Four Gibbs & Bruns partners are named on the shortlist of the Legal 500’s “Leading Trial Lawyers” in the United States for 2013. Robin Gibbs, Kathy Patrick, Grant Harvey, and Barrett Reasoner all appear on the “Leading Trial Lawyers” list in the US directory which shares:
Robin Gibbs is ‘excellent on all fronts’ and considered an ‘excellent trial lawyer’ for work ranging from energy and securities, to general commercial litigation. In 2012, Gibbs was active alongside the widely respected Grant Harvey in Noel v Trevor Rees Jones, in which instance the judge concurred with a previous Houston jury verdict, and upheld a $196m judgment in favour of the firm’s client D Bobbitt Noel, in respect of damages for fraud and breach of fiduciary duty. In 2012, Gibbs also represented plaintiff ERG Resources in its contractual dispute with diverse oil and gas interests; this ‘superb’ lawyer also defended healthcare services provider DaVita in a large qui tam matter, in which instance the firm achieved a favourable settlement.
Kathy Patrick specialises in financial crisis hangover work, particularly on the bondholder side. In 2012, after a group of investors called Walnut Place removed the proposed $8.5bn settlement between itself and other investors with Bank of America to federal court, Patrick succeeded in obtaining an expedited appeal from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. The case is set to be heard by the New York Supreme Court in 2013. In 2012, Patrick achieved a similar agreement between 17 institutional investors and Residential Capital and its affiliated debtors, an agreement comprising $8.7bn across 392 residential mortgage backed securities trusts: ‘There is no doubting the material nature of the work Patrick handles’
Robin is ranked in the top tier of the “Leading Trial Lawyers” list, and Kathy is ranked in the second tier. The entire list can be viewed here.
In addition, Gibbs & Bruns’s energy litigation practice was placed in the top tier of a short-list that names just five law firms. In addition to Robin, Grant and Barrett, partner Ayesha Najam is highlighted in the editorial for her experience.
‘A powerhouse boutique’ and ‘a fabulous law firm with tremendous energy experience’, Gibbs & Bruns LLP acts for plaintiffs and defendants, with an impressive client roster that includes ConocoPhillips, Kinder Morgan, Pioneer Natural Resources, ERG Resources, Matrix Petroleum, Anadarko, and SM Energy. With over 40 years’ trial experience and a track record in national cases, Robin Gibbs is ‘one of the best trial lawyers in the country’; ‘the name guy, if you have millions of dollars on the line’; and ‘incredibly smart, and gifted at coming up with solutions to complex problems’. Also highly respected in the market are Grant Harvey, who has an extensive arbitration practice, and Barratt Reasoner, who is particularly experienced in natural gas disputes. Gibbs and Reasoner pursued a $4.58m claim for SourceGas against Noble Energy, for the breach of a purchase contract. Reasoner’s other recent matters include: representing SM Energy and three other parties in a $110m action against Endeavour Operating Corporation for breached sale and purchase agreements, relating to Marcellus Shale, Pennsylvannia; and acting for Anadarko in its arbitration with Noble Energy over an oil and gas rights dispute. Harvey obtained judgement in favor of Matrix Petroleum, Talisman Energy USA and Statoil USA in a complex title dispute surrounding oil and gas ownership in the Eagle Ford shale formation; the matter is currently on appeal. Harvey is acting alongside Ayesha Najam in defending Big Star Gathering against PEMEX’s allegations of conspiracy to purchase natural gas stolen from Mexico. The firm is known for its work in high-value business and financial disputes, and is particularly experienced in matters involving securities issues and alleged breaches of fiduciary duty.
The Energy Litigation rankings and editorial can be viewed here.
