TikTok May Face Boutique Firm Hired by Texas Over China Access

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) took initial steps to sue video sharing app TikTok Inc., hiring Cooper & Kirk PLLC to represent the state, with the firm’s partners billing $3,780 per hour if they win.

TikTok faces a potential ban in the US if it isn’t sold by its Chinese parent company by Jan. 19. But in Texas, Paxton could sue over alleged misrepresentations it made about the Chinese government’s ability to access user data, according to a copy of a contract between the state and Cooper & Kirk.

Cooper & Kirk managing partner David Thompson, who Texas ...