REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE Steve’s representative litigation experience includes handling a wide variety of litigation emphasizing offshore oil and gas development and maritime law; representing oil and gas companies, drilling contractors, service contractors, stevedores, vessel owners and underwriters involved in control of well, bad-faith litigation, property damage and other coverage disputes. He represents both plaintiffs and defendants in commercial lawsuits, including shareholder disputes, breach of contract, fraud, qui tam and Intellectual Property controversies. His experience also includes matters involving offshore oil and gas deferred and lost production, downhole blow-outs and other casualty claims in the energy sector.
Specific recent cases include:
- Acting as civil matter lead for an international drilling contractor in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill litigation, including representation of the client in multi-district litigation, Congressional, regulatory (USCG, BOERME/BSSE, CSB, Presidential Commission and National Academy of Engineers investigations) and in Department of Justice environmental proceedings.
- Representing offshore pipeline owners and underwriters in recovery actions stemming from damages in excess of $100 million caused by rigs and vessels.
- Defending a university’s $300 million insurance claim for fine arts property damage following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
- Representing the insurer of two offshore drilling contractors against a $60 million claim for property damage arising out of Hurricane Ike and the sinking of a drilling vessel on offshore petroleum pipelines.
- Defending a $70 million claim for loss of oil and gas production and property damage following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
- Representing an insurance provider in a complex clash limit first-party coverage dispute involving energy and oil policies.
- Representing a major provider of international and domestic contract drilling services in connection with environmental damage recovery for alleged coastline pollution.
- Defending a vessel seizure case in Norway involving an American flag vessel sold at foreclosure and redocumented with the U.S. Coast Guard.
- Representing an insured in U.S. Coast Guard, Minerals Management Service (MMS) and insurance disputes following loss of multiple drilling rigs following hurricanes.
PROFESSIONAL HONORS AND AWARDS
- Recognized by Chambers USA: Guide to Leading Business Lawyers in the area of insurance law (2010, 2011, 2012)
- Selected for inclusion in Texas Super Lawyers® (2003-2012)
- Named to The Best Lawyers in America in the areas of admiralty & maritime law and personal injury litigation – defendants (1995-2013)
- Selected as a Texas Local Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation (2010-2012)
- Selected for inclusion in the Houston Edition of Texas’ Best Lawyers (2008-2012)
PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
- Member, American Bar Association
- Member, State Bar of Texas
- Member, Houston Bar Association
- Member, College of the State Bar of Texas
- Member, Texas Association of Defense Counsel
- Member, Maritime Law Association of the United States
- Member, Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute
- Former Member, Admiralty and Maritime Committee
- Personal Injury Committee, Maritime Law Association of the United States
- Member, Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute
- Member, National Advisory Committee of the Tulane Admiralty Law Institute
- Member, Planning Committee of the University of Texas Admiralty Law Symposium
- Adjunct Professor of civil trial advocacy, University of Houston
- Former Editor, Longshore Newsletter
- Former Co-Editor, Longshore Section, Maritime Adviser’s Maritime Personal Injury Report
- Member, International Association of Drilling Contractors
- Member, Houston Mariners Club
- Member, Board of Directors and Initial Chairman and Co-founder of Archway Academy, a non-profit high school serving students in drug and alcohol recovery
- Member, Board of Directors of Technology for ALL, a non-profit organization devoted to computer literacy training for underprivileged adults and children
PUBLICATIONS AND SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
- Panelist, " Oil Pollution and Environmental Concerns, Procedural Challenges, Emergency Response and Cooperation with Investigations: Lessons Learned and Analyzing Continuing Fallout from Recent Incidents Including the MSC Flaminia, Costa Concordia and Deepwater Horizon,” American Conference Institute’s National Forum on Defending and Managing Admiralty & Maritime Litigation (February 27-28, 2013)
- Speaker, “Significant Rulings in the BP Spill Litigation,” UTCLE 21st Annual Admiralty and Maritime Law Conference (October 26, 2012)
- Moderator, “How have industry standards and changes in law impacted our business post-Macondo?” International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) Contract and Risk Management Conference (October 19th, 2012)
- Speaker, " Regulation, Insurance And Indemnity In The Services Sector: Much Has Changed Since Law School (Even If You Graduated Last Year)," Institute of Energy Law 2012 (October 15, 2012)
- Speaker, International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) Contracts & Risk Management Conference (October 13, 2010)
- Speaker, International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) Contracts & Risk Management Conference (October 29-30, 2008)
- Speaker, “Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: Ill Winds Blow Through the Offshore Oil and Gas Industry,” IADC Conference (November 2006)
- Speaker, “The Defense Base Act—More Questions Than Answers,” Client Presentation (2006)
- Speaker, “Recovery of Lost or Delayed Offshore Oil & Gas Production,” Energy Law Institute, South Texas College of Law (September 2005)
- Speaker, “Revisions to the Consequential Damages: Provisions of the IADC Standard Contracts,” 2004 IADC Contracts & Risk Management Conference (November 2004)
- Speaker, “Settling the Claims of Injured Workers: The Maritime Minefield,” 13th Annual Admiralty and Maritime Law Conference (September 2004)
- Author, “Offshore Recovery,” International Oil & Gas Finance Review (2002)
- Author, “Deferred and Lost Offshore Production,” Vol. II, International Energy Law and Taxation Review (November 2001)