GBKH Partner Russ Horton, who handles a variety of complex commercial litigation, recently was interviewed by the national legal news publication Law360 for his insights about the impact of the oil price downturn on lawsuits in the energy sector.
The publication reported on the legal fallout from the oil bust in an Oct. 30 article headlined, “3 Kinds of Legal Battles Being Fueled by Low Oil Prices,” (subscription required).
Landowners and drillers will clash over “any alleged violations of lease terms as many landowners look to terminate leases, allowing them to strike a better deal when oil prices recover,” Law360 reported based on attorney interviews.
Mr. Horton told the publication, “Some of these leaseholders are going to challenge continuous drilling clauses by saying operators have failed to do continual drilling. Some of these producers can’t afford to continue to drill, and they’re going to risk losing the lease. If you have an out in your lease you can exploit, given the downturn and the fact the operator can’t afford to drill, there’s going to be litigation to try and exploit that.”
Mr. Horton represents companies, partnerships and individuals in resolving complex commercial, trade secret and securities disputes. He is Board Certified in both Civil Trial Law and Personal Injury Trial Law, and he frequently speaks on trial strategy and advocacy before legal and business groups.