A trial lawyer at law firm Jackson Walker has been appointed to help resolve any disputes over evidence as Alphabet's Google fights a federal antitrust lawsuit brought by the state of Texas over its digital ad practices.
U.S. District Judge Sean Jordan on Friday selected David Moran as a “special master,” or court-appointed neutral, to assist him in the Plano, Texas case.
Attorneys for Texas backed Jordan’s suggestion that a special master would help keep the case moving.
Jordan and Moran were previously partners together at Texas-based Jackson Walker and worked together on cases at the 500-attorney firm.
Moran's bills will be divided between Google and Texas at his standard hourly rate, which was not disclosed. Some partners at Jackson Walker can bill between $800 and $1,075, according to filings in other cases.
Former judges often serve as special masters, and Google and Texas had recommended several to Jordan as possible appointments. Jordan proposed Moran.
Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Attorneys for Texas also did not immediately respond to a similar request.
Moran did not respond to a request for comment.
Jordan had been a partner at Jackson Walker until leaving in 2019 for the bench. He reported earning about $395,000 from the firm in 2017, and $387,000 in 2018, according to documents he filed as part of his judicial confirmation.
The Texas-led Google lawsuit in Jordan’s court is among several antitrust cases against the technology company challenging its ad tech business. Google has denied claims that its practices violate antitrust law.
A trial is scheduled for March 2025.
The case is State of Texas et al v. Google LLC, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, No. 4:20-cv-00957-SDJ.
For plaintiffs: W. Mark Lanier of The Lanier Law Firm; and Ashley Keller of Keller Postman
For defendant: R. Paul Yetter of Yetter Coleman; Eric Mahr of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; and Daniel Bitton of Axinn Veltrop & Harkrider
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