Oil Spill

May 15, 1911: Supreme Court orders standard oil breakup

John D. Rockefeller was barely 20 when Edwin Drake struck oil in the Pennsylvania town of Titusville in 1859. Drake’s discovery produced an “oil rush” to the area not unlike California’s gold rush 10 years earlier; and Rockefeller, an ambitious bookkeeper working 120 miles west, was looking for a business that would make him rich.

Apr 1, 2026 12:05 AM CDT

BigLaw firms’ public policy, lobbying arms see uptick in client inquiries related to Venezuela

The United States' involvement in Venezuela has benefited BigLaw firms’ lobbying and public policy practices, according to a story by Law.com.

Jan 15, 2026 2:29 PM CST

Judge tosses 238 oil-spill cases, citing law firm’s failure to respond to discovery requests

A federal judge in Pensacola, Florida, has dismissed 238 cases filed for cleanup workers who blame their medical problems on the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Jun 29, 2021 2:38 PM CDT

Federal judge denies injunction, permitting Dakota Access Pipeline to go forward

A Washington, D.C. federal court ruling Tuesday paves the way for completion of the Dakota Access Pipeline, over strong objections from neighboring tribal communities, Reuters has reported. The ruling by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg rejected a request for an injunction from the Cheyenne River Sioux and Standing Rock Sioux…

Mar 7, 2017 2:45 PM CST

Lawyer goes on trial for alleged false oil-spill claims; prosecutors drop several counts

Prosecutors dropped 22 of 95 counts against a Texas lawyer and six co-defendants as their trial began Monday for allegedly falsifying claims in the BP Gulf oil spill. Prosecutors dropped 22 identity document fraud charges against San Antonio lawyer Mikal Watts and six associates, the Biloxi Sun Herald and the…

Jul 19, 2016 10:23 AM CDT

Federal judge gives final OK to $20B settlement by BP in Gulf oil spill disaster

A federal judge in New Orleans on Monday gave the final OK to an estimated $20 billion settlement by BP concerning a massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010. The ruling by U.S District Judge Carl Barbier followed his earlier finding that the company had been grossly negligent in…

Apr 6, 2016 12:00 PM CDT

Federal jury finds engineer not guilty in BP oil spill case

A federal jury in New Orleans on Thursday found a former BP rig engineer not guilty on a charge that his negligence caused the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill to initially go undetected, the Associated Press reports. Robert Kaluza had been charged with one violation of the federal Clean…

Feb 26, 2016 12:15 PM CST

Indictment accuses Texas lawyer of submitting false oil spill claims; he said he had 44,000 clients

A Texas lawyer who once claimed to represent more than 44,000 victims in the BP oil spill has been indicted for allegedly submitting false claims for an inflated list of clients. The indictment of San Antonio lawyer Mikal Watts is under seal, but his lawyer confirmed its existence. The San…

Oct 22, 2015 7:10 AM CDT

BP agrees to $20 billion settlement with DOJ and 5 states for Deepwater Horizon oil spill

BP has agreed to pay $20 billion to settle all civil claims arising from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, the Associated Press reports. The agreement, made with the U.S. Justice Department and five states, must be approved by a judge. The agreement also…

Oct 6, 2015 1:25 PM CDT

BP to pay $18.7B to settle oil spill claims by US and Gulf states

BP has agreed to pay five states and the federal government $18.7 billion to resolve environmental and economic claims stemming from the 2010 Gulf oil spill. The settlement, announced on Thursday, settles claims by Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana , report the Associated Press, Bloomberg News and the New…

Jul 2, 2015 8:43 AM CDT

Federal judge sanctions 3 lawyers, says they can’t file oil spill claims against BP

A federal judge in New Orleans sanctioned three lawyers on Thursday, barring them from handling claims against BP concerning the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier said at an earlier hearing that Lionel Sutton III, Jonathan Andry and Glen Lerner acted unethically when they coordinated to…

Feb 27, 2015 3:22 PM CST

Litigation success brings layoffs for 17 attorneys at law firm representing Halliburton

Successfully defending Halliburton Co. in litigation related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill resulted in pink slips for 17 attorneys and six staff members at a Texas law firm. After announcements early last month of a $1.1 billion proposed class action settlement and a finding by a federal judge in…

Oct 8, 2014 4:00 PM CDT

Judge scolds BP for squeezing extra lines into brief

Updated: BP is on notice that a federal judge will be closely scrutinizing its briefs for excess words in litigation over the Gulf oil spill. In an order (PDF) on Monday, U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier said BP evidently abused a 35-page limit by slightly squeezing the spacing between the…

Sep 18, 2014 9:50 AM CDT

BP grossly negligent in Gulf oil spill, federal judge rules; company could face $18B in penalties

BP Plc was grossly negligent concerning the massive 2010 oil spill that occurred after a deadly explosion and fire at the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, a federal judge in New Orleans has ruled. The Thursday decision by U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier, who was selected…

Sep 4, 2014 5:30 PM CDT

Halliburton to pay $1.1B to resolve oil spill suits

Halliburton has agreed to pay $1.1 billion to resolve suits over its work on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that exploded in April 2010, killing 11 workers and spilling millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The settlement covers claims by residents, businesses and local governments, report…

Sep 3, 2014 10:06 AM CDT