Bringing Family Law Expertise to SCOTX | Justice Debra Lehrmann | Texas Appellate Law Podcast
Potential Changes to SCOTX Petition Practice | Justice Evan Young | Texas Appellate Law Podcast
An Unexpected Path to the Appellate Bench | Justice Rebeca Huddle | Texas Appellate Law Podcast
Texas Supreme Court Draws Line on Attorney Immunity Privilege
Handling the Texas Supreme Court’s Public Information | Osler McCarthy | Texas Appellate Law Podcast
Paths to Texas Judicial Selection Reform | Chief Justice Tom Phillips | Texas Appellate Law Podcast
On June 27, 2025, the Texas Supreme Court issued its opinion in Werner Enterprises, Inc. v. Blake, No. 23-0493, providing significant guidance on the doctrine of proximate cause in Texas negligence law. The Court reversed a...more
In a recent vehicular negligence opinion from the Texas Supreme Court, the Court addressed legal issues of proximate cause and substantial factor-to-injury in a situation where a vehicle, while driving in icy conditions,...more
In Pitts v. Rivas, Rivas brought claims against his accountants for negligence/malpractice, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract, based on alleged errors in financial statements that harmed his business....more
In a recent opinion issued on June 27, the Supreme Court of Texas emphasized that the presence of negligence does not always lead to liability, and Texas law requires more from those seeking such a finding....more
On an icy winter day more than ten years ago, the driver of an F-350 pickup truck, traveling eastbound on Interstate 20, crossed a 42-foot grassy median, entered in westbound traffic, and collided with a Werner Enterprises...more
In a significant decision issued on June 27, 2025, the Supreme Court of Texas reversed a jury verdict awarding over $89 million in damages in favor of the plaintiffs in Werner Enterprises, Inc. v. Blake, holding that the...more
The Texas Supreme Court reversed a lower court’s decision against a franchisor based on a theory of negligence after a customer was assaulted by an employee of the franchisee. The court concluded that franchisor did not owe a...more
On May 2, 2025, the Texas Supreme Court held that a franchisor owes no duty of care for injuries caused by a franchisee’s employee unless the franchisor retained or exercised control over the hiring of that employee....more
Texas employers that opt out of the state’s workers’ compensation program recently received a big win that will impact litigation strategies. While workers’ comp provides a no-fault system, employers that elect not to...more
The Supreme Court of Texas recently ruled that franchisor Massage Heights did not owe a duty of care to a massage customer who alleged a sexual assault, because, among other reasons, Massage Heights had neither the...more
On May 2, 2025, the Texas Supreme Court reversed a Texas Court of Appeals’ decision that had affirmed a jury’s verdict finding a franchisor directly liable to the customer of a franchisee for actions undertaken by the...more
Chris Popov and Mike Heidler, partners at Vinson & Elkins, talk through a major opinion from the Texas Supreme Court, their role in the case, and what it means for investors in Texas companies....more
THOUGH APPLIED RARELY, A RES IPSA INSTRUCTION ON A JURY CHARGE CAN SPELL DISASTER. The Texas Supreme Court ruled recently that a trial court abused its discretion by including a res ipsa loquitur instruction on a jury...more
On December 30, 2022, the Texas Supreme Court issued its opinion in Cameron International Corporation v. Martinez, __ S.W.3d __, 2022 WL __ (Tex. Dec. 30, 2022) (per curiam) (“Cameron”). The opinion addresses vicarious...more
In Elephant Insurance Co., LLC v. Kenyon, the Supreme Court of Texas reiterated the framework of an insurer’s common-law duties to insureds under Texas law. In applying that framework to the facts of the case, the Court...more
You’ll find some notable decisions in our May Insurance Update. Appeals over pandemic-related business interruption losses have made their way up to state high courts. And so far, these courts have continued the trend...more
The Texas Civil Practices and Remedies Code, Chapter 95, limits a property owner’s liability when an independent contractor hired to construct, repair, renovate or modify an improvement to the owner’s property brings a...more
Texas Supreme Court Addresses the Political Question Doctrine - “[T]he Texas Constitution expressly enshrines the separation of powers as a fundamental principle of limited government. Accordingly, under our own...more
In a recent case, the Texas Supreme Court addressed the scope of the general contractor’s duty of care to its subcontractors’ employees on the project site. In JLB Builders, L.L.C. v. Hernandez, the Court upheld the trial...more
In this cattle-feeding dispute, cattle owner Bonsmara Natural Beef Co. and its principal George Chapman brought an action against feed yard owner Hart of Texas Cattle Feeders LLC, alleging claims including breach of contract,...more
Today, the Texas Supreme Court denied review in Wells Fargo v. Militello, No. 05-15-01252-CV, 2017 Tex. App. LEXIS 5640 (Tex. App.—Dallas June 20, 2017, pet. denied). In Militello, the court of appeals affirmed a trial...more
To conclude the series, we look at one more opinion — Serafine v. Blunt, No. 03-12-00726-CV, 2015 WL 2061922 (Tex. App.—Austin May 1, 2015). This case dealt with a property dispute, but the real interest comes from the...more
G.T. Leach Builders, LLC v. Sapphire V.P., 2015 Tex. LEXIS 273 (Tex. Mar. 20, 2015) This action arose after 2008’s Hurricane Dolly caused extensive damage to a luxury condominium project that Sapphire V.P., L.P. (“Developer”)...more
Late last week, the Texas Supreme Court clarified duties of employers for premises defects and declared that they have multiple duties to invitees/employees who come onto their property facing known dangerous conditions. ...more