Mary Alice Robbins

August 09, 2002 | Law.com

As chairman of the Federal Judicial Evaluation Committee that helps select U.S. district judges for Texas, Dan Hedges forged a reputation for assessing quality candidates in a nonpartisan and uncontroversial way. So it was ironic when Hedges and his wife, Adele, a longtime justice on Houston`s 1st Court of Appeals, recently landed themselves in a judicial imbroglio. Hedges participated in a July 29 press conference defending one of Gov. Rick Perry`s campaign ads on the same day his wife interviewe

By JOHN COUNCIL and MARY ALICE ROBBINS

7 minute read

November 21, 2007 | Law.com

A federal magistrate judge in Massachusetts is deciding whether a Texas lawyer should receive one-third of his ship worker clients' whistleblower awards for informing authorities about a shipping company's illegal dumping of oily sludge. Attorney Zachary J. Hawthorn's contingency fee request, which is opposed by prosecutors, would amount to $291,677. Another attorney says that fee requests by lawyers representing other whistleblowers did not top $10,000 each, but Hawthorn says his work was more difficult.

By Mary Alice Robbins

7 minute read

December 31, 2012 | Texas Lawyer

Half of the 80 active judges who serve on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and the federal district and bankruptcy benches in Texas took one or more trips paid for by law schools, think tanks and other groups, according to the judges' financial disclosure reports for 2011.

By Mary Alice Robbins

8 minute read

March 26, 2001 | Law.com

Only 10.3 percent of the law clerks and staff attorneys at state appellate courts in Texas are minorities, but that's understandable given the "extremely small potential applicant pool," says 4th Court of Appeals Chief Justice Phil Hardberger. Hardberger is doing a study of the situation for a state legislative panel, revealing challenges to diversity goals on more than one front.

By Mary Alice Robbins

8 minute read

May 17, 2010 | Texas Lawyer

The 4th Court of Appeals held recently that Dynegy Inc.'s statute-of-frauds defense bars a Houston criminal defense attorney's claim for his fees for defending a former officer of the company. The court's decision hinges on the fact the attorney did not have a written fee contract with Dynegy. In its May 12 decision in Dynegy Inc. v. Yates, et al., San Antonio's 4th Court reversed the trial court's more than $2.5 million judgment in favor of Terry W. Yates and Terry W. Yates PC and rendered a take-nothing judgment in favor of Dynegy.

By Mary Alice Robbins

6 minute read

September 24, 2012 | Texas Lawyer

Although the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has a reputation as a pro-prosecution court, defendants won several important victories in the 2011-2012 term, which ended Aug. 31. But prosecutors still found reason to cheer. "My impression was it was a very balanced year," says John Stride, senior appellate attorney for the Texas District and County Attorneys Association.

By Mary Alice Robbins

11 minute read

December 20, 2004 | National Law Journal

A 44-year-old woman diagnosed with cervical cancer found an angel recently when she needed transportation. Solo practitioner Mike Stocker, a volunteer pilot for Angel Flight, a nonprofit organization that provides patients free transportation to medical facilities, flew his six-seater, twin-engine Beechcraft Baron to Stillwater to pick up the woman and her 17-year-old son and transported them to Houston.

By Mary Alice RobbinsALM news service

4 minute read

April 25, 2002 | Law.com

A proposed disciplinary rule barring lawyers from having sex with their clients isn't likely to be submitted to State Bar of Texas members until after the 2003 session of the Legislature. Legal ethics experts participating in a panel discussion at the University of Texas School of Law disagreed about the need for such a rule, saying that specific rules governing sexual relationships can sometimes do more harm than good.

By Mary Alice Robbins

5 minute read

April 18, 2002 | Law.com

On April 4, Texas Gov. Rick Perry unveiled a number of proposals, including a $250,000 cap on non-economic damages, to address the state's malpractice insurance crisis. Just four days later, physicians in several Texas cities staged a "walkout" to draw attention to the impact they claim medical-malpractice suits have on their insurance rates and the availability of health care.

By Mary Alice Robbins

8 minute read

August 19, 2013 | Texas Lawyer

In representing American Airlines Inc. in suits against the largest U.S. ticket distribution systems, Yetter Coleman had to deal with more than 5 million documents, complex issues and, in the midst of litigation, the bankruptcy filing by the client's parent company.

By Mary Alice Robbins

4 minute read