Mass Action, Incident Response, and Environmental

• Petrochemical terminal operator in connection with litigation stemming from multi-day fire and associated chemical release into Houston Ship Channel:
  • Obtained summary judgment dismissing all claims asserted under the Oil Pollution Act (Munoz v. Intercontinental Terminals Co., L.L.C., 85 F.4th 343, 345 (5th Cir. 2023))
  • Defeated class certification of putative class of over 200,000 individuals and businesses asserting nuisance and interference claims (Bryant v. Intercontinental Terminals Co. LLC, No. 4:19-CV-01460, 2023 WL 4108844, at *1 (S.D. Tex. June 21, 2023))
  • Successfully resolved claims of over 9,000 personal injury claimants prior to first round of bellwether trials
• Obtained pleadings-stage dismissal for refining company in mass tort litigation related to oil spill
• Multinational oil field services company in mass and class action litigation related to alleged groundwater contamination stemming from historical manufacturing operations; secured client’s pretrial dismissal from initial bellwether trial
• Refining company in multidistrict litigation proceedings related to hydrogen sulfide release
• Chemical manufacturer in multidistrict litigation proceedings related to ammonia release
• Energy infrastructure company in multidistrict litigation proceedings related to construction incident
• Natural gas and natural gas liquids producer in litigation involving claims of environmental damage due to fracking and related exploration and production activities
• International exploration and production company and its officers and directors in securities class action
• Electric and gas transmission and distribution utility in numerous significant wrongful death, personal injury, and property damages cases
• International oil and gas company in toxic tort litigation in Texas and Louisiana state courts

Energy

• Global exploration and production company on appeal, obtaining holding from Texas Supreme Court on matter of first impression that oil-and-gas lessee “has the right to possession, custody, control, and disposition of the constituent water in the liquid waste from its hydrocarbon production” known as “produced water” (Cactus Water Services, LLC v. COG Operating, LLC, 718 S.W.3d 214 (Tex. 2025))
• Multinational energy company on appeal, resulting in reversal of $89 million in damages awarded at jury trial related to joint operating agreement dispute (Repsol Oil & Gas USA, LLC v. Matrix Petroleum, LLC, 708 S.W.3d 641, (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2023, pet. granted and judgmt. vacated by agrmt.))
• National oil and gas operator on appeal, resulting in affirmance of summary judgment holding regarding obligations under a lease's offset well clause (Mzyk v. Murphy Exploration & Production Co., No. 04-15-00677-CV, 2017 WL 2797479 (Tex. App.—San Antonio June 28, 2017, no pet.) (mem. op.))
• Obtained summary judgment for multinational energy company in arbitration proceedings related to indemnity dispute
• Natural gas storage project developer in litigation regarding entitlement to revenues from FERC-permitted storage project
• Solar energy company in breach of contract dispute with information technology provider
• International exploration and production company in dispute regarding preferential purchase rights in operating agreement

Real Estate, Construction, and Other Litigation Matters

• Defeated temporary injunction aimed at preventing bank from foreclosing on commercial property and obtained summary judgment dismissing all claims asserted against bank
• Real estate developer in defending against fraud claims and efforts to unwind multi-million-dollar industrial real estate transaction
• International chemical producer in disputes related to delayed completion of plant expansions and defense of construction cost overrun claims
• Real estate developer in lawsuit involving development of Downtown Houston city block and pedestrian tunnel access rights
• Solar energy company in disputes with contractor and surety company related to development of solar facility; obtained dismissal on personal jurisdiction grounds of claims asserted by contractor against solar energy company
• Land developer at trial and on appeal in challenge to governmental land use decision