Cowles & Thompson, P.C.

05/27/2026

$2 billion. One of Dallas's largest employment and medical hubs. A project the Urban Design Peer Review Panel called one that will "change the landscape of Dallas for the next 150 years."

The Southwestern Medical District Transformation Project will reshape mobility, public health, and economic activity across the corridor. At June's Leadership Briefing, David Biegler, Chairman of the Southwestern Medical District, and Janette Monear, President & CEO of Texas Trees Foundation, will walk through the project's scope and the public-private partnership driving the work.

Register at ndcc.org.

05/27/2026

When a loved one dies, what happens when there are multiple versions of a Will? Attorney Reagan Wish walks through the repercussions of having multiple Wills at the time of death and the process of bringing a Will to probate when it is one of several versions.

What are the repercussions of having multiple Wills at the time of death, and the process of bringing a Will to probate when it is one of several versions?

05/26/2026

Child custody during the Summer months follows the Texas Standard Possession Order. But, it's also important to consult your Divorce Decree for specific terms for your unique possession plan. Family Law attorney Jack Beesley details the Texas SPO, Summer Possession Period, including example activities in his article, "Fathers' Rights: Summer Possession Schedules and Maximizing Time with Your Children."

While divorced fathers generally see their children less during the school year (than do divorced mothers), summer provides a great opportunity for fathers to spend more quality time with their children. Family Law attorney Jack Beesely explains the Summer Possession Period and options in Texas.

05/25/2026

Our offices are closed today, in remembrance of Memorial Day & in honor of those who served.

05/20/2026

The Bankruptcy Update by Bill Siegel, inc: Saks, Del Monte, QVC, FAT Brands, more.

>Home Depot partner Wren Kitchens filed for Ch. 7 bankruptcy and shuttered its doors. In 2024, the strategic partnership put Wren appliances in showrooms across the East Coast. https://www.inc.com/moses-jeanfrancois/wren-kitchens-home-depot-bankruptcy/91337392

>Morgan Stanley Capital International Report: Private credit funds have marked down over 10% of ​their loans by at least 50%; corporate borrowers struggle with growing debt burdens; loan valuation Saks Global settled with landlord Simon Property Group and struck a separate deal with the unsecured creditors committee & senior lenders. Saks also won court approval for a financing package to raise up to $500M from investors. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-24/saks-settles-fight-with-simon-property-cuts-deal-with-creditors?embedded-checkout=true

>The Del Monte Bankruptcy & closure of 2 California processing facilities left peach growers set to destroy roughly 420,000 clingstone peach trees. This after the USDA approved up to $9M in federal relief funding to help California farmers remove about 3,000 acres of peach orchards ahead of the 2026 harvest season. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2026/05/06/del-monte-bankruptcy-sparks-peach-tree-removal-california/89967320007/

>Three groups of QVC shareholders requested appointment of an official equity committee to investigate an “intercompany settlement” under QVC’s pre-arranged, fast-tracked Ch. 11 plan. Parent company QVC Group, Inc (QVCG) is alleged to have shifted substantial value from QVCG’s shareholders and into QVC Inc. creditors' pockets. https://ionanalytics.com/insights/debtwire/qvc-preferred-equity-trades-up-as-shareholders-abandon-request-for-equity-committee-usd-400m-value-stripping-settlement-still-subject-to-scrutiny-legal-analysis/?utm_source=newsletter_partnership_ABI&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ABI+Newsletter_20260508

>FAT Brands Inc. creditors moved to block the company’s proposed bankruptcy sale of several restaurant brands. Per the Committee of Unsecured Creditors, a pending lender takeover overvalues lenders’ leverage & would leave the brand operator’s estate unable to pay senior claims. https://news.bloomberglaw.com/bankruptcy-law/fat-brands-creditors-challenge-bankruptcy-sales-lender-takeover

>Miyoshi America Inc., a leader in pigments & powders for major cosmetics brands, filed a pre-packaged Ch. 11 plan of reorganization seeking to resolve alleged talc- & asbestos-related liabilities asserted in lawsuits against the company and to continue operating in a business-as-usual manner. https://www.thestreet.com/retail/miyoshi-america-files-for-chapter-11-bankruptcy

The cosmetics company files for a prepackaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan to address alleged talc- and asbestos-related liabilities.

05/18/2026

We all know our devices are "listening..." But when it comes to divorce and digital evidence -- what does your phone know?

Family Law attorney Claire E. James explains how and when the "digital footprint" may be used as evidence in a divorce case.

Digital evidence is central to modern divorce litigation and cell phones are often key witnesses. Claire James connects digital footprint and divorce strategy.

05/14/2026

Facing Divorce? Our Family Law attorneys, Lené Alley DeRudder, Claire E. James, and Jack Beesley, have recently published topical, helpful articles such as:

Untangling a Lifetime: The Unique Challenges of Gray Divorce
https://www.cowlesthompson.com/resources/practice/family-law/untangling-a-lifetime-challenges-of-gray-divorce/

"Business" vs. "Value": What Actually Gets Divided in Divorce?
https://www.cowlesthompson.com/resources/practice/family-law/business-vs-value-what-actually-gets-divided-in-divorce/

Digital Evidence in Divorce: What Does Your Phone Know?
https://www.cowlesthompson.com/resources/practice/family-law/digital-evidence-in-divorce-what-does-your-phone-know/

Fathers' Rights: Summer Possession Schedules and Maximizing Time with Your Children
https://www.cowlesthompson.com/resources/practice/family-law/fathers-rights-summer-possession-schedules/

Read more here: https://www.cowlesthompson.com/news/?_categories=family-law

05/13/2026

We area pleased to share that Nathaniel Ntuk recently joined Cowles Thompson. Nathaniel is an Associate Attorney in the Insurance Litigation and Tort Litigation practice groups. He is a graduate of the SMU Dedman School of Law, where he competed in the Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court competition. As an SMU undergrad, he concentrated on Political Science and Saxophone Performance - including as Leader of the SMU Mustang Band saxophone section.

Nathaniel Ntuk is an Associate Attorney in the Cowles Thompson Insurance Litigation and Tort Litigation practice areas.

05/12/2026

When the title to real property is transferred for the express purpose of placing it out of reach of a known creditor, the transfer is a fraudulent conveyance (or fraudulent transfer).

So, how would a creditor construct deal terms to prevent this? Bankruptcy and Creditors' Rights attorney Bill Siegel explains.

Bill Siegel looks at a 2nd Circuit opinion and explains how a creditor might construct deal terms to prevent fraudulent conveyance.

05/11/2026

ICYMI: We recently welcomed two new attorneys to our Insurance Litigation and Tort Litigation practice teams:

Associate Tavia J. Williams, Esq. - A 2025 graduate of Texas A&M University School of Law, where she was active in Mock Trial and the SMU Science and Technology Law Review. View her bio here: https://www.cowlesthompson.com/attorneys/tavia-williams/

Senior Counsel Mary Jo Betzen - A 2015 cm laude graduate of Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, where she was also part of the SMU Science and Technology Review, plus a member of the Phi Delta Phi International Legal Society. View her bio here:

https://www.cowlesthompson.com/attorneys/mary-jo-betzen/

05/08/2026

During a divorce, how do spouses prove what is theirs? A court has authority to divide community property, but may not divide separate property. When it comes to separate property, the only authority a court has in a divorce is to confirm it. Thus, it is important for an individual going through divorce to generally understand what constitutes community versus separate property and what is required to prove what is asserted as separate property. Family Law attorney Lené Alley DeRudder explains in her article, "Separate vs. Community Property in Texas Divorce."

How does Texas look at Community Property and Separate Property, and how do divorcing spouses prove what is rightfully theirs?