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In Hampton v. Equity Trust Co., an individual sold fraudulent investments to the plaintiff. No. 03-19-00401-CV, 2020 Tex. App. LEXIS 5674

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(Tex. App.—Austin July 23, 2020, no pet.). The individual ran a Ponzi scheme and had recommended that the plaintiff open a retirement account with Equity Trust Company. Equity Trust Company was the custodian of the plaintiff’s self-directed IRA, from which the plaintiff made the investments. After the scheme came a halt, the plaintiff sued the individual for various claims and Equity Trust Company of aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty. After a jury trial, the trial court entered judgment for the plaintiff against Equity Trust Company for aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty.…
Continue Reading A Rose By Any Other Name Would Not Smell As Sweet: Court Holds That Texas Does Not Have An Aiding And Abetting Breach Of Fiduciary Duty Claim

Joint liability for breach of fiduciary duty claims is a rather confusing area of law in Texas. Texas courts have discussed three different theories that allow for joint liability: knowing participation in breach of fiduciary duty, aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty, and conspiracy.

There is a claim for knowing participation in Texas. See…

In Schmidt v. JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., the plaintiff’s employee opened credit cards in the employer’s name, used those credit cards for the employee’s own personal use, and paid those credit card bills with funds from the employer’s operating account and/or through advances from the employer’s line of credit. No. H-17-0532, 2018 U.S.…

I.     Introduction

The Texas Legislature passed, and the Governor has signed, a new act that creates new protections for vulnerable individuals. HB 3921 creates a new chapter 280 of the Texas Finance Code and a new Article 581, Section 45, of the Texas Securities Act in the Texas Civil Statutes. The Texas Legislature now requires…

In First United Pentecostal Church of Beaumont v. Parker, a church hired an attorney to defend it against sexual abuse allegations. 2017 Tex. LEXIS 295 (Tex. March 17, 2017). During the same time, the church also engaged the attorney to assist in a hurricane/insurance claim. When the insurance company offered to pay over $1…

In CBIF v. TGI Friday’s, a joint venture partner sued the other partner for breaching fiduciary duties for unreasonably withholding consent regarding amending a lease and by acting out of its own self-interest in threatening the venture and its constituents with the total loss of the venture’s business existence if it was not paid…

In Rhymes v. Filter Res., Inc., a former employer sued a former employee and the employee’s new business for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and tortious interference related to the employee’s competition with the former employer after leaving its employ. No. 09-14-00482-CV, 2016 Tex. App. LEXIS 10394 (Tex. App.—Beaumont September 22, 2016…