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Breach of Duty Oil & Gas

Gray Reed

A Breach of Fiduciary Duty in the Oil Patch

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Antero Resources Corp. v. C & R Downhole Drilling, Inc. et al, proves again the extreme risk when one bites the hand that feeds him (shoutout to Greek poet Sappho, 600 BCE). Antero sued former employee Kawsak and his...more

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

The ‘Eddie Murphy Rule’ Earns Its Moniker: The CFTC Brings a Classic Insider Trading Case

While it took a few decades to surface, the fact pattern set forth in the movie “Trading Places” has finally come to pass. However, instead of the alleged wrongdoers bribing a U.S. government official for a sneak peek at...more

Jones Day

ClientEarth Threatens Legal Action Against Shell's Directors in England and Wales

Jones Day on

On 15 March 2022, ClientEarth announced that it had written to Shell's board of directors informing them of its intent to bring a claim on behalf of the company for the board's failure to implement a Paris Agreement compliant...more

Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard,...

Oil Contamination/Remediation: New York Court Considers Potential Liability of Insurance Company/Environmental Consultant

The New York Supreme Court – Appellate Division (Second Department) (“Court”) addressed in an October 20th Decision & Order (“Decision”) alleged damages associated with the remediation of oil contamination. See Bennett v....more

K&L Gates LLP

Court of Chancery Hesitates to Dismiss Lawsuit, Stays Litigation Pending Texas Lawsuit

K&L Gates LLP on

In EnVen Energy Corporation v. David M. Dunwoody, Jr., et al. (C.A. No. 2019-0579-KSJM), the Delaware Court of Chancery (the “Court”) stayed litigation pending the outcome of a separate lawsuit filed in Texas to give...more

King & Spalding

Freedom of Contract Cited as the Reason for Texas Supreme Court's Affirmation of Court of Appeals Judgment in ETP v. Enterprise

King & Spalding on

On January 31, 2020, the Texas Supreme Court (the “Court”) affirmed the 2017 judgment of the Dallas Court of Appeals that Texas law upholds the rights of contracting parties to agree not to be partners unless certain...more

Winstead PC

Texas Supreme Court Holds That  Parties Can Conclusively Agree That, As Between Themselves, No Partnership Will Exist Unless...

Winstead PC on

In Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. v. Enter. Prods. Partners, L.P., one pipeline company sued another for breaching a duty of loyalty that allegedly arose out of a partnership to develop a pipeline. No. 17-0862, 2020 Tex....more

Jackson Walker

In Major Partnership Decision, Texas Supreme Court Affirms That Businesses Can Contract for Conditions Precedent to Preclude the...

Jackson Walker on

Disputes often arise over whether parties have agreed to, or by their conduct they have, committed themselves to a transaction. On January 31, 2020, the Texas Supreme Court delivered its decision in Energy Transfer Partners,...more

Gray Reed

Oil Fraudster Conspires with His Own LLC

Gray Reed on

In January I commented on the partnership that wasn’t and the lawyer whose actions give the rest of us a bad name. That was Stephens et al. v. Three Finger Black Shale Partnership et al. The court of appeal has substituted...more

A&O Shearman

Texas Supreme Court Agrees to Review Controversial Ruling Regarding Texas Partnerships

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On June 28, 2019, the Texas Supreme Court agreed to review a ruling from the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas in the case of Energy Transfer Partners LP et al. v. Enterprise Products Partners LP et al, No. 529 S.W.3d 531...more

Gray Reed

Texas Court Addresses Bad Acts in a Lease Play

Gray Reed on

An opinion that observes “Obviously the jury was not overly enamored with Appellants.” is worth discussing. The decision is Stephens et al v. Three Finger Black Shale Partnership et al....more

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

CFTC Brings Energy Market Insider Trading Case, Announces Insider Trading Task Force

• The CFTC has filed a new “insider trading” enforcement action involving the energy markets—the agency’s third energy market insider trading case since 2015. • The CFTC also created an Insider Trading and Information...more

Gray Reed

Farmout Agreement Worked Over By The Court

Gray Reed on

What could go wrong when the well recovers two times its costs in nine months? Plenty, as we see in Dimock v. Sutherland Energy....more

Spilman Thomas & Battle, PLLC

Currents - Energy Industry Insights - April 2018

Bobby D. Fentress, et al, vs. Exxon Mobil Corporation, et al - "This is an Employee Retirement Income Security Act case alleging a breach of fiduciary duties in the management of a defined contribution plan. Defendants'...more

Locke Lord LLP

Did You Know You’re an Escrow Agent?

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Many purchase/sale transactions require payments into escrow. Sometimes counsel for one of the parties acts as escrow agent to keep the fees down. Providing such a service has its risks. In Alexander O&G, LLC v. Nomad...more

Robins Kaplan LLP

Your Daily Dose of Financial News

Robins Kaplan LLP on

A nearly $5 billion deal between French energy company Total and the oil and gas arm of Danish shipping giant Maersk is making waves this morning. Total will also assume a few tankers-full of Maersk Oil’s debt....more

Gray Reed

Pipeline Partnership Verdict Reversed

Gray Reed on

Enterprise Products Partners, L.P. et al v. Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. et al reversed one of the largest jury verdicts in Texas history. You will like this decision if... ...more

Jackson Walker

Dallas Court of Appeals Reverses Landmark Judgment on Common Law Partnership and Joint Venture Claims

Jackson Walker on

On July 18, 2017, the Dallas Court of Appeals issued its long-awaited decision in Enterprise Products Partners, L.P. v. Energy Transfer Partners, L.P., reversing the Dallas County District Court’s judgment that awarded ETP...more

Locke Lord LLP

Eastern District of Louisiana Dismisses Officer Compensation Fraudulent Transfer Claims in Tow v. Bulmahn

Locke Lord LLP on

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana dismissed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy trustee’s claims against officers and inside directors of ATP Oil & Gas Corporation in Tow v. Bulmahn on Wednesday. In Tow v....more

Winstead PC

Court Holds That Fiduciary Shield Doctrine Does Not Protect A Representative From Tortious Conduct

Winstead PC on

In Ren v. ANU Res., LLC, a plaintiff sued an entity and its representatives for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and other tort claims arising from investments in oil and gas properties. No. 14-16-00035-CV, 2016...more

Bracewell LLP

Delaware Chancery Court Dismisses Challenge to MLP Drop Down Transaction

Bracewell LLP on

The Delaware Chancery Court recently dismissed a challenge to a transaction in which a master limited partnership (the "MLP") repurchased an interest in a crude oil pipeline in 2015 previously sold to its general partner (the...more

Gray Reed

A Corporate Opportunity? … Stolen?

Gray Reed on

If you want to get to the meaning of a case, one exercise is to put yourself in the shoes of one participant or the other and see how you react to the events. (This also works well with Bible stories, by the way.) Last week...more

Gray Reed

What is a Corporate Opportunity?

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Let’s say two fellows are in the oil business and one of his activities is as a director of an exploration company. A deal comes in, they present it to the company, but take it for themselves, Did they steal the opportunity...more

Morris James LLP

Superior Court Explains Interference With Prospective Business Relationship And Good Faith Claim

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This decision does an excellent job of setting out the elements of a claim for interference with prospective business relationships. Even better, it is a comprehensive summary of the elements of a claim for breach of the duty...more

Stinson LLP

North Dakota Supreme Court Addresses What Creates a Fiduciary Relationship with a Land Broker

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On September 21, 2015, the North Dakota Supreme Court found that a fiduciary relationship between an oil company and its landman could exist depending upon the existence of a confidential relationship. Irish Oil...more

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