This case involved claims for breach of contract, fraud, and tortious interference against a group of Trinidadian oil and gas companies and a Houston-based international energy company. The dispute arose from the breach of a written contract for the development of an offshore oil prospect off the coast of Trinidad, West Indies. Our client, Greenfield Energy, Inc., was a Canadian start-up company that secured an agreement with a group of Trinidadian oil companies to share in the development of an offshore oil field. Subsequently, the Trinidadian oil companies with whom Greenfield had contracted refused to fulfill their obligations under the agreement. Through our discovery efforts, which included extensive third-party and international discovery, it was discovered that the Trinidadian oil company was secretly negotiating with the Houston-based energy company to develop the offshore opportunity Greenfield had already contracted to develop.
Although the Houston oil company’s counsel guaranteed Greenfield’s claims would be dismissed on summary judgment, the Houston oil company’s first summary judgment motion was denied. The Houston oil company ultimately agreed to a multi-million dollar settlement with Greenfield while its second motion for summary judgment was still pending. Prior to trial, the claims against the Trinidadian oil and gas companies were also resolved by way of a multi-million dollar settlement on terms favorable to Greenfield.
