Janet Elliott

17 hours ago | texaslawbook.net | Janet Elliott

The Texas Supreme Court on Friday settled a first-of-its-kind dispute over ownership of “produced water,” ruling in favor of the drilling operator over the surface estate holder in a Reeves County case. “We hold that a deed or lease using typical language to convey oil-and-gas rights, though not expressly addressing produced water, includes the substance as part of the conveyance whether the parties knew of its prospective value or not.

1 week ago | texaslawbook.net | Janet Elliott

The Austrian manufacturer of an allegedly defective airplane engine cannot be sued in Texas by a woman who was severely injured in a small plane crash at an airport in Addison, the Texas Supreme Court said Friday. The court, in a unanimous opinion, dismissed the lawsuit against BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG filed by Sheema Shaik and her husband, who witnessed the crash. It found that Texas courts have no specific personal jurisdiction over Rotax. Writing for the court, Justice Evan A.

3 weeks ago | texaslawbook.net | Janet Elliott

Business lawyers — dealmakers and litigators alike — have a lot to digest from legislation enacted during the 2025 session to make Texas an attractive state for incorporations and to expand the jurisdiction of the specialized business courts. Senate Bill 29, which went into effect last month, is designed to make it more difficult for a small group of shareholders to challenge business decisions.

3 weeks ago | texaslawbook.net | Janet Elliott

Texas state judges will get a long-overdue pay raise after members of the House and Senate voted to risk the political fallout that could come because judicial salaries are linked by law to legislative pensions. Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, said the 25 percent hike will bring the base salary of state district court judges, who handle the great majority of civil and criminal jury trials, to $175,000.

1 month ago | texaslawbook.net | Janet Elliott

The Texas Supreme Court on Friday undid a jury’s finding of negligence and $2.8 million award to 30 homeowners in rural Matagorda County who experienced flooding during Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Lead plaintiff Ricky Ellison and the other homeowners had sued Tenaris Bay City, a pipe manufacturer, claiming design defects in the facility’s drainage system. The court’s decision reversed a Harris County trial court, and the Fourteenth Court of Appeals and rendered judgment for Tenaris on all claims.