Representative Cases
Kellner, et al. v. XTO Energy, Inc., et al.; In the 81st / 218th State District Court of Atascosa County, Texas – The firm was retained by two of the five operators sued in this lawsuit alleging non-payment and under-payment of $63,000,000 in oil and gas royalties. Working as a team with some of the best oil and gas lawyers in the country, all defendants were able to have the case dismissed on summary judgment.
Bayou City Broadcasting, Inc. v. Dish Network, Inc.;In the United States District Court for Colorado (Denver Division) – The firm was retained by the Evansville, Indiana-based broadcasting company to pursue its claims against Dish Network for non-payment of retransmission fees. Firm member, Bruse Loyd, successfully prosecuted the case, quickly reaching a settlement for all fees owed, plus interest. The case received extensive coverage in the broadcasting industry media.
Carrizo Oil & Gas, Inc. v. GE Oil & Gas Pressure Control, LP, et al.;In the 215th State District Court of Harris County, Texas – The firm successfully defended a ring gasket manufacturer after it was sued in a Texas court for allegedly supplying General Electric with a faulty ring gasket that GE inserted into a frac-valve assembly causing an explosion at an oil well site in the Marcellus Shale geological formation in northeast Pennsylvania. Through the use of metallurgical testing and expert testimony, the firm succeeded in having all claims against its client dismissed by the court for lack of evidence, months before trial.
Sealed Plaintiff v. Sealed Defendant; In the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas (Houston Division) – The firm represented a whistle-blower against one of the world’s largest entities. The case culminated in a settlement of $216,000,000 paid to 48 states and the federal government. The case is sealed and the whistle-blower is under a permanent federal injunction not to reveal any details of the proceedings.
Kujanek v. Houston Poly Bag I, LP; United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals (New Orleans, Louisiana) – The firm represented executive Kenneth Kujanek in this appeal to the Fifth Circuit by his former employer, Houston Poly Bag I, LP. The Houston trial court entered a Summary Judgment against the employer, finding that the company had breached its fiduciary duty to Kujanek in the administration of his benefits plan in violation of ERISA, causing him substantial financial damage. Kathleen A. O’Connor and Bruse Loyd conducted oral argument on behalf of Mr. Kujanek before a panel of Fifth Circuit justices in New Orleans, LA. The appeals court upheld the trial court’s finding of breach of fiduciary duty. See Kujanek v. Houston Poly Bag I, Ltd., 658 F.3d 483.
Integrated Solutions v Global Data Systems, Inc.; In the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas (Austin Division) – The firm was retained by Global Data Systems, Inc. to defend it against the claim that it had breached a Letter of Intent between the parties, effectively killing a merger with the plaintiff and causing plaintiff to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars spent putting the deal together. The firm’s defense was successful, winning a unanimous jury verdict before the legendary United States District Judge Sam Sparks.
R.A.M., L.L.C. et al v Hill, et al. ;In the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida (West Palm Beach Division) – The firm was retained by the defendants to represent them in what began primarily as a business divorce and evolved into a trademark dispute spanning several states. The firm successfully defended the case, winning at the trial level and ultimately settling the case at a mediation ordered by the appeals court.
Media Coverage
The Washington Post: ‘Ole Miss Football pinned its NCAA scandal to a rogue assistant’
USA Today: ‘Bruse Loyd denies Ole Miss’ claims against his client, Barney Farrar’
Houstonia Magazine: Firm Lawyer Bruse Loyd named ‘Top Lawyer’ in December 2016 Issue
Los Angeles Times: Uber Sued Again Over Drivers’ Employment Status
Forbes: Uber’s Legal Headaches Continue with Newest Class Action Lawsuit
Fierce Cable: Dish Pays Off Indiana Broadcaster Bayou Following Lawsuit Over Retransmission Fees
TV News Check: WEVV Evansville Sues Dish Over Retrans
Tupelo Daily Journal: Sheriff’s Employee Files Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
Houston Chronicle: Understand Your Rights When You Choose to Cruise.
Martha’s Vineyard Times: Legal Action Mounts Against Holiday, Danielle Pendergraft
Houston Business Journal: Holiday in Martha’s Vineyard?
Publications
The Law of Oil and Gas Leases as published by Lexis Nexis/Matthew Bender