Gov. Greg Abbott announced the reappointment of all 10 original judges to second terms on the Texas Business Court Wednesday. The judges’ second terms will begin September 1.
The Texas Business Court began operations in September 2024 and is dedicated to handling special and complex business cases. The court is divided into 11 geographical divisions, but only five are currently operational with two judges apiece.
Andrea Bouressa and William “Bill” Whitehill were reappointed to the First Business Court Division, while Melissa Andrews and Patrick K. Sweeten will serve another term in the Third Business Court Division.
To the Fourth Business Court Division, Abbott reappointed judges Marialyn Barnard and Stacy Sharp. Jerry Bullard and Brian Stagner will serve another term in the Eighth Business Court Division while Sofia Adrogué and Grant Dorfman continue serving the Eleventh Business Court Division.
“Businesses choose Texas in record numbers because Texas delivers results,” said Abbott. “The Texas Business Court has resolved complex commercial disputes with unmatched speed and expertise. Hundreds of cases already filed and scores resolved prove these judges fuel Texas’ status as the economic engine of America. I have reappointed these skilled judges to protect that success and to ensure that Texas’ business jurisprudence is on steady ground for years to come.”
The court’s establishment is one recent addition in a long line of the state’s business-friendly endeavors. ExxonMobil cited the establishment of the Texas Business Court as one of the reasons the company moved its legal domicile from New Jersey to Texas.
“Over the past several years, Texas has made a noticeable effort to embrace the business community. In doing so, it has created a policy and regulatory environment that can allow the company to maximize shareholder value,” said Darren Woods, ExxonMobil chairman and chief executive officer. “Aligning our legal home with our operating home, in a state that understands our business and has a stake in the company’s success, is important.”
In the 2025 fiscal year, over 185 claims were filed within the Texas Business Court. Of those 185 cases, 80 percent concerned corporate governance claims. On average, the court saw more than 15 filings per month. As of August 31, 2025, there were still 107 pending cases within the court. Eighty of the original 185 cases have been issued a final ruling.
Cases come to the court in three ways.
First, a case can be filed directly in the court. Second, if a plaintiff or defendant wishes to transfer their case to the Business Court, either party can file a document called a notice of removal, which instructs the current court to transfer the lawsuit immediately. Third, a judge can file a notice of removal and transfer the case to the Business Court to facilitate a fair and equal judgment.
Of all filed cases, 57 percent were originally filed with the Business Court.
Appeals from the Texas Business Court go to the Fifteenth Court of Appeals, which has exclusive jurisdiction over those cases.
The Fifteenth Court of Appeals has come under fire in recent months for some of its decisions.
Most recently, its justices allowed a group of Houston-area clinics allegedly operating as an abortion network and performing elective abortions to resume operations as litigation continued.
In one of its earliest decisions, the justices sided with the City of Dallas against Texans’ Second Amendment rights.
Last year, the justices helped Robert “Beto” O’Rourke avoid a discovery order after he was accused of raising money unlawfully to help Democrat lawmakers flee the state as part of their quorum-bust.
