Andrew Zeve
Biography
Overview
Andrew Zeve represents clients in disputes related to every aspect of the oil and gas industry. In addition, he represents clients in intellectual property litigation, with an emphasis on trade secrets. His experience as a litigator includes first-chair jury trial, bench trial and arbitration in state and federal courts across the United States.
In addition to his oil and gas practice, Andrew represents clients in complex commercial litigation in a variety of industries including real estate, finance, and construction.
During law school, Andrew served as an intern to the Honorable David Hittner in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas.
School of Law
Industrial Engineering
Experience
Representative matters:
- BMC Software — following a federal trial, obtained a $1.6 billion breach of contract and fraud judgment on behalf of BMC against IBM.*
- Hilcorp Energy Company — represented Hilcorp in a royalty class action in the Southern District of Texas relating to the alleged off-lease use of produced natural gas. The court dismissed the case but allowed the plaintiff to re-plead; and the amended complaint was also dismissed.*
- Foro Energy — defended Foro Energy in a week-long trial involving the alleged misappropriation of trade secrets relating to the design of an offshore umbilical deployment system. Foro prevailed on all claims.*
- Juno Energy, LLC — successfully represented as first chair in the trial of an eight-figure title dispute involving oil and gas properties in west Texas; on the second day of trial, secured a settlement with one party, but continued the trial against the other remaining party; after a week-long bench trial, the judge ruled immediately after closing arguments that Juno had title to the property.*
- Juniper Capital Advisors — represented Juniper Capital in two matters claiming trade secret misappropriation related to potential oil and gas investments. In both matters, the plaintiffs' claims were dismissed – one on a motion to dismiss and the other on a motion for summary judgment after the plaintiff's expert opinions were excluded. In both matters, Juniper's counterclaims remained prior to settlement.*
- Baker Hughes — represented Baker Hughes in suit brought by German entity regarding equipment installed in more than 25 large natural gas storage caverns throughout Germany.*
- Triple Crown Energy LLC — successfully represented Triple Crown Energy and BCF Minerals as first chair in the jury trial in Tulsa, Oklahoma, involving a dispute with a land services broker over commissions related to several large mineral rights and leasehold acquisition projects; plaintiff sought over $2 million in connection with various contract and tort claims; after a week-long trial, the jury returned a verdict denying the plaintiff any commissions and rejecting all tort claims.*
- Water Standard Separation Systems — represented Water Standard in a bench trial related to a dispute over a development project in Saudi Arabia. All of the relief requested by Water Standard, including attorney's fees, was granted.*
- Southwestern Energy — represented Southwestern in a title arbitration involving over 100 disputed leases following the sale oil and gas properties in West Virginia.*
- Rover Petroleum — represented Rover Petroleum in dispute regarding various title issues, including failure to produce in paying quantities and failure to meet continuous drilling obligations.*
- Key Energy — represented the plaintiff in a patent infringement suit related to the monitoring of workover services; client sought both economic damages and a permanent injunction against the defendants; a favorable settlement was reached for the client after three days of trial and the defendant ceased its infringing activities in Mexico immediately.*
- Charger Energy, Inc. — represented an oilfield operator in a dispute with the joint operator in a gas field in East Texas; after a three-day arbitration, the client prevailed on its claims and defeated the claims asserted by the joint-operator.*
- Chart Industries, Inc. — represented the manufacturer of brazed aluminum heat exchangers in a breach of contract and trade secret dispute involving technology used in cryogenic plants.*
- Tall City Exploration LLC — represented in a dispute related to drag along rights in large sale of oil and gas assets.*
- AJ Lucas Group PTY Ltd. — represented in a lawsuit seeking recovery of $70 million in connection with investment in an East Texas oilfield.*
- Kinder Morgan, Inc. — represented in a series of class action disputes alleging nuisance claims related to its operation of treating facilities in natural gas compressor stations; after defeating class certification, all cases were settled.*
- Vetco Gray Inc. — represented in multiple summary judgment wins, establishing the validity of a reduced royalty rate license covering subsea well completion technology; Vetco prevailed in arbitration at the district court level and on appeal.*
- M&G Finanziaria S.r.l. — representing a subsidiary of a large Italian conglomerate in a dispute relating to the construction of a large petrochemical plant; dispute includes claims made by and against the owner of the plant, the general contractor, several subcontractors and multiple materialmen.*
- PL Propylene LLC — represented in an arbitration dispute with the EPC contractor regarding warranty claims raised by the owner and delay claims made by the EPC contractor; a favorable settlement was reached in mediation just two weeks before arbitration.*
- CIT Group — represented as the lead defense attorney at a bench trial, which resulted in all of the plaintiff's claims being dismissed and granting all relief sought by CIT Group.*
*Matters prior to joining White & Case
Chambers USA
Nationwide: Oil & Gas Litigation, 2022
The Legal 500 United States
Energy Litigation: Oil and Gas, 2017 - 2022 (Next Generation Partner, 2018 - 2022); Energy Litigation: Conventional Power, 2020 - 2022; General Commercial Disputes, 2017 - 2018
Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC
Benchmark Litigation
40 & Under Hot List, 2017 - 2019
Thomson Reuters
Texas Super Lawyer
2020 - 2022
Thomson Reuters
Texas Super Lawyer
Texas Rising Star, 2010, 2013 - 2018