{Sigh} The Texas Supreme Court did not hand down any notable decisions this morning. That can be a good thing. So we move on to other news.
NEW CHIEF: Governor Perry has elevated associate justice Wallace Jefferson to Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court. Jefferson, a Republican, is the first African American to serve in the top spot. Texas Update has known Judge Jefferson for years. He will do a good job. His first speech was given last Friday to the Texas Association of Defense Counsel at its annunal meeting in San Antonio. See below.
NEW PRESIDENT: Our Partner David Chamberlain was also elected President of the Texas Association of Defense Counsel last Friday at the annual meeting. This association is the largest state group of defense lawyers in the United States and among the largest defense organizations of any type in the entire country. In addition to Chief Jefferson, new Texas Supreme Court Associate Justice Paul Green and Texas Comptroller Carol Keeton Strayhorn also spoke to the association last Friday. Strayhorn is expected to run for Texas Governor. You will be happy to know that she told the group that she opposes sales taxes on legal services
SAN FRANCISCO: You may have already heard this, butt we could not resist exposing this legal story from across state lines. San Fran prosecutors Wednesday said it was not illegal to perform naked yoga in the city — even at the crowded tourist destination of Fisherman’s Wharf. Prosecutors dropped charges against a limber nudist, known locally as the “Naked Yoga Guy,” who made a habit of striking yoga poses in the buff in order to promote a book and his lifestyle.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “People sue theme parks because the haunted houses are too scary, they sue the Weather Channel for an inaccurate forecast, and they sue McDonalds claiming a hot pickle dropped from a hamburger caused a burn and mental injury,” U.S. Representative Lamar Smith said in the house congressional debate on federal lawsuit reform. That’s odd. We never get cases that are that easy to defend.
And this story appeared this week in the Austin Business Journal:
Chamberlain & McHaney Move to New 11,600 S.F. Offices, Commercial Texas Negotiates Lease
Commercial Texas represented Chamberlain & McHaney in the firm’s new lease of the penthouse at 301 Congress Avenue, Suite 2100, in downtown Austin. The firm, which represents companies and major insurers, including leading Fortune 500 enterprises in all major areas of litigation, has made the move to the new 11,600 square foot space to accommodate ongoing expansion.
“Our firm wanted to both prepare for near-term expansion and leverage the current office market in Austin,” stated David Chamberlain, Senior Partner, Chamberlain & McHaney.