The Supreme Court of Texas recently issued a ruling—by denying a petition for review—which could be important to franchisors, franchisees, landlords, and tenants alike who are evaluating renovations. In Huge American Real Estate, Inc. vs. Fritz Management, LLC, et. al., Case Number 22-1106, on December 15, 2023, without a written opinion, the Supreme Court of Texas denied a petition for review that had been filed by the landlord in the case. Thus, for now, at least, the controlling written opinion in the case is from the Dallas Court of Appeals in Fritz Management, LLC v. Huge American Real Estate, Inc., 2022

Unless you’ve been living under a rock—as many of us have at the end of the year—you’ve heard of the Texas Business Courts. Indeed, you may have attended a course on it or discussed it over dinner. It is one of the most interesting developments in the Texas legal industry in years. As a quick primer, in June 2023, Governor Greg Abbott created the Texas Business Courts through House Bill 19. Once they are up and running, these Courts will hear certain types of complex commercial disputes if they fall within their jurisdiction (summarized here): Corporate disputes At least $10 million At least $5