Regulatory Law
Regulatory Law
When a Texas agency misapplies the law or gets it wrong, Cobb & Gervasi steps in — with the inside knowledge to challenge agency action at every level.
Texas businesses face TxDOT, TDI, TCEQ, TPWD, GLO, PUC, RRC, and dozens of other regulatory bodies, each with its own procedural rules and political dynamics. Bill Cobb spent years inside the Texas Attorney General's Office representing state agencies in enforcement litigation — giving our firm unparalleled insight into how agencies build their cases and where they break down.
We represent businesses before Texas state agencies, at SOAH, in district court, and in appellate proceedings. We also counsel clients on the front end — shaping rules during the comment and rulemaking process, advising on compliance obligations, and structuring operations to minimize regulatory exposure before problems arise.
- SOAH contested case hearings
- Challenges to agency rulemaking & statutory interpretation
- Judicial review of final agency decisions
- Emergency injunctive relief against agency action
- Enforcement defense across Texas regulatory agencies
- Attorney General opinion requests
- Pre-enforcement counsel & compliance strategy
- Texas Comptroller tax & audit disputes
"Texas agencies make mistakes. They overreach. They misapply their own rules. Businesses need lawyers who understand exactly how to expose those mistakes."
The Good, the Bad, the Ugly: What Are Your HOA’s Powers?
A practical overview of Texas HOA powers, homeowner obligations, and 2023 legislative changes affecting HOA enforcement.
Texas Dangerous Dog Laws: Today Has Been Ruff
A guide to Texas dog-bite liability, negligence claims, landlord liability, criminal exposure, damages, and common defenses.
Bureaucratic Bottleneck: The Woes of Texas Developers
How HB 14 allows third-party review or inspection when local permitting authorities miss statutory deadlines.
The Death Star Law: Unprecedented Preemption
What HB 2127 does, why opponents call it the Death Star Law, and how Texas preemption battles may unfold.
Wishing You a Hoppy Christmas: Can I buy alcohol on Christmas Day in Texas?
A holiday-season guide to Texas alcohol sale restrictions for liquor, beer, wine, restaurants, wineries, and breweries.
Can I get a Watt Watt? How to avoid your Christmas decorations putting you on the naughty list
With Christmas around the corner, you might be preparing for some family disputes. But what you might not be preparing for are Christmas-related legal disputes. Here, we will addre…
- Regulating the Future: Is Austin ready for robot cars? Does that even matter?
- Don’t Worry, Be Hempy: Delta-8 Remains Legal in Texas
- Texas Anti-ESG Legislation Targets Insurers and Pensions
- Comptroller-led council to distribute more than $1 billion to fight opioid crisis
- Fuzzy on the Law: Are eight-liner gaming machines unconstitutional?
- Are robotexts the new robocalls? How to stop those annoying spam texts
- Mind Your Drone Business
- Can Texas legalize casino gambling without a constitutional amendment?
- No pictures, please: Does the First Amendment protect news drones?
- So you think you want to buy a short-term rental in the Austin area
- Fall back, for the last time? The end of daylight saving time in Texas
- Ridin’ Dirty: Does your car need one license plate or two in Texas?
- I already hired a team of lobbyists—why do I need a regulatory lawyer, too?
- Hello, it’s spam: How to stop robocalls and telemarketing calls
- Is direct-to-consumer beer shipping legal in Texas?
- Is direct-to-consumer liquor shipping legal in Texas?
- 23andEveryone? The Privacy Problem with At-Home Genetic Tests
- Why is it so hard to cancel subscription services?
- Is direct-to-consumer wine shipping legal in Texas?
- Recovering Attorney Fees in Declaratory Judgment Actions
- No go for VRBO: Austin ignores Courts and refuses to issue short-term rental permits
- My water utility just doubled rates to encourage conservation. Can they do that?
- Are there statewide laws regulating Airbnbs in Texas?
- My neighbors turned their house into an Airbnb, what can I do?
- Sign At Your Own Risk: Are liability releases actually enforceable?
- Can I form a nonprofit for the sole purpose of filing a lawsuit?
- How to become a brewer—without owning a brewery
- How do I start a distillery in Texas?
- Fort Knox for Texas: Comptroller Hegar to Administer only State-owned Gold Depository
- Google, you can drive my car: New laws will expand use of autonomous vehicles in Texas
- “Texas is open 100%”—Governor Abbott Signs Vaccine Passport Ban
- Mixed success for alcohol to-go, gambling, weed, and crypto bills in 87th Regular Session
- Texas Legislature passes bill to shield businesses from pandemic-related lawsuits
- When RV park guests overstay their welcome, should park owners call the police or seek a judge?
- Democratizing Justice: Can I crowdfund my lawsuit?
- Texas Legislature dials up on statewide broadband access
- You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here: Some Texas cities ban “permanent” residencies in RV parks
- Texas lags far behind Wyoming in embracing Bitcoin and blockchain
- Parting the Waters: The Difficulty of Dissolving Water Districts in Texas
- One is the Loneliest Number: Is a law that applies to a single Texas city or county constitutional?
- Welcome to Boomtown: Relocating Your Business to the Lone Star State
- Some Craft Brewers Are Saying Bye-Bye to the “Dock Bump Tax” following Federal Court Ruling
- What are the chances Texas will legalize sports betting in 2021?
- High Hopes for Legalized Recreational Marijuana in Texas
- Just how voluntary is taking the COVID-19 vaccine in Texas, really?
- Fantasy Becomes Reality: The Future for Daily Fantasy Sports in Texas
- Setting a Hearing in Travis County (and Navigating the Local Rules)
- How do I challenge a rule of a Texas agency?
- Can He Do That? The Governor’s Authority to Suspend Texas Law During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Texas Wind Law: Regulatory Update
- Does my non-compete agreement include adequate consideration?
- The Texas Department of Banking Has Become Untethered
- The Future Is Bright for Texas Industrial-Scale Solar Development
- Is Texas Still Pro Bitcoin?
- Bitcoin and Virtual Currency Regulation: The State (by State) of Affairs
- Auto Dealer Update: OCCC investigations in 2017
- Is this non-compete agreement enforceable?
- Do the New DOL Overtime Rules Mean That I Will Be Getting (or Giving) a Raise?
- The Art of Data Breach Response and Protection
- Make a Class Action Moot, An Empty Hand Does Not
- Texas Federal Court Finds Risk of Future Identity Theft Insufficient to Secure Standing
- Target Decision Provides Outline for Consumer Plaintiff Data Breach Litigation
- No Evidence Required to Support a Notice of Removal
- Will the Supreme Court Require Evidence to Accompany a Notice of Removal Under the Class Action Fairness Act?
- Uncollected Settlement Proceeds in Class Actions Not Subject to the Texas Unclaimed Property Act