David Yates News
Appellate court axes $17M verdict against Austin Bridge & Road, finds worker’s comp was remedy
HOUSTON – The First Court of Appeals has wiped a $17 million jury verdict against Austin Bridge & Road in a wrongful death lawsuit.
Property suit against Jefferson County back up on appeal
BEAUMONT – In 2016, the Ninth Court of Appeals reinstated a civil case against Jefferson County alleging wrongful foreclosure of a tax sale.
State senator working with Watts on home turf opioid lawsuit, lawyers billing Hidalgo County $3,800 an hour
HIDALGO COUNTY – A state senator is representing a county in his district in more ways than one – a litigious venture that could prove incredibly profitable for the legislator.
Lawsuit: Provost Umphrey ‘hypocrisy’ for forcing employees into arbitration ‘shocks the conscious’
BEAUMONT – Although a Provost Umphrey equity partner apparently has no issue lecturing others on the “unfairness” of arbitration, he does, however, take issue with firm employees not wanting to arbitrate disputes, a recent lawsuit asserts.
Asbestos suit filed against Texaco in JC, firm of district judge candidate handling case
BEAUMONT – Texaco and several other companies have been named in an asbestos lawsuit alleging wrongful death.
Brent Coon seeks summary judgment in malpractice suit over his handling of BP oil spill case
BEAUMONT – Local attorney Brent Coon is seeking summary judgment in a malpractice lawsuit brought against him for his handling of a 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill claim.
Fifth Circuit nixes $151M verdict, finds Mark Lanier misrepresented that experts weren’t compensated
DALLAS – DePuy Orthopaedics and Johnson & Johnson will get a new trial after the previous one in 2016 ended with the companies having to pay $151 million in damages to five plaintiffs with alleged hip replacement injuries.
Mikal Watts sued by Syngenta clients, allegedly ‘schemed’ to extract ‘unreasonable’ attorney’s fees
MINNESOTA – A renowned San Antonio lawyers whose had has share of legal problems in recent years is now facing a class action brought by corn farmers he represented in the Syngenta AG litigation.
Federal suit follows Texas Judicial Council Admission of non-compliance by guardians of senior citizens
SAN ANTONIO - A Manhattan woman who worked as an actress in an NBC TV pilot directed by Spike Lee and a Macy’s commercial last year has filed a breach of fiduciary duty lawsuit against her San Antonio-based mother over the alleged abuse of and isolation from her legally blind father who is a 22 year veteran of the U.S. Air Force and currently guardianized under a Bexar County court order.
JC trial slated in breach of contract case between Petrochem Field Services, J.Z. Russell
BEAUMONT – A breach of contract lawsuit between Petrochem Field Services and J.Z. Russell Industries has been called up for trial.
Paxton, DOJ defend Texas’ redistricting maps at the U.S. Supreme Court
AUSTIN – On April 24, Attorney General Ken Paxton commended Texas Solicitor General Scott Keller and a top lawyer for the U.S. Department of Justice after they presented powerful oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in defense of Texas’ redistricting maps.
Johnson & Johnson, Ethicon hit with vaginal mesh lawsuit in JC
BEAUMONT – Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary, Ethicon, have been hit with a vaginal mesh lawsuit.
Settlement reached in dram shop suit brought over death of Nederland teen Kristen Paris
BEAUMONT - A dram shop suit brought on behalf of Kristen Paris, the Nederland teen who was killed by a drunk driver three years ago, has purportedly been settled.
Justices wipe $4.5M exemplary damages award against Eagle Oil, but affirm $14.3M lost profits judgment
HOUSTON – A Texas appellate court recently nixed a $4.5 million award of exemplary damages to Shale Exploration, but did decide, however, to affirm a judgment of $14.3 million in lost profits allegedly caused by Eagle Oil & Gas’ theft of trade secrets.
Alleged drunken altercation at John Wayne’s bar now focus of trial in JC
BEAUMONT – Nearly four years ago, an allegedly intoxicated male got rough with Kacy Culp at John Wayne’s – an altercation she wants to pin on the Magnolia bar.
Texas Judicial Council admits widespread non-compliance by guardians of senior citizens and people with disabilities
AUSTIN - The Texas Judicial Council recently announced to the House of Representatives last week in Washington, D.C. that 43 percent of adult guardianship cases in the state of Texas are out of compliance with reporting requirements.
Ferguson Law Firm nabs 2 of 2017’s top 100 verdicts in U.S.
BEAUMONT - The Ferguson Law Firm placed two verdicts within the Top 100 Verdicts of 2017 – no other law firm in the U.S. was able to top the firm’s showing.
Justices question whether Russell Budd’s testimony on asbestos memo still exists
HOUSTON – If a 20-year old court record, which may or may not be an actual court record, no longer exists, how can jurisdiction exist – is the question justices raised in an asbestos case that’s even caught the attention of Texas’ chief lawyer.
Tumble down the stairs results in $1M suit against Republic Chicken
BEAUMONT – A lack of a second handrail allegedly caused a Hardin County woman to tumble down the stairs at a local restaurant.
Order of non-suit entered in suit alleging tortious interference with a contract
HOUSTON — An order of non-suit has been entered in litigation brought by an electric service provider who sued a competitor and former employees for tortious interference with a contract.