Mayer Brown LLP has snagged a former Thompson & Knight LLP partner as part of its efforts to expand its corporate and securities practice amid a climate of increasing drilling activities in 2012 and ongoing mergers and acquisitions in the oil and gas sector, the firm said Monday (more…)

www.mayerbrown.com

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Godwin Ronquillo PC, the noted Texas litigation and appellate law firm, with offices in Dallas and Houston, is proud to announce the addition of new Shareholder, Keeli L. Rule (more…)

www.godwinronquillo.com

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Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. (NYSE: ETP) and Sunoco, Inc. (NYSE: SUN) have announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement whereby ETP will acquire Sunoco in a unit and cash transaction valued at US$50.13 per share, or a total consideration of approximately US$5.3 billion, based on ETP’s closing price on April 27, 2012 (more…)

www.lw.com

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Trimble Navigation Ltd. announced today that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire SketchUp, a 3D modeling platform, from Google. Global law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges represented Trimble on the transaction, which is expected to close in the second quarter 2012 subject to customary closing conditions. Financial terms were not disclosed (more…)

www.weil.com

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Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. (NYSE: SPH), has announced a definitive agreement with Inergy, L.P., Inergy GP, LLC and Inergy Sales & Service, Inc. to acquire the sole membership interest in and to Inergy Propane, LLC, now owned by Inergy, including certain wholly owned subsidiaries of Inergy Propane, LLC, and the assets of Inergy Sales (more…)

www.lw.com

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Morgan Lewis today announced that Charley Moore—a leading oil and gas litigation and regulatory practitioner who is a former General Counsel of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)—has joined the firm as a partner in its Energy Practice, resident in Houston (more…)

www.morganlewis.com

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With the presidential election just around the corner, the fight over voting legislation is at its usual peak.  Texas continues to be a battleground for determining voter registration guidelines and combating voter fraud.  The current political environment makes the Lone Star State a hotbed for any lawyer who specializes in voting and election law, and things are bound to heat up even more as Election Day approaches.

The Star Telegram reported that although Texas politicians are moving to block certain initiatives, local voters are finally beginning to receive their voter registration certificates. There is an extraordinary amount of conflict surrounding the issuing of such cards because some people claim it is nearly impossible for minorities to get approved for the slips, which are required when casting a vote.

Lawyers who wish to represent either side of the problem should be aware of the unique requirements that Texas has when it comes to changing voter law. Essentially, Texas must apply for approval from either the Justice Department or a federal court to change any aspect of the voting process.

“Discovery requests represent an unwarranted federal intrusion into the operations of the Texas Legislature,” Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott told the news source.

The next trial is scheduled for July 9th.

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As the national unemployment rate drops and the economy continues to grow, more people are being hired across the United States.  This employment boom has also hit the legal industry, in which lawyers and other professionals are being scooped up in numbers not seen in a long time.  If you are a lawyer seeking legal recruitment, now is a good time to enter the American job market.

Recently, independent researcher The Conference Board released its Help Wanted OnLine (HWOL) Data Series, which evaluates vacancies in companies that advertise online.  Current numbers are the second highest they have ever been, and legal jobs are among the professions that have risen the most.

“In the last three months labor demand picked up in two traditional white-collar office occupations – legal and office and administrative support,” said Conference Board vice president June Shelp, according to the Wall Street Journal. “These recent gains are a welcome sign that these occupations are now finally posting advertised vacancies after a sluggish performance last year.”

According to the news source, the number of vacant legal jobs rose by 26 percent since January of 2012, resulting in 5,600 open positions. The jobs in the highest demand were lawyers, paralegals and legal assistants.  Texas was among the states with the highest demand for lawyers, which is good news for professionals who wish to relocate to the Lone Star state.

The attorney headhunters at Kinney Recruiting can help you find a position in Texas that is geared toward your specific strengths and goals.   Every career move requires careful consideration and thorough research, and the recruiters at Kinney can provide you with an unparalleled level of insight and knowledge.

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Andrews Kurth LLP is pleased to announce that noted public finance attorney Adrian Patrick Patterson has joined the Houston office as a Partner in the firm’s Public Law practice (more…)

www.andrewskurth.com

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Apr 27, 2012 | Associates' Corner | 
By: Editor

With the current headline grabbing self-defense case in Florida, it is important for lawyers and legal professionals to know the particulars of home-defense legislation throughout the United States.  The rights afforded to attackees differ wildly from state to state, with some having no such clauses and other areas leaving the rules open to interpretation.  Lawyers who are relocating to Texas should be especially careful, because castle laws are often very complicated and can easily be misconstrued.  Consider the following brief overview of Texas statutes.

The Castle Doctrine law, also known as Texas Senate Bill 378, is responsible for governing the behavior of citizens who feel threatened by an attacking person.  The bill takes its name from the assumption that people’s homes are their castles, and they therefore have the right to defend any property that they own.  This includes a store (or even a car) and extends to the land surrounding them.  For example, if a Texan is standing on his front lawn, he is legally allowed to be there and may defend it accordingly.

However, certain conditions need to be met before a person can fight back.  In court, it must be proven that unprovoked force was being used by the attacker and that the defendant was not engaged in any criminal activity themselves, according to My San Antonio.

Lawyers who specialize in defense and criminal law must be aware of the details of this law when entering the Texas market.  If you are considering a move to Texas, the best legal recruitment firms can provide you with job search strategies and unique advice to aid in the process.   Contact the attorney headhunters at Kinney Recruiting to jump start your career today!

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The law firm of Thompson & Knight LLP is pleased to announce that Gary D. Compton has joined the Firm’s Austin office as a member of the Firm’s Oil and Gas Practice Group (more…)

www.tklaw.com

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Paul Hastings LLP, a leading global law firm, announced today the opening of an office in Houston, Texas and the addition of three leading energy- focused transactional partners (more…)

www.paulhastings.com

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