Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals News

The Fifth Circuit's affirmance last week of a $44.4 million trade secrets award in the Wellogix v. Accenture case is a weighty reminder of the power of circumstantial evidence in trade secrets cases, and the importance of getting rid of your collaborator's trade secrets after a co-development or joint venture project ends.

The Associated Press 5/21/13 Austin- A federal appeals court has upheld a Texas law that says 18-20-year-olds cannot receive a concealed handgun license.

The Supreme Court on Monday ruled in favor of deferring to administrative agencies in determining the scope of their own jurisdiction, issuing a 6-3 decision that featured a sharp dissent from Chief Justice John Roberts Jr.

The Supreme Court Monday held that a court must give Chevron deference to an agency's interpretation of an ambiguity in a statute over the limits of its authority.

A federal appeals panel has upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by a group of Mississippi Gulf Coast residents and landowners who alleged that emissions by energy companies contributed to global warming, which intensified Hurricane Katrina, which, in turn, damaged their property.

Fred L. Banks Jr., senior partner at Phelps Dunbar and former presiding justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court, was recently honored with the American Inns of Court Professionalism Award at the 2013 Judicial Conference of the Fifth Circuit in Fort Worth, Texas.

Last week brought reports of a deal to chop as much as a decade off the prison term of Jeff Skilling, the former Enron CEO and convicted fraudster.

A federal appeals panel has upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by a group of Mississippi coastal landowners who alleged that emissions by energy companies contributed to global warming, which intensified Hurricane Katrina, which, in turn, damaged their property.

Middle-aged workers took a hit during the economic downturn, with many being laid off from long-held positions.

The Associated Press 5/13/13 Houston- A federal appeals court has refused to stop the scheduled execution this week of a man convicted of killing a Houston police officer 14 years ago this week.

An ERISA plan could sue a special needs trust in order to obtain reimbursement for medical costs borne on behalf of a plan beneficiary injured in an automobile accident, the en banc 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in reversing judgment.

A former New Orleans police officer has appealed a judge's refusal to free him on bond while he awaits a retrial on charges he shot and killed a man without justification outside a strip mall in Hurricane Katrina's aftermath.

Associated Press/David J. Phillip, File - FILE - In this Oct. 23, 2006, file photo former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling, left, leaves the federal courthouse with his attorney Daniel Petrocelli, right, after being sentenced to 292 months in federal prison.

After multiple rounds of appeals and years of litigation, the government came to an agreement today with Jeffrey Skilling, the former CEO of Enron, that will reduce his sentence by up to ten years.

An often contentious issue in maritime litigation involving both personal injury and property damage is whether the wheelman in charge of a towing vessel that exceeds 26 violated the so-called "twelve-hour rule." According to 46 U.S.C. 8104 , "an individual licensed to operate a towing vessel may not work for more than 12 hours in a consecutive ... (more)

A Houston judge will rule in June on whether to reduce convicted former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling's sentence from 24 years to a period between 14 years and 17 and-a-half years.

U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge James Graves claps during the Mississippi Trailblazers awards ceremony Saturday night.

Scott Schlegel, a former Jefferson Parish prosecutor, will be sitting on the 24th Judicial District bench after decisively defeating Hilary Landry for the seat left open when Judge Robert Murphy was elected last fall to the Louisiana 5th Circuit Court of Appeal.

Former Jefferson Parish Attorney Tom Wilkinson, right, arriving at federal court with his attorney, Ralph Whalen.

The Honorable Fred L. Banks, Jr., has been selected to receive the prestigious American Inns of Court Professionalism Award for the 5th Circuit.