We specialize in oil and gas litigation. Our partners have done extensive research and consulting on a huge variety of oil and gas cases, many of which were high-profile and high-risk.
Below are some examples of the kinds of cases for which we have been retained:
- Lafayette, Louisiana. Case involving an uncontrolled natural gas release.
- Galveston, Texas. Plant explosion cases.
- Louisiana venues. Oilfield “legacy” cases.
- San Antonio, Texas. Contract dispute between two oil companies.
- Victoria, Texas. Dispute over an oilfield joint venture.
- New Jersey. Dispute between a chemical company and a customer.
- Knoxville, Tennessee. Insurance dispute after an oil company fire.
- League City, Texas. Toxic tort involving a chemical plant.
- Houston, Texas. Worker injury case against a chemical plant.
- Lake Charles, Louisiana. Land contamination case.
- Birmingham, Alabama. Gas pipeline case.
- New Orleans, Louisiana. Well leak case.
- Lafayette, Louisiana. Drilling negligence case.
- Nacogdoches, Texas. Qui tam case against an oil company.
- Dallas, Texas. Gas explosion case.
- Beaumont, Texas. Trust dispute.
We have been invited to speak at oil industry conferences and on specialized topics related to oil and gas litigation (e.g., preparing witnesses in gas explosion cases).
WE UNDERSTAND YOUR SPECIFIC NEEDS
- Understanding how jurors view your client versus co-defendants. Oil and gas cases frequently involve multiple defendants, and understanding how jurors divide the responsibility between these defendants (and how much responsibility you can credibly shift off your client) is critical to success at trial. We design our research to help you understand this complex dynamic.
- Shifting responsibility to the plaintiff. For an oil and gas defendant, shifting any responsibility onto a plaintiff at trial (particularly an individual plaintiff) can easily backfire. Doing so effectively requires a thorough understanding of what jurors will and will not tolerate. Our research can be designed to help you understand whether shifting responsibility to the plaintiff will be an effective trial strategy and also whether there are hidden risks.
- Accurate jury selection. Perhaps more so than any other kind of case, accurate jury selection is critical in oil and gas cases. Many jurors are instinctively negative toward oil and gas companies and will find against you on principle, regardless of the facts. Other jurors are so risk-averse that they will find for any plaintiff that claims to have been exposed to a dangerous chemical. Identifying and striking these un-persuadable jurors in jury selection is critical to success at trial for an oil and gas defendant. We often design our researches to provide you with practical voir dire questions to help you identify these dangerous jurors at trial.
WE PROVIDE COST-EFFECTIVE ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS
Our research is designed to get answers to your questions in the most cost-effective way possible. Our goal is always to answer your strategic questions. For example, below are some questions that we were able to answer for clients facing oil and gas litigation:
- What is the current public perception of our company and how does it impact our case?
- Is there any way to control damages in a case involving a major plant accident?
- Can we credibly blame the plaintiff for failing to follow the rules?
- How do jurors divide up the responsibility between all of the defendants?