In the wake of widespread power losses during Winter Storm Uri, thousands of individuals, businesses, and insurance companies sued over 500 defendants that participate in the Texas electric power and natural gas markets, seeking billions of dollars in damages. As a whole, the litigation essentially challenges the structure of the Texas electric power market and the duties owed between power generators, transmission companies, retail providers, and customers.
Two-and-a-half years after the consequential winter storm, The Texas Lawbook will host a 90-minute CLE webcast featuring some of the lawyers involved in the litigation, including:
- Tré Fischer, partner at Jackson Walker and chair of the Houston Trial & Appellate Litigation practice
- Matt Henry, senior vice president, general counsel and secretary for Oncor
- Andy Wright, chief administrative officer at Talen Energy
- Barry Barnett, partner at Susman Godfrey
From inception, Jackson Walker had an important role in the joint defences efforts. One of the first tasks was to successfully advocate to the Texas Supreme Court’s Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to establish a multi-district litigation (MDL) proceeding to consolidate the cases before a single court for pre-trial matters. The MDL is now pending in Harris County Texas District Court, Master Cause No. 2021-41903.
Tré Fischer was nominated by the joint defence group and its steering committee and was appointed by the Court to serve as Defendants’ liaison counsel. In that role, he helps coordinate the group’s defense efforts among the more than 500 defendants.
During the upcoming CLE webcast, Tré will discuss the status and import of the litigation.
