Chairman's Letter

Hello friends,

September marks two years since the Texas Business Courts opened their doors, and the early data suggests where mid-market litigation is landing. Between the court’s launch on September 1, 2024, and April 30, 2026, litigants filed 409 cases, with 221 still active as of the Mid-Year Report’s release. More than half, 53%, involved corporate governance claims that include shareholder disagreements, breach of fiduciary duty, and fights over control of closely held companies.

For a business owner or general counsel, that concentration is worth noting. If your company has a board that doesn’t always see eye to eye or governing documents drafted a decade ago, a future disagreement could be heard by a judge focused exclusively on commercial cases, with experience in this arena. The court was built for exactly this kind of business case, and the filings so far confirm it. This is a good reminder to review operating agreements or bylaws to determine whether venue language actually sends a dispute where you’d want it to be heard.

The pace of the state’s data center industry has been hard to miss for anyone in real estate, energy, or economic development. As with most growing industries, there are pros and cons that the state is reviewing. BoyarMiller is watching the situation closely.

If you’re working on a real estate deal or a power purchase contract in this sector, treat the state’s industry audit as a cue rather than a footnote. Regulatory contingency language that previously felt like boilerplate now deserves a second look, since a project can stall midway simply because an agency needs more time to finish its review.

I am happy to share some firm good news: Ten BoyarMiller attorneys were named to the 2026 Texas SuperLawyers list. Founding Shareholders Bill Boyar and Gary Miller, Shareholder and Chairman Chris Hanslik, Shareholders Christopher Burt, Steve Kesten, Andrew Pearce, Blake Royal, Matt Veech, Mike Rose and Associate Joitza Eftekhar-Henriquez made the list. recognition is compiled from peer recommendations and independent feedback. The firm is honored to have made a strong showing here in this year’s list.

Additionally, Shareholder Christopher Burt has been named a Preeminent lawyer in Doyle’s Guide 2026 list of Leading Trusts, Estates & Probate Litigation Lawyers in Houston. Clients who have worked with Christopher through a contested estate or trust matter know why: he brings a steady hand and real judgment to matters that are often as personal as they are complicated.

Also, Isha Cotton will step into a new role as Operations Specialist, a promotion earned many times over.

When business challenges show up, our job is to help see what’s actually at stake and chart a practical way through it. We’ve been providing legal solutions for clients for more than 35 years, and we’re glad to do the same for you.

Warm Regards,