John O'Brien News
Blank Rome lawyers win case against them over Avco aircraft-crash litigation
PHILADELPHIA - A federal jury has found for lawyers at the firm Blank Rome who were accused of threatening a colleague's career with accusations she had improperly shared information.
5 new cases to know: Domino's accused of delivering nine stab wounds, plus more
A knife-wielding pizza man and the remains of two auto-accident victims are among the subjects in five new cases of interest in Southeast Texas.
AG Paxton sues 3M, DuPont over PFAS for false advertising
AUSTIN - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has hired private lawyers to push a new lawsuit against the makers of products that contain chemicals known as PFAS.
Out-of-line investigators and shakedown lawyers: Diddy litigation fight starts bitter battle of law firms
HOUSTON - Allegations flying that music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs sexually assaulted guests at lavish parties has created a nasty battle in Houston state court between two law firms involved in the ensuing litigation.
AG Paxton appeals after investigative powers stripped
AUSTIN - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will need an appeals court's help to preserve a longstanding law boosting his investigative powers that was recently found unfair to businesses.
Lawyer suspended 3 years for trying to block sale of hospital
HOUSTON - A Texas lawyer alleged to have gone rogue over the sale of a Cleveland hospital has been suspended for three years.
'Judicial Hellholes' report: Kudos to Texas Supreme Court for fixing Dallas appeals court's bad decisions
AUSTIN - The Texas Supreme Court undid damage caused by an appeals court on the verge of becoming a "Judicial Hellhole," the American Tort Reform Association notes in its annual report.
Hinting at sexual abuse doesn't rise to defamation by dentist
HOUSTON - A Texas family who went to court to punish their dentist for suggesting their teenaged daughter had possibly been the victim of sexual abuse has again seen their case tossed.
5 new cases to know: Unwelcome nudes, discrimination alleged in Houston schools and more
Discrimination lawsuits from a homosexual teacher and a Black zoo-worker, plus a hotel guest allegedly disturbed by nude photos sent by its manager, are among five new cases of interest in Southeast Texas.
Doctors defeat collection effort after colleague hit with big verdict in brain damage case
HOUSTON - A man who once scored an eight-figure medical malpractice verdict in Harris County has struck out on his effort to collect the full amount.
Tobacco lawyers sent back to trial against each other
HOUSTON - The fight among two law firms and a litigation-funder for tobacco money is not over yet, even after the sides agreed their fee-sharing agreement was unambiguous.
Brent Coon defeats malpractice lawsuit over BP oil spill claim
BEAUMONT - It has taken four years, but a Texas appeals court has finally affirmed victory for personal injury lawyer Brent Coon in a malpractice lawsuit accusing him of mishandling a 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill claim.
Netflix and pizza: Jail officer defeats claim she ignored suicidal man
NEW ORLEANS - A Harris County city and corrections officer won't be liable for the death of a suicidal man who was in custody at its jail, as a federal appeals court has ruled claims were filed too late.
Harris County defends arrest of gun-wielding woman who felt threatened
HOUSTON - Harris County says it was right to pursue criminal charges against a worker at a vehicle impound lot who pulled her personal firearm during a confrontation with an aggressive man who had just been released from prison.
Law firm makes plea for victory in case of broken Beirut bombing litigation partnership
HOUSTON - A law firm accused of unfairly canceling a partnership with others to pursue lawsuits over a 1983 bombing in Beirut is asking a federal judge to grant it summary judgment.
Devon Energy not 'at home' in Texas, can't be sued there for New Mexico accident
HOUSTON - An Oklahoma company can't be sued in Texas for injuries to a Louisiana man working in New Mexico, a Texas appeals court has found.
Six-figure verdict after toddler shot out of ambulance
HOUSTON - It's a $300,000 verdict for a father who sued City Ambulance after his 21-month-old daughter was sent flying onto the highway while being transported.
Texas law unfair to business, company facing AG probe complains
AUSTIN - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's defense of a law that allows him to examine corporate records is unconvincing, one of his targets says in a lawsuit that could change th way investigations are handled in the state.
Legislature's tactics to delay execution of Robert Roberson rejected by Texas Supreme Court
AUSTIN - The Texas Supreme Court has found lawmakers can't use any means necessary to delay the execution of a death-row inmate.
Told they must make settlement public, sides want it off the record
GALVESTON - Nevermind, sides are telling a Texas federal magistrate judge they initially asked to approve their Fair Labor Standards Act settlement.