Michael Carroll News
Louisiana State Police opens criminal probe into embattled Houston law firm
A Louisiana State Police unit has opened a criminal investigation against Houston-based law firm McClenny, Moseley & Associates for alleged property insurance fraud practices in the state over the past three years.
Lawsuit to bar embattled MMA law firm from collecting attorney fees is dismissed
A federal judge has rejected a Louisiana personal injury law firm’s lawsuit that sought to block the embattled McClenny, Moseley & Associates (MMA) law firm from collecting attorney fees in cases involving former MMA hurricane-damage claims.
Florida company sues X Corp., formerly Twitter, over alleged trademark violation
A Florida company has filed a federal lawsuit against billionaire Elon Musk’s X Corp., formerly Twitter Inc., alleging that its use of the “X” name infringes on X Social Media LLC’s trademark and violates Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
Judge's order in property insurance claim upends embattled MMA law firm's contingency fee contracts
Recent federal court decisions have ratcheted up financial pressures on McClenny, Mosley & Associates, the Houston law firm facing federal disciplinary proceedings related to a mass-filing about 1,600 property-claims lawsuits in western Louisiana last year.
Court rejects hedge funds' petition to intervene in MMA disciplinary case
A judge has denied a bid by Florida hedge funds to intervene in federal disciplinary proceedings in Louisiana against a Houston law firm accused of unethical and illegal actions for mass-filing hurricane-damage claims in the Bayou State.
Former Paxton lieutenants urge Texas Supreme Court to return their lawsuit to active status
In the wake of the state Senate’s acquittal of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on allegations of corruption and unfitness to serve, former employees in the Attorney General’s Office are asking the state Supreme Court to lift the suspension of their lawsuit against Paxton.
2 hedge funds seek to intervene in MMA law firm disciplinary proceedings
Two Florida hedge funds have filed motions in the Western District of Louisiana to become intervenors in disciplinary proceedings against a Houston law firm accused of participating in a litigation-harvesting scheme involving Louisiana hurricane-damage victims.
High-ranking McAllen officials not required to attend inverse-condemnation mediation, appeals court rules
A Texas appeals court has sided with the city of McAllen in a dispute over a street excavation and repaving project, concluding that neither the city’s mayor nor its commissioners can be ordered to attend mediation to resolve the underlying lawsuit.
Texas appeals court upholds breach-of-contract ruling against retail stores
A Texas appeals court has upheld a summary judgment in favor of Borders & Long Oil Inc.’s breach-of-contract lawsuit against retail stores that had agreed to purchase its gasoline.
Texas' high court sends embezzlement case back to appeals court in light of new arbitration ruling
The Texas Supreme Court has sided with a Dallas car auction company in its embezzlement dispute with an auto dealership, concluding that when arbitration agreements are in place, arbitrators are generally required to resolve such disputes.
Harris County jury rejects homeowner's claim that insurer was liable for Hurricane Harvey damage
A Harris County jury last week rejected a Houston resident’s property insurance claim alleging that a Texas insurer breached a policy requiring the insurer to pay damages related to Hurricane Harvey’s destructive path in 2017.
Texas appeals court affirms most of Houston attorney's charges for bankruptcy services
A Harris County businessman was able to chip away at an attorney’s fee calculations for handling a lengthy bankruptcy proceeding, but a Texas appeals court this week affirmed the reasonableness of the majority of the fees.
MMA law firm obtained $40 million through private investors, testimony reveals
A Houston law firm that has been repeatedly sanctioned for mass-filing more than 1,500 hurricane-related damages claims in Louisiana received as much as $40 million from a Florida hedge fund, according to court transcripts and those familiar with the legal proceedings.
State appeals court denies Houston HMO's bid for legal immunity
A Texas appeals court has rejected a Houston health maintenance organization’s argument that it has immunity protection from a health services company’s lawsuit, which alleges breach of contract and underpayments in thousands of health care claims.
Texas' high court turns down bid to exclude Energy Transfer's top executive from deposition
The Texas Supreme Court has turned down a Texas energy company’s bid to shield its executive chairman from testifying in a legal dispute over a natural gas pipeline and processing transaction.
Texas appeals court upholds dismissal of rancher's legal malpractice lawsuit
A Texas appeals court upheld the dismissal of a legal malpractice claim brought by a rancher who challenged his appellate attorney’s representation during a legal dispute over ownership of 13 head of cattle.
SMU attempt to split from Methodist Church hits legal snags on appeal
A Texas appeals court has chipped away at some of the legal arguments Southern Methodist University (SMU) has used to cut its ties to the United Methodist Church after the church barred same-sex marriage ceremonies and LGBTQ clergy.
Texas high court backs Apache in contract dispute over Panhandle oil leases
"What a Difference a Day Makes” was recorded by singers including Dinah Washington and Dean Martin in the 20th century, but the sentiment also comes through loud and clear in a recent Texas Supreme Court ruling on energy-lease contracts.
Louisiana high court sidelines most property damage lawsuits filed by MMA law firm
The Louisiana Supreme Court has put the brakes on hundreds of hurricane-related property insurance lawsuits filed by the Houston law firm of McClenny, Moseley and Associates (MMA) and appointed a trustee to oversee the mass litigation.
Texas law firm accused of pattern of duplicative, improper property insurance litigation
A Houston-based law firm that has filed thousands of property insurance lawsuits in Louisiana has engaged in a pattern of questionable legal practices that demand judicial sanction, a motion filed by an insurer in federal court in Louisiana says.