Oil and Gas

Defended a provider of transportation and storage of refined products and crude oil against litigation challenges to plan approvals for major projects the client was undertaking at the Marcus Hook Industrial Complex near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. These projects were vital to the Complex’s ability and capacity to process natural gas liquids that originated in the Marcellus and Utica Shales and were transported eastward through pipelines to the facility.

Advised one of the world's largest oil field service companies on the insurance coverage claim flowing out of the Deepwater Horizon incident in the Gulf of Mexico.

Successfully defended a leading independent natural gas company against plaintiffs who opted out of a 2013 class action lawsuit. Plaintiffs sought to recover allegedly underpaid royalties plus statutory interest thereon, punitive damages, attorneys’ fees, and litigation costs. The jury returned a verdict for our client on all counts.

Represented a Fortune 500 integrated energy company in the Texas Eastern Transmission, LP rate case before FERC, the first time in more than 20 years that the pipeline attempted to refresh its rates.

Represented a US alternative investment management firm, with US$58 billion under management, on its investment in the US$17.5 billion capital-raising by Sinopec Marketing, a PRC State-owned company with over 30,000 petrol stations in the PRC, pursuant to Sinopec Marketing’s “PRC mixed ownership reform” program.

Represented an engineering subcontractor in pursuing claims in ICC arbitration in London against the prime contractor on a Gulf of Mexico topsides engineering project. The parties entered into a settlement after the matter was pleaded out and disclosure had taken place.

Assisted a leading offshore drilling contractor in connection with a dispute regarding the refurbishment and upgrade of two jack-up drilling rigs. The rigs were being upgraded to satisfy contractual requirements under contracts for the hire of the rigs. The construction activities on the rigs were significantly delayed and disputes arose over hundreds of Project Change Requests issued during the works. We provided advice and assistance to facilitate the resolution of the various disputes and the departure of the rigs from the shipyard short of arbitration.

Advised a Texas-based oilfield services company on the negotiation and closing of a US$25 million revolving line of credit facility with Bank of America, N.A., to cover operating and company expansion costs.

Assisted an LNG company on regulatory issues related to the sale of an Everett, Massachusetts LNG import and regasification facility to an American Fortune 100 energy company.

Advised a leading independent oil and gas company focusing principally on exploration, appraisal, and production opportunities in Norway and the United Kingdom regarding a hostile takeover.

Advised a national oil company on the development of its US5 billion Refinery Development Master Plan, which involved the upgrading and modernization of a 260,000-b/d refinery in Indonesia.

Defended an American multinational energy corporation against claims asserted by an overriding royalty interest owner who claimed that our client could not deduct post-production costs in calculating royalty payments. Represented the client at the trial level and as part of the appellate team, with primary responsibility for briefing filed in the Texas Supreme Court. In ruling for our client, the Texas Supreme Court issued an opinion that will have a widespread, beneficial impact on oil and gas producers in Texas.

Advised an offshore drilling contractor regarding the purchase and finance of offshore drilling rigs and associated flag, class, and regulatory compliance issues.

Represented an organization committed to the responsible development of natural gas, as a potential intervenor, in Dunlap, et al. v. Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, PA State Board of Property Docket No. 2018-003, which was the first case in which a tribunal decided whether it is the Commonwealth or, instead, private parties who own the oil and gas interests that exist beneath streams that the Pennsylvania General Assembly has designated as public highways, but that are not navigable in fact.

Advised an independent oil and gas company in connection with its acquisition of a producing oil field in Brazil, from a semi-public Brazilian multinational corporation.

Represented a publicly traded midstream company in the Marcellus and Utica Shale plays in a two-year investigation of alleged violations of the Clean Air Act.