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Jurisdiction

Tex.

28 stories

N.D. TEX.Breaches and incidents

Racial remarks to lawyer triggered misconduct probe of Dallas federal judge Ada Brown

A misconduct complaint against U.S. District Judge Ada Brown of the Northern District of Texas followed an April 2026 sanctions hearing in Dallas at which she repeatedly called attorney Ezra Young, who is Latino, white and accused him of mistreating Black lawyers, according to a hearing transcript reported by Bloomberg Law. The complaint helped launch a Fifth Circuit investigation; Brown temporarily lost her docket and a special committee ordered a psychiatric examination. Brown denies wrongdoing.

Report (Bloomberg Law) → · ABA Journal
TEX.Regulation

Texas county judge Shane Britton resigns and accepts lifetime ban from judicial service

Brown County Judge Alan Shane Britton has agreed to resign and accept a permanent ban from judicial service in Texas under an agreement with the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. Complaints alleged he used his office to shield divorce clients he represented as a lawyer from criminal warrants. The agreement resolves the complaints without further proceedings, and the commission made no findings of fact.

Text (KTXS) → · Texas Lawyer, Texas Scorecard
5TH CIR.Court order

En banc Fifth Circuit rules detained unadmitted immigrants have no right to bond hearings

The full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled 10-7 on October 23, 2026 that immigrants who entered the country without being admitted have no constitutional right to a bond hearing while detained during deportation proceedings, even if they are long-term residents. The decision in Sosnava Rodriguez v. Vergara reverses habeas rulings that freed three Texas men and backs the administration's no-bond detention policy in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.

Order (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit) → · The Texas Tribune
TEX.Litigation

Texas attorney general sues OpenAI and Sam Altman over ChatGPT safety

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman in Collin County district court on October 23, 2026, alleging the company misled consumers about ChatGPT's safety and reliability and failed to protect minors. The 67-page petition invokes the state's Deceptive Trade Practices Act and its SCOPE Act and seeks an injunction blocking minors' access and requiring a court-appointed evaluator to approve new models.

Filing (The Texas Tribune) → · Courthouse News Service
5TH CIR.Court order

Fifth Circuit special committee orders Judge Ada Brown to explain sharing sealed documents

An October 20, 2026, order from the special committee investigating U.S. District Judge Ada Brown of the Northern District of Texas for the Fifth Circuit judicial council says Brown emailed confidential investigation materials and sealed court documents to approximately 140 judges, lawyers and journalists. The order directs Brown to answer three written questions by October 27 and urges her to reconsider her refusal to take part in the misconduct proceedings.

Order (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit) → · ABA Journal
TEX.People moves

Ashurst Perkins Coie opens Houston office with Bracewell partners Tom Tomlinson and Tamara McKinzie

Ashurst Perkins Coie on October 19, 2026, launched a Houston office with two partners from Bracewell: Thomas Tomlinson, who joins its projects, energy, environment and resources group, and Tamara McKinzie, who joins its real estate group. Houston becomes the firm's third Texas office after Dallas and Austin, and its first new office since the merged firm officially launched in July 2026.

Announcement (The Lawyer) → · Legal Business, Ashurst Perkins Coie
N.D. TEX.Court order

Fifth Circuit Judicial Council makes public misconduct orders against Judge Ada Brown

The Judicial Council of the Fifth Circuit on October 19, 2026, made public orders in misconduct proceedings against U.S. District Judge Ada Brown of the Northern District of Texas. It acted after Brown emailed the confidential materials to others, including reporters, on October 17. A September 29 order temporarily reassigned her cases and removed her from new assignments for three months.

Order (Judicial Council of the Fifth Circuit) → · ABA Journal, The Texas Lawbook
TEX.People moves

Ashurst Perkins Coie hires Bracewell energy lawyer Tamara McKinzie in Houston

Ashurst Perkins Coie has hired energy and finance lawyer Tamara L. McKinzie from Bracewell in Houston, even though the firm has no office in the city, Bloomberg Law reported on October 15, 2026, citing two people familiar with the situation. One source said the firm, formed in the June merger of Ashurst and Perkins Coie, is eyeing more Houston hires with energy and mining expertise.

Announcement (Bloomberg Law) → · The Lawyer

Rulings this week

All court orders

TEX.People moves

Tyson & Mendes opens Austin office led by Jennifer Akre

Insurance defense trial firm Tyson & Mendes opened an office in Austin, Texas, led by branch office managing partner Jennifer Akre, with incoming partners Barrie Beer and Allison Vann and senior counsel Amber Dunten, the firm announced October 12, 2026. Law360 Pulse reported the opening adds three attorneys from Chartwell. The firm also named new leaders for its Dallas and Lubbock offices.

Announcement (Tyson & Mendes) → · Law360 Pulse
TEX.Litigation

Texas Supreme Court justices signal openness to AI-generated deposition transcripts

Several Texas Supreme Court justices indicated during October 6, 2026, oral arguments that the cost savings of AI-transcribed depositions may outweigh accuracy concerns. The case, a wrongful termination suit by Patrick Hughey against Reddico Construction Co., asks whether he can use an AI-generated transcript that lower courts excluded because a certified shorthand reporter did not prepare it.

Filing (Bloomberg Law) → · ABA Journal
CAL.Roundup

State and local law roundup, week ending October 2, 2026: 23 developments

Twenty-three state and local measures dated September 25 to 29, 2026. California enacted laws on prescribed fire, children's meals, added-sugar menu warnings, diaper ingredients, disposable vapes, supplement sales to minors and disability-form fees. North Dakota, Texas, Arkansas and Georgia issued fuel emergency orders. New Jersey and New York signed school, reentry, Rutgers and climate bills, Massachusetts set emergency adult foster care rates, and San Jose paused detention-facility applications.

Entries (California Legislative Information) → · North Dakota Office of the Governor, City of San Jose, Office of the City Clerk (Legistar), Office of the Texas Governor +6
JAPANPeople moves

Mori Hamada plans Dallas, Houston, and Kyoto offices for 2027 expansion

Law.com and Global Legal Post reported on October 2, 2026, that Japanese Big Four firm Mori Hamada & Matsumoto plans to open offices in Dallas and Houston in the first half of 2027, plus a Kyoto office that would be its ninth in Japan. The Texas launches would give the firm five U.S. offices after New York and the San Francisco Bay Area, targeting finance, manufacturing, logistics, energy, and Japan-related M&A work.

Announcement (Law.com International) → · Global Legal Post
TEX.People moves

Buchalter absorbs Griffith Davison, adding Fort Worth, Austin, and Houston offices

Law.com's Texas Lawyer reported on October 1, 2026, that Buchalter absorbed Texas boutique Griffith Davison, expanding its Dallas office and opening Fort Worth, Austin, and Houston locations. The combination brings more than 40 Texas lawyers into Buchalter; Scott Griffith will chair construction litigation and Kimber Davison will serve as Texas regional managing partner.

Announcement (Law.com Texas Lawyer) → · Buchalter
TEX.Litigation

Texas Supreme Court to hear whether an AI-made deposition transcript can be used without a certified court reporter

The Supreme Court of Texas will hear argument on October 6, 2026 in In re Patrick Hughey, No. 25-0463, on whether a trial court could quash depositions taken through the AI platform Skribe.ai and strike the transcript it produced without a certified shorthand reporter. Reddico Construction and the National Court Reporters Association defend the order under Government Code chapter 154; an AI law institute's brief backs the relator.

Filing (Supreme Court of Texas) →
IDAHOProduct launches

Sorren adds lawyer-owned practice through Mansfield & Mayo rebranding

Accounting and advisory firm Sorren launched an affiliated legal practice built around Mansfield & Mayo, with Sorren Law remaining owned by lawyers. Reuters reported that Sorren and the lawyers co-invested in a separate management services organization providing administrative support, while the law practice plans to expand into additional markets.

Announcement (Sorren) → · Reuters
N.D. TEX.Court order

Northern District of Texas denies OpenAI motion to compel confidential Apple settlement in AI antitrust suit

U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman denied OpenAI's emergency motion to compel production of a confidential settlement agreement between Apple, X Corp, and SpaceXAI in an antitrust lawsuit over artificial intelligence integration. Following an in camera inspection, the court held that the agreement contains no information relevant to summary judgment or trial issues. The court cited federal policy protecting confidential settlements to encourage compromise, noting discovery had closed on July 31, 2026.

Order (U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas) → · Politico, 9to5Mac, MLex
N.D. TEX.Litigation

X Corp and SpaceXAI move to dismiss antitrust claims against Apple in Texas AI monopoly suit

Elon Musk's X Corp and SpaceXAI LLC moved to dismiss with prejudice their antitrust claims against Apple in Texas federal court on September 14, resolving allegations that Apple conspired with OpenAI to monopolize smartphone and generative AI markets. Plaintiffs stated the dismissal does not affect their ongoing antitrust claims against OpenAI entities. The filing did not disclose settlement terms. OpenAI stated it was not party to the agreement and requested disclosure of its terms.

Motion (U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas) → · Reuters, CNBC, Al Jazeera +1