Program Details
2026-10-09 14:30:00
Over 1,000+ webinars
Course Overview
2026-10-09 14:30:00
2h CLE Credits
Intermediate
2
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm ESTThe Texas Business Court has quickly become one of the most significant developments in Texas commercial litigation. As parties increasingly evaluate whether complex business disputes belong in a traditional district court or the specialized Business Court, removal practice has emerged as a critical battleground.
This program examines the procedural, jurisdictional, and strategic issues associated with removing a case to the Texas Business Court. Participants will learn how to evaluate Business Court jurisdiction, satisfy the requirements of Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 355, navigate removal deadlines, address venue and operating division considerations, and litigate remand challenges. The presentation will also explore developing Business Court opinions addressing removal jurisdiction, common pitfalls that result in remand, supplemental jurisdiction issues, and the practical implications of split proceedings between the Business Court and district courts. Attendees will leave with a framework for assessing whether removal advances their client’s objectives and how to maximize the advantages of Texas’s newest commercial court system.
Craig Duewall 3:40 pm - 4:40 pm ESTThe Business Court of Texas opened on September 1, 2024, governed by Texas Government Code § 25A and Texas Rules of Civil Procedure 352–360, with appeals from every division heard by the newly created 15th Court of Appeals sitting in Austin. An action reaches the court three ways — original filing under § 25A.006(a), removal, or transfer on agreement of the parties — and getting in is not the same as staying in.
This session works the framework from both ends. Participants will learn how a qualified transaction is defined in Texas Government Code § 25A.001(14), how the $5 million amount in controversy is pleaded, and what § 25A.004(b) and (d) exclude — interest under Atlas IDF, LP v. NexPoint Real Estate Partners, LLC, plus statutory and exemplary damages, penalties, fees, and costs. It covers supplemental jurisdiction under § 25A.004(f), plea-to-the-jurisdiction practice as applied in Slant Operating, LLC v. Octane Energy Operating, LLC, and the traps that send a case back, as in In re ColossusBets Ltd. It closes on appellate review, mandamus, preserving a jurisdictional record, and drafting venue clauses under § 25A.006(a) that name a county inside an operating division. Attendees will leave able to test an action against the court’s jurisdictional requirements and draft documents that put the forum question beyond dispute.
David A. ShieldsCraig Duewall is a Shareholder at Greenberg Traurig and Co-Chair of the firm’s Texas Litigation Practice. An experienced trial lawyer who genuinely enjoys going to court, Craig frequently handles some of the most complex and interesting commercial disputes in the state. His complex commercial litigation and arbitration practice spans class actions, trade secrets, private equity investment, business divorces and breakups, environmental enforcement, oil and gas, green energy and renewable resources, power generation and utilities, energy trading, securities fraud, fiduciary duty and shareholder disputes, commercial construction, real estate development, bankruptcy, and insurance coverage. He represents both plaintiffs and defendants across the United States before state and federal trial and appellate courts and arbitration tribunals.
David A. Shields advises business leaders, professional managers, entrepreneurs, banks, and family offices on how to maximize value and manage the risks inherent in growing or exiting organizations. As Co-Managing Shareholder of Shields Legal, he also helps lead the management and administration of the firm’s growth. David engages both opportunities and challenges across a diverse range of complex commercial matters—spanning litigation, buy- and sell-side M&A, investment transactions, corporate reorganizations, commercial and multifamily real estate, and capital markets—bringing a “get it done” attitude and a relentless focus on results to every engagement.
Craig Duewall is a Shareholder at Greenberg Traurig and Co-Chair of the firm’s Texas Litigation Practice. An experienced trial lawyer who genuinely enjoys going to court, Craig frequently handles some of the most complex and interesting commercial disputes in the state. His complex commercial litigation and arbitration practice spans class actions, trade secrets, private equity investment, business divorces and breakups, environmental enforcement, oil and gas, green energy and renewable resources, power generation and utilities, energy trading, securities fraud, fiduciary duty and shareholder disputes, commercial construction, real estate development, bankruptcy, and insurance coverage. He represents both plaintiffs and defendants across the United States before state and federal trial and appellate courts and arbitration tribunals.
David A. Shields advises business leaders, professional managers, entrepreneurs, banks, and family offices on how to maximize value and manage the risks inherent in growing or exiting organizations. As Co-Managing Shareholder of Shields Legal, he also helps lead the management and administration of the firm’s growth. David engages both opportunities and challenges across a diverse range of complex commercial matters—spanning litigation, buy- and sell-side M&A, investment transactions, corporate reorganizations, commercial and multifamily real estate, and capital markets—bringing a “get it done” attitude and a relentless focus on results to every engagement.
Requirements
The Alabama State Bar MCLE Commission requires attorneys to complete 12 credits, including 1 ethics, by December 31 of each year. All credits must be reported by February 15 of the following year. A maximum of 12 credits, including 1 ethics credit, may be carried over for 1 year only.
Formats
