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Introduction. The San Antonio Court of Appeals has held that a property owner’s personal injury premises defect claim sounded in negligence rather than premises liability, even though the injuries were not caused by a contemporaneous activity of the contractor allegedly at fault. Arredondo v. Techserv Consulting & Training, Ltd., 567 S.W.3d 383 Tex. App.—San…

Lawsuits involving alleged violations by former employees of non-competition agreements are often hotly contested and involve injunctive relief. These cases can be challenging for the employer to obtain relief because covenants not to compete are governed by statutory law requiring these restrictive covenants to be reasonable as to time, geographical area, and scope of activity…

In Texas, a plaintiff filing a lawsuit pertaining to a construction project for damages arising out of the provision of services by licensed design professionals such as architects or engineers, must file an affidavit by a competent expert with the lawsuit supporting the claims against these professionals. Otherwise, the lawsuit will be dismissed.

This issue…

Introduction. The Texas Supreme Court recently reversed another multi-million dollar business fraud verdict in Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC v. Carduco, Inc., 16-0644, 2019 WL 847845, at *1 (Tex. Feb. 22, 2019). The court found that the underlying contract between the parties negated the fraud claim.

Background. In this case, Carduco, Inc. entered into…

Introduction. The Texas Supreme Court has now held that contractual limitation of liability clauses barring  a party’s right to recover punitive damages are enforceable, even if one of the parties to the contract commits fraud.  Bombardier Aerospace Corp. v. SPEP Aircraft Holdings, LLC, 17-0578, 2019 WL 406075, at *8 (Tex. Feb. 1, 2019)

Background…

The Texas Supreme Court has finally put to rest the question of whether the implied warranty to repair or modify tangible goods or property in a good and workmanlike manner can only be brought by a consumer under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (DTPA) or whether it can be brought under the common law…

In 2011, the Texas Legislature passed the Texas Citizens Participation Act (TCPA) also characterized as an anti-SLAPP statute (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation). “The purpose of this [Act] is to encourage and safeguard the constitutional rights of persons to petition, speak freely, associate freely, and otherwise participate in government to the maximum extent permitted…

The constructive trust is a powerful weapon that plaintiffs can use against defendants who have breached their fiduciary duties or committed fraud. In one Texas case, the court of appeals actually affirmed the trial court’s award to the plaintiffs of all the assets in the business owned by the defendant who breached his fiduciary duties…

Texas Corporate directors and officers owe fiduciary duties of obedience, loyalty and due care to the corporation.  Gearhart Indus., Inc. v. Smith Intern., Inc., 741 F.2d 707, 719 (5th Cir. 1984); Loy v. Harter, 128 S.W.3d 397, 407 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 2004, pet. denied). In this context, directors and officers are probably most often found…

Introduction. In Texas, officers and directors of a corporation owe fiduciary duties to the corporation. “Three broad duties stem from the fiduciary status of corporate directors; namely, the duties of obedience, loyalty, and due care. Ubelaker at 781–82. The duty of obedience requires a director to avoid committing ultra vires acts, i.e., acts beyond…