to five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child, stemming from allegations from the 1980s by Cindy Clemishire, who was 12 years old when the abuse began.
Texas Judge Arrested on DWI and Weapons Charge
Law.com CompassLaw.com RadarVerdict SearchScholar .China Law & PracticeLegal Dictionary Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card.
Texas Judge Arrested on DWI and Weapons Charge
Photo: Jteivans/Adobe Stock A Montgomery County municipal court judge was arrested early Wednesday morning for allegedly driving while intoxicated and for unlawfully carrying a weapon. Judge William Waggoner, municipal court judge for the City of Conroe, was arrested just before 6 a.m. by the City of Montgomery Police Department. In a statement to the Houston Chronicle, Conroe city officials called the arrest unfortunate: "No one is above the law or immune from making mistakes.
$138 Million Texas Verdict: 'Handshakes Are Still Good'
Credit: Charnchai saeheng/Adobe Stock A Texas jury granted a $138 million verdict in favor of a Switzerland citizen in a case against his business partner, alleging breach of contract and promissory estoppel, among the claims. The eight-year-long case, filed in the U.S. District’s Southern Division, hinged on oral agreements in business transactions between Carlo Civelli, the plaintiff, and his longtime business partner Phillip Mulacek, a Texas resident.
$138 Million Texas Verdict: 'Handshakes Are Still Good'
Law.com CompassLaw.com RadarVerdict SearchScholar .China Law & PracticeLegal Dictionary Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. Related information Law Firms/Representation Topics NewsLitigation Lawyers for the plaintiffs said establishing credibility was key.
$13.5 Million Texas Jury Verdict: Hidden Pen Cameras, Alleged Trade Secrets Original
Credit: BCFC/stock.adobe.com In a trade secrets dispute described by a judge as invoking “thoughts of corporate espionage and scenes from ‘Mission Impossible,’” a Texas jury awarded a construction mat manufacturer $13.5 million—$8 million of that in punitive damages—after a jury ruled a competitor violated a federal trade secrets law and breached a contract.
'It Was My Fault': 3 Texas Judges, 16 Lawyers Disciplined
Credit: Pixel-Shot/Adobe Stock Three judges and more than a dozen attorneys received disciplinary actions in recent months, according to public records and orders from the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, the State Bar of Texas and the Board of Disciplinary Appeals.
'It Was My Fault': 3 Texas Judges, 16 Lawyers Disciplined
Law.com CompassLaw.com RadarVerdict SearchScholarChina Law & PracticeLegal Dictionary Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. NewsLegal Ethics and Attorney Discipline The Texas Judicial Commission, State Bar, and Disciplinary Appeals Board issued sanctions and rulings for December.
Paxton Sues Makers of Plavix
Bristol-Myers Squibb Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Sanofi-Aventis U.S and its related companies, alleging that they failed to disclose how effective the blood thinning medicine Plavix is for some groups. The state alleges that the companies violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act because they didn’t disclose that Plavix had less or no effect on many patients — in particular, those from Black, East Asian or Pacific Islander backgrounds.
Texas Family Sues Walmart and ByHeart After National Botulism Outbreak
Law.com CompassLaw.com RadarVerdict SearchScholarChina Law & PracticeLegal Dictionary Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. NewsLitigation The family of a Bell County infant has sued Bover the production and sale of baby formula. 3 minute readNovember 21, 2025 at 02:14 PM ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula. Credit: FDA A Bell County, Texas family is suing ByHeart Inc. and Walmart Inc.
Texas Family Sues Walmart and ByHeart After National Botulism Outbreak
ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula. Credit: FDA A Bell County, Texas family is suing ByHeart Inc. and Walmart Inc. for the production and sale of a baby formula that has been linked to an outbreak of infant botulism. The plaintiff’s son is one of 31 infants with suspected or confirmed cases of the foodborne illness and confirmed exposure to the formula, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration—and one of six cases reported in Texas.
Salesforce Hires Gibson Dunn for Backpage.com Sex-Trafficking Case
Salesforce in San Francisco, CA (Photo: Jason Doiy/ALM) Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher will represent Salesforce Inc. in a case—alleging the software company is liable for its technology and support being used by a website that enabled human trafficking—filed in the Southern District Court of Texas in July.
Salesforce Hires Gibson Dunn for Backpage.com Sex-Trafficking Case
Law.com CompassLaw.com RadarVerdict SearchScholarChina Law & PracticeLegal Dictionary Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. Related information Documents Companies/Organizations Law Firms/Representation Topics NewsLitigation The company was sued in July for allegedly benefiting from its relationship with Backpage.com, which pleaded guilty to human-trafficking charges in Texas in 2018.
Judge Dismisses Parts of Ken Paxton's Case Against Tylenol Makers
Law.com CompassLaw.com RadarVerdict SearchScholarChina Law & PracticeLegal Dictionary Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. Related information Documents Companies/Organizations Law Firms/Representation Topics NewsLitigation A Panola County judge dismissed Texas' claim against Johnson and Johnson, while the case against Kenvue continues.
Judge Dismisses Parts of Ken Paxton's Case Against Tylenol Makers
Photo: Wikimedia Commons A Panola County judge dismissed parts of a lawsuit by the state of Texas against the makers of Tylenol due to lack of jurisdiction, according to court filings. Judge LeAnn Rafferty dismissed the state’s claim that the defendants violated the Texas Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act, because Johnson and Johnson transferred liability to New Jersey-based Kenvue Inc., which produces the pain medication.
The Case That Started It All: Pennzoil v. Texaco Still Affects Litigation
Law.com CompassLaw.com RadarVerdict SearchScholarChina Law & PracticeLegal Dictionary Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. Related information Companies/Organizations Law Firms/Representation Topics NewsLitigation Participants in the landmark case took part in a Houston Bar Association symposium, discussing the case's impacts on the legal community in Houston and beyond.
The Case That Started It All: Pennzoil v. Texaco Still Affects Litigation
Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM Forty years after the Supreme Court’s landmark Pennzoil v. Texaco decision, the case still draws some spirited debate. That was on display at the Harris County Courthouse Thursday during the Houston Bar Association’s commemorative event, as trial participants regaled the audience with colorful anecdotes and personal reflections from the proceedings. The case stemmed from Pennzoil’s attempt to buy out Getty Oil—until Texaco swooped in to woo the company away.
Attorney Dies, Court Denies Continuance, Rules Against Clients
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Attorney Dies, Court Denies Continuance, Rules Against Clients
Credit:5m3photos/Adobe Stock When the lawyer of a family allegedly rear-ended by an 18-wheeler died 10 months after they sued, the trial court granted the defense’s no-evidence summary judgment served to the deceased attorney, and denied the family’s motion for continuance. Now, the Texas case is emerging as a cautionary tale about succession planning and case management, especially for solo practitioners. On Oct.
What Lawyers Are Watching: First Trial Wraps in Texas' New Business Court
Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. Related information Documents Companies/Organizations Topics NewsLitigation Marathon Oil brought the case against its customer, Mercuria Energy America, over a $17.4 million invoice for damages. 2 minute readNovember 11, 2025 at 06:40 PM Winter storm Uri damage.
What Lawyers Are Watching: First Trial Wraps in Texas' New Business Court
Winter storm Uri damage. Credit: Jiujiuer/Shutterstock.com Marathon Oil did not breach its contract when it failed to supply gas during Winter Storm Uri in 2021 due to force majeure, a judge ruled in the first business court case to go to trial in Texas. The business courts—specialty trial courts designed to resolve select commercial disputes—were created by the state legislature to process cases quicker and foster a more business-friendly environment in the state. Now, their first trial has ended.
For One Lawyer, Video is Key: Suing McDonalds Over Hot Coffee
McCafe cups of coffee with McDonalds takeaway. Credit: Yekatseryna/Adobe Stock What does it take to sue McDonalds for a scalding-coffee case? For Alex Acosta, a partner at the El Paso office of Tawney, Acosta and Chaparro, video footage will be key. Acosta is representing 92-year-old Armando Rosales, an El Paso County resident, who alleges an employee of the fast-food chain spilled hot coffee on him in the drive-through, causing severe burns to his chest and abdomen, according to the court filing.
For One Lawyer, Video is Key: Suing McDonalds Over Hot Coffee
Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. NewsLitigation The case is against McDonalds of El Paso and its parent company, and seeks punitive damages for alleged gross negligence. 3 minute readNovember 10, 2025 at 04:07 PM McCafe cups of coffee with McDonalds takeaway. Credit: Yekatseryna/Adobe Stock What does it take to sue McDonalds for a scalding-coffee case?
More Damage Cap Fights? 'We'll Be Prepared,' Says TTLA's Next President
Texas State Capitol building at 1100 Congress Ave. in downtown Austin, TX. Photo: Dennis Burnett. Former state representative Craig Eiland has been elected president of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, starting his term in January 2027, when the next legislative session kicks off.
More Damage Cap Fights? 'We'll Be Prepared,' Says TTLA's Next President
Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. Related information Topics NewsLitigation Former state representative Craig Eiland was elected president of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, starting his term in January 2027. 2 minute readNovember 07, 2025 at 06:38 PM Texas State Capitol building at 1100 Congress Ave. in downtown Austin, TX. Photo: Dennis Burnett.
Jury Awards More Plaintiffs Damages in Watson Grinding Explosion Case
Watson Grinding Fatal Explosion and Fire, Houston, Texas. Credit: U.S. Chemical Safety Board A Harris County jury ruled in favor of seven parties who sued after the deadly 2020 Watson Grinding Explosion—the second such verdict this year. The plaintiffs were awarded $118,702,784 in damages.
Haynes and Boone's Ryan Patrick to Lead Texans for Lawsuit Reform '2.0'
Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. Related information Law Firms/Representation Topics NewsLitigation Patrick said that the group’s mission would remain the same, but that its approach would evolve. 2 minute readNovember 05, 2025 at 06:29 PM Ryan Patrick, partner at Haynes and Boone, was named CEO of Texans for Lawsuit Reform, beginning in January.
Haynes and Boone's Ryan Patrick to Lead Texans for Lawsuit Reform '2.0'
Ryan Patrick, partner at Haynes and Boone, was named CEO of Texans for Lawsuit Reform, beginning in January. Courtesy photo Texans for Lawsuit Reform, the lobbying group that has led the charge on tort reform laws in the state, announced that Haynes and Boone partner Ryan Patrick will take over as its chief executive officer in January. Naming Patrick—son of Lt. Gov.
Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars Face Off in Arena Dispute
American Airlines Center, Home of the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars, in Dallas, Texas. Credit: 4kclips/Adobe Stock An obstructive business partner, or a hostile takeover? Those are the competing claims a jury will have to weigh in a lawsuit and countersuit between the Dallas Mavericks and the Dallas Stars over management of the arena they share.
Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars Face Off in Arena Dispute
Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. NewsEntertainment and Sports Law The Dallas Sports Group, owner of the Mavericks, filed suit late last month after the Stars’ ownership group blocked its efforts to make upgrades to the American Airlines Center arena. 3 minute readNovember 04, 2025 at 04:29 PM American Airlines Center, Home of the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars, in Dallas, Texas.
Texas Business Courts See First Trial
Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. NewsLitigation The case by Marathon Oil Company seeks to establish that it was excused from its gas supply obligations because of force majeure after its customer, Mercuria Energy America, sent the company an invoice for $17.4 million for damages.
Texas Business Courts See First Trial
White Powder Snow during winter storm Uri over a foot of fresh snow in Round Rock north of Austin , Texas , USA. (Credit: Roschetzky Photography/Shutterstock.com) The first trial at a business court in Texas kicked off Monday, tackling Marathon Oil’s obligation to supply gas during Winter Storm Uri in 2021.
Texas' Lawyer Says RFK Jr.'s Comments Don't Hurt Case Against Makers of Tylenol
Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. Related information Documents Companies/Organizations Topics NewsLitigation Despite the Health and Human Services Secretary walking back comments regarding an alleged link between pregnant women taking Tylenol and disorders such as autism, the state's outside counsel says the case remains strong.
Texas' Lawyer Says RFK Jr.'s Comments Don't Hurt Case Against Makers of Tylenol
Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. NewsLitigation Despite the Health and Human Services Secretary walking back comments regarding an alleged link between pregnant women taking Tylenol and disorders such as autism, the state's outside counsel says the case remains strong.
Abbott Appoints 2 Veterans to Judge, District Attorney Roles
Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. Related information Companies/Organizations Topics NewsJudges The governor appointed two veterans to replace retiring officials on the Twelfth Court of Appeals and the Upshur County Criminal District Attorney. 2 minute readOctober 29, 2025 at 01:15 PM Judge Michael Davis serves the 369th Judicial District. Courtesy photo Gov.
Paxton Sues Makers of Tylenol for Alleged Link to Autism, ADHD
Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. NewsLitigation The case follows an effort by the federal government to update labeling on the medication. 3 minute readOctober 28, 2025 at 03:02 PM Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Photo: Diego M.
Paxton Sues Makers of Tylenol for Alleged Link to Autism, ADHD
Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. Related information Documents Companies/Organizations Law Firms/Representation Topics NewsLitigation The case follows an effort by the federal government to update labeling on the medication. 3 minute readOctober 28, 2025 at 03:02 PM Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Photo: Diego M.
Eli Lilly Sues 2 Texas Companies for Allegedly Selling Replicas of Weight Loss Drugs
Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. NewsLitigation Two Texas compounding pharmacies are the latest to get sued in Eli Lilly’s multi-state battle to stop sales of replica medications for diabetes and weight loss. 4 minute readOctober 27, 2025 at 02:48 PM Eli Lilly headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. Photo: Diego M.
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