Branscomb Law Adds A. Cade Mason
We are pleased to announce attorney A. Cade Mason has joined Branscomb Law as an associate. Cade joins the firm’s business law group. He will focus his practice on business law, including, mergers and acquisitions, securities, and financing. Mason received his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center, cum laude, in 2013; and […]
Agreeing To Make Someone An Additional Insured Can Cost You
Imagine this scenario: ABC Contractors and XYZ Corp. enter into a construction contract. The contract requires ABC to indemnify XYZ if ABC is negligent and someone sues XYZ as a result. The contract also requires ABC to indemnify XYZ against all claims by ABC’s employees that arise out of the work, even if XYZ is at […]
Perfection of Security Interests in LLC Units and Partnership Interests
Lenders are accepting membership interests in limited liability companies (LLCs) and partnership interests in partnerships (referred to as equity interests) as collateral for loans now more than ever. Any lender taking a security interest in these types of collateral should be aware of the different methods of perfecting that security interest. A lender’s failure to […]
Interpretation is in the Eye of the Beholder
For decades, Texas courts have been stymied by the issue of deed construction, particularly in the context of mineral conveyances. With the development of the Eagle Ford Shale, there has been an increase in disputes where the central issue is the effect of a deed. This trend is likely to continue with the ongoing development […]
New HSR Thresholds for 2014
Based upon changes in the gross national product, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced the annual revisions to the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act (the HSR Act) thresholds which apply to any transaction closing on or after February 24, 2014. Revisions to thresholds are more particularly described as follows: A. Size of Person threshold satisfaction […]
Branscomb Adds Attorneys, Space To Expand Regional Water, Real Estate and Litigation Practices
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS (February 7, 2014) – Attorneys Rhonda Jolley, Grady Jolley, Jessica Mann and Carly Hawthorne have joined Branscomb Law, bolstering the South Texas regional law firm’s existing real estate and litigation groups and bringing the firm an active water law practice. Rhonda Jolley and Grady Jolley join the now 29-lawyer Branscomb as shareholders in its […]
Hot Topics in Estate Planning
A quick recap of some hot topics in the estate planning world this year: Portability is here to stay. Portability, as the name suggests, enables the porting of a married decedent’s unused estate and gift tax credit to the surviving spouse. In the past, this required a credit-shelter or bypass trust. Portability can therefore add […]
Three Clauses Every Texas Industrial Contractor Should Negotiate For
Almost every industrial service contractor has had the experience of trying to collect from a difficult customer on an invoice. Sometimes these issues can be predicted before the project, but often they cannot. Once the dispute arises, it’s too late to add helpful terms to the deal, so the time for a contractor to protect […]
Destination Bayfront
In less than a month (November 5, with early voting October 21—November 1), the citizens of Corpus Christi in a special bond election will be asked to approve the City’s financial contribution to Destination Bayfront, an ambitions public-private plan to dramatically upgrade a 34 acre area along Corpus Christi Bay just south of downtown. The […]
Texas Supreme Court Creates a New Way to Stop Baseless Litigation Immediately
Many times our clients are sued in Texas state court with no legal basis. Then, they spend months and thousands of dollars of legal fees defending the case before a motion for summary judgment can be filed and the case can be thrown out. Now, defendants have a new option to do this immediately after […]
