Texas litigators have long relied on established methods of service such as personal delivery, certified mail, substituted service at a residence or workplace and, when those efforts fail, service by publication. As defendants have become increasingly difficult to locate through traditional means, however, many nonetheless maintain an active online presence. In response to this shift
This year, Texas enacted a procedural change with notable consequences for companies and individuals affected by litigation beyond the state’s borders. Effective August 31, 2025, the Texas Supreme Court adopted the Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act (“UIDDA”), bringing Texas in alignment with the procedural framework already used by the vast majority of U.S. jurisdictions.
Enforcing a Fed. R. Civ. P. 45 subpoena against an expert is not for the faint of heart. Rarely invoked and often resisted, issuing a Rule 45 subpoena against an expert is tough to enforce but when it works, it can unlock critical discovery. Courts are often reluctant to compel an expert to produce anything
It seems that the death of Chevron deference was not the end of agency deference. Almost a year after striking down Chevron deference, today the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision on the role of judicial deference towards an agency’s fact and scope determinations. In an opinion penned by Justice Kavanaugh, the U.S. Supreme Court
On April 16, 2025, Senator Schwertner moved to suspend the Texas Senate’s regular order of business to take up and consider Committee Substituted Senate Bill 30 (“CSSB 30”). This motion prevailed by a vote of 20 Yeas and 11 Nays. During this session, 5 different Senators proposed 6 total amendments to CCSB 30. Senator Schwertner’s
Though House Bill 4806 has not seen substantial movement since its introduction on March 13,[1] its identical counterpart, Senate Bill 30, is steadily progressing through the Texas Senate. Most recently, on April 14, 2025, Senator Schwertner distributed a substituted Senate Bill 30 to the committee on State Affairs, containing 9 substantial changes to Senate
On March 13, 2025, the Texas House of Representatives introduced House Bill 4806, authored by Representative Greg Bonnen, to limit the recovery of damages in civil actions. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick announced that Senate Bill 30 — an identical companion bill to House Bill 4806 authored by Senator Charles Schwertner — is part of
In complex litigation, the strategic use of discovery tools is not just beneficial – it’s imperative. Every litigator knows that a well-executed deposition can be a game-changer by uncovering key admissions, streamlining discovery, and exposing weaknesses in an organization defendant’s case.
Among the various
Multi-million-dollar jury awards, commonly known as nuclear or thermonuclear verdicts, are on the rise in the post-pandemic era. Consequently, practitioners are now more reliant than ever on appellate courts’ review of the legal sufficiency and the potential excessiveness of jury awards. Accordingly, this article seeks to offer practitioners a tool to assist in the pursuit
In today’s legal landscape, jury awards to personal injury plaintiffs are trending upwards. Studies show that “nuclear verdicts” are increasing in prevalence as jurors grow more critical of corporate defendants and are increasingly persuaded by provocative trial tactics from plaintiff attorneys. However, recent decisions from Louisiana and Texas show that some courts are bucking the