No Regulation
by Litigation
Business Court Rules Natural Gas Seller That Declared Force Majeure During Winter Storm Uri Was Not Obligated to Purchase Gas on the Spot-Market
In a case arising from natural gas production interruptions caused by Winter Storm Uri, the Business Court [11TH Division] has ruled that a natural-gas purchase and...
Houston [14th] Court of Appeals Mandamuses Trial Court for Issuing TRO Without Jurisdiction
The Houston [14th] Court of Appeals has granted Texas Central Railroad’s petition for writ of mandamus to compel a Harris County district court to vacate an ex parte...
Eastland Court of Appeals Reverses Judgment for Landowner Who Buried Producer’s Flowlines
The Eastland Court of Appeals has reversed a trial court judgment awarding damages to a surface estate owner who took it upon himself to bury a producer’s flow lines...
Houston [14th] Court of Appeals Rejects Port Freeport’s Condemnation Petition for Failing to Specify Public Use
The Houston [14th] Court of Appeals has reversed a trial court order granting summary judgment to Port Freeport on the basis that its condemnation petition failed to...
15th Court of Appeals Throws Out Taxpayer Lawsuit Against Comptroller Contesting Constitutionality of Tax Lien Statute
The 15th Court of Appeals has rejected a constitutional challenge to the statute authorizing the Comptroller to record a tax lien against a delinquent state...
Houston [14th] Court of Appeals Reverses TC Order Granting Summary Judgment to Parties That Didn’t Request It
The Houston [14th] Court of Appeals has reversed and remanded an atypical breach of contract case in which the trial court granted summary judgment in favor of...
San Antonio [Fourth Division] Business Court Finds No Jurisdiction in Case Removed from Probate Court
The San Antonio [Fourth Division] Business Court has ruled that it does not have jurisdiction over a case removed from a probate court because Plaintiff didn’t agree...
MDL Panel Considering Transfer Petition for LNG Terminal Construction Accident
Defendants in a multi-party action arising from a construction accident at a Port Arthur LNG terminal have petitioned the multi-district litigation panel to transfer...
Houston [14th] Court of Appeals Rules That Foreign Judgment Creditors May Domesticate a New York Judgment in Texas and Seek Dismissal of Similar Texas Suit on Res Judicata Grounds
The Houston [14th] Court of Appeals has affirmed that filing motion to dismiss on res judicata grounds in a Texas lawsuit does not bar foreign judgment creditors...
Houston [14th] Court of Appeals Reverses $1.5 Million Punitive Damages Award in Questionable Fraud Lawsuit Over Nonsubscriber Policy
The Houston [14th] Court of Appeals has reversed a $1.5 million punitive damages judgment against a trucking company that procured a nonsubscriber policy for an...
Waco Court of Appeals Reverses TC Denial of Out-of-State PAC’s TCPA Motion to Dismiss House Member’s Lawsuit
The Waco Court of Appeals has reversed a trial court denial of an out-of-state political action committee’s TCPA motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a member of the Texas House of Representatives. Courageous Conservatives PAC v. Hon. Pat Curry, State Representative...
Houston [14th] Court of Appeals Grants Mandamus in Exclusive-Remedy Case
The Houston [14th] Court of Appeals has granted mandamus relief to the statutory employer of an injured employee of a subcontractor. In re ExxonMobil Corp. (No. 14-25-00446-CV; December 18, 2025) arose from injuries sustained by an employee of subcontractor Brown...
15th Court of Appeals Overturns TC Order Reversing TCEQ Issuance of Wastewater Permit to Developers
The 15th Court of Appeals has reversed a Travis County district court ruling that substantial evidence did not support a TCEQ order granting a wastewater permit to residential property developers in Williamson County. AIRW 2017-L.P.; 600 Westinghouse Investments, LLC;...
Business Court Enforces Mutual Waiver Agreement Between Operators of Adjacent Leases
In a third opinion by Judge Bullard arising from the same dispute, the Business Court has granted in part and denied in part an defendant operator’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiff operator’s damages claim. Slant Operating LLC and Slant WTX Holdings, II, LLC...
Business Court Enforces Mutual Waiver Agreement Between Operators of Adjacent Leases
In a opinion by Judge Bullard arising from the same dispute, the Business Court has granted an operator’s motion for summary judgment on its breach-of-contract claim against another operator who allegedly breached a mutual waiver agreement. Slant Operating LLC and...
SCOTX Reverses Appraisal Award Based on Evident Partiality Rule
The Texas Supreme Court ha reversed a trial court order confirming an appraisal award where a neutral appraiser failed to disclose prior to his appointment that one of the parties would tip him for the appointment. Kevin Burke, et al. v. Houston PT BAC Office Limited...
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