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Comprehensive coverage of the Texas Business Court

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Dallas, Texas  ·  Complex Commercial Litigation

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Portrait of Hon. Jerry D. Bullard

Hon. Jerry D. Bullard

Judge · Seat 8A

Texas Business Court · Eighth Business Court Division (Fort Worth)

Biography

Judge Jerry Bullard serves on the Texas Business Court’s Eighth Division, which is based in Fort Worth, Texas but covers 18 counties in North Texas. Prior to his appointment, Judge Bullard was a shareholder and attorney with Adams, Lynch & Loftin, P.C. He has over 30 years of experience in state and federal court trial and appellate litigation. During that time, in addition to handling complex commercial litigation matters, Judge Bullard routinely represented and consulted with individuals and business organizations with respect to organizational governance, policy drafting, commercial transactions, and other operational matters. Judge Bullard is board certified in civil appellate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, is a member and treasurer of the Board of Directors of the American College of Business Court Judges and serves on the Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee. Judge Bullard is an active member of the State Bar of Texas and its Appellate, Business Law, Judicial, and Litigation Sections, the Texas Bar College, and the Tarrant County Bar Association. He has also served as a gubernatorial appointee on the Texas Juvenile Justice Board, a Section Representative on the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors, a member of the Texas Supreme Court’s Conduct Commission Procedural Rules Task Force, and a member of the State Bar of Texas Court Administration Task Force. Judge Bullard received a Bachelor of Arts from Baylor University and his law degree from The University of Texas at Austin School of Law.

Source: txcourts.gov

Opinions by Judge Bullard (1)

Membership Interest Valuation ×
2026 Tex. Bus. 11 Motion to Dismiss March 11, 2026

Derivative Standing Requires Contemporaneous Membership: Business Court Dismisses Claims After Buy-Sell Enforcement

In Crain v. Northern, the Business Court's Eighth Division granted a plea to the jurisdiction dismissing all derivative claims brought on behalf of three LLCs, holding that plaintiff Michael Crain lacked standing under Texas Business Organizations Code Section 101.463 because he was no longer a member when he filed suit following a court-ordered buy-sell transaction with an effective assignment date of December 19, 2024. The March 11 memorandum opinion reinforces the bright-line rule that derivative standing requires membership status at the time of filing, not merely at the time the underlying claims accrued.

Mem. Op. Plea to the Jurisdiction Derivative Standing LLC Governance Section 101.463 Buy-Sell Agreements Opinion PDF ↓