Texas Business Courts Are Up And Running: Key Points To Consider

Key takeaways

• Texas has established its business courts and formally appointed judges in major cities and the Fifteenth Court of Appeals to exclusively review business-related cases.
• The Texas Supreme Court has implemented specific rules for the business courts, which streamline legal proceedings for business disputes.
• Businesses should assess practical considerations of the businesses courts, including whether to include forum selection clauses in contracts to designate business courts for disputes.

There have been several updates since we first reported on the establishment of the Texas business courts and the Fifteenth Court of Appeals. In June 2024, Governor Greg Abbott appointed judges to the Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio business court divisions. In the same month, the Texas Supreme Court approved the final set of rules for the business courts. Now, the first set of business court cases have been filed (on September 3), with