Successfully represented publicly traded natural gas producer in proceedings concerning oil and gas lease with a value to client in excess of $50 million.
Obtained federal court jury verdict in favor of publicly traded natural gas producer on claims brought by landowner/lessor who alleged that producer had tortiously interfered with his employment; and secured judgment in favor of producer following bench trial on claims by the landowner/lessor under a “dual purpose” oil and gas lease that the production rights under the lease had terminated because the lease had only been used for storage. Mason v. Range Resources—Appalachia, LLC, 120 F.Supp.3d 425 (W.D. Pa. 2015).
Obtained summary judgment in favor of publicly traded natural gas producer on claims by the lessors under three oil and gas leases that their leases terminated at the end of their primary terms where the producer did not exercise its option to extend the leases while they were in their primary term and the lessors did not afford the producer the requisite notice and opportunity to cure specified in the leases.
Obtained summary judgment in favor of publicly traded natural gas producer on claims by oil and gas lessors that the lessees’ assignments of their leases were improper under the terms of the oil and gas leases. Stricklin v. Fortuna Energy, Inc., Civil Action No. 5:12CV8, 2014 WL 2619587 (N.D. W.Va. Jun. 12, 2014).
Successfully represented publicly traded natural gas producer in litigation involving nine separate cases pertaining to a total of 17 separate oil and gas leases and 1,600 acres, in which the lessors asserted numerous claims against the producer including fraud, slander of title, improper notarization, and trespass.
Obtained summary judgment in favor of publicly traded natural gas producer against oil and gas lessors who sought a judicial declaration that their oil and gas lease was invalid as to the shale gas. Affirmed on appeal.
Successfully represented publicly-traded natural gas producer in litigation brought by overriding royalty interest owner who claimed the producer was not entitled to deduct post-production costs from the overriding royalties.
Obtained AAA arbitration award in favor of publicly traded natural gas producer on trespass claims brought by a landowner/lessor under a temporary water storage and staging lease agreement. Arbitrator awarded attorney’s fees and costs to natural gas producer.
Obtained unanimous ruling by panel of three arbitrators (one of whom was appointed by the claimant) in favor of publicly traded natural gas producer on claims brought by a landowner/lessor who sought to compel the producer/lessee to exercise its option to extend oil and gas lease’s primary term for an additional five years.
Obtained dismissal of all claims (including claims for fraudulent inducement, improper notarization, injunction, declaratory judgment) brought by oil and gas lessors against publicly traded natural gas producer. Dwyer v. Range Resources—Appalachia, LLC, Civil Action No. 5:14CV21, 2014 WL 1648272 (N.D. W. Va. Apr. 24, 2014).
Obtained preliminary injunction on behalf of a privately held oil and gas company to prevent landowner/lessor from removing production-related equipment from property and declaring oil and gas lease to be invalid. Affirmed on appeal.
Successfully represented publicly traded natural gas producer and a former landman-employee against claims brought by landowner/lessor; all claims against former employee dismissed, with prejudice, and all claims against natural gas producer dismissed due to arbitration provision. Holmes v. Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC, Civil Action No. 5:11CV123, 2012 WL 3647674 (N.D. W.Va. Aug. 23, 2012)
Successfully represented publicly traded natural gas producer in arbitration proceedings initiated by another producer seeking approximately $5 million in damages for claims involving alleged breaches of drilling commitments under a farmout agreement.
Successfully represented publicly traded natural gas producer in ligation brought by landowners who owned “oil” but not “gas” underlying their property and contended that natural gas producer was wrongfully producing “oil” by means of a horizontal Marcellus Shale well that traversed the property.
Obtained summary judgment from trial court in favor of clients/owners of 16,000-acre coal mine property as to claims raised by individual who claimed ownership of the property under an alleged settlement agreement. Affirmed on appeal.
Successfully represented privately held oil and gas/coal owner in proceedings brought against the estate of former business partner.
Successfully represented privately held coal company in litigation against major utility which prematurely terminated coal supply agreement for one of its power plants.
Secured dismissal of quiet title action against owner of coal mine on preliminary objections.