Since 2008, Gibbs & Bruns LLP has been recognized by international legal directory Legal 500. The 2019 edition ranks Gibbs & Bruns LLP a “Tier 1″ firm in Energy Litigation: Oil and Gas.
Both household names and small- to medium-sized entities in the oil and gas industry feature in Gibbs & Bruns LLP’s impressive client base; the Houston-based trial boutique has an extensive track record in litigating bet-the-company matters and engaging in complex commercial litigation. Highlights include head of team Robin Gibbs and Mark Giugliano representing Enterprise Products in a lawsuit against Amec Foster Wheeler which started in 2016; the client asserts numerous claims including breach of contract, breach of warranty, fraudulent inducement and cost overruns worth over $850m; recent work on the matter includes extensive document discovery and filing merits depositions. In defense work, Barrett Reasoner acted for BHP Billiton in a dispute brought by a non-operator alleging unauthorized drilling and workover operations and anti-competitive gathering rates, seeking over $15m in damages; a favorable settlement was reached between the parties. Occidental Petroleum, Sanchez Oil & Gas, Pioneer Natural Resources and Kinder Morgan are some other noteworthy clients of the firm. Head of team Kathy Patrick, Ayesha Najam and Brian Ross (noted as a Next Generation Lawyer for Energy: Oil & Gas) are also recommended.
Gibbs & Bruns partners: Robin Gibbs, Kathy Patrick, and Barrett Reasoner are recognized on the exclusive “Leading Trial Lawyers“ list. Each has earned “Hall of Fame” status for their tenured recognition as top litigators by Legal 500:
Robin Gibbs
The ‘excellent’ Robin Gibbs maintains a strong track record of handling high-stakes commercial litigation in the energy, and oil and gas sector. Past highlights have included acting for Sanchez Oil and Gas and Enterprise Products Operating in a variety of matters pertaining to trade secret works.Kathy Patrick
Kathy Patrick has considerable experience across a broad range of high-profile and complex matters involving general commercial and securities litigation. Highlights have included representing Lehman Brothers in bankruptcy proceedings which ended in a favorable settlement plan. Patrick, in fact, has particular expertise in acting for financial institutions, others of which have included Bank of America and Citigroup.
The firm also ranks in Legal 500‘s top tiers for General Commercial Disputes and Securities Litigation: Plaintiff:
A ‘go-to firm for high-stakes litigation’, Gibbs & Bruns LLP celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2018; it was founded in Texas, where it maintains a thriving litigation practice, though it handles disputes across the country. In an illustration of both the firm’s trial prowess and energy-sector expertise, Kathy Patrick and Ayesha Najam represented Occidental Petroleum as plaintiff in pipeline litigation against NuStar Logistics, which went to a five-week bench trial. Other leading practitioners include founding partner Robin Gibbs, Barrett Reasoner and managing partner Scott Humphries, and Ross MacDonald is a rising star at the associate level. Named attorneys are based in Houston.
Gibbs & Bruns LLP in Houston has a national reputation for its work in cases arising from the financial, energy and technology sectors. Standout securities litigator Kathy Patrick and experienced trial lawyer Robin Gibbs lead the practice, which built its reputation with large settlements in RMBS-related cases arising from the financial crisis. Up-and-coming partner David Sheeren, who helped orchestrate the largest private legal settlement in Wall Street’s history – an $8.5bn RMBS settlement with Bank of America – is highly recommended for securities and structured finance disputes. In early 2018, Patrick and Sheeren oversaw the finalisation of a $2.38bn settlement for institutional investors with the plan administrator for Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc and the other debtors in the Lehman bankruptcy proceeding. The pair, along with managing partner Scott Humphries, also secured a $4.5bn settlement with JP Morgan in 2016, for which the first payments were made last year.
