We specialize in appeals and practice at most levels of the U.S. judicial system—the Fifth Circuit, in the intermediate appellate courts and in the trial courts primarily in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma. We are often found defending the firm’s trial court judgments and seeking review of adverse judgments, both in cases where Hall Maines Lugrin has been involved in the initial litigation, as well as cases in which another firm has handled the underlying trial.

Our appellate work encompasses a wide variety of matters from insurance coverage and bad faith, to products liability, to maritime torts and complex commercial partnership and securities disputes. Our appeals have involved issues such as whether the U.S. is liable for damage to an oil company’s subsea pipeline after being run over by the government’s dredging contractor, whether the OCSLA or state law applies to a products liability suit involving a deepwater production facility and whether an excess liability insurer has a right of reimbursement against its insured for settlement of claims not covered by the policy.

Our advice and analysis is routinely requested by other appellate practitioners on issues of unique importance to the energy insurance industry and we provide amicus briefs on behalf of industry representatives when requested.

In the appellate system, consistent success requires experience to understand the big picture, particularly in the energy business. The most effective appellate practitioners are those that can ask (and answer) the hard questions. An ability to write well and argue persuasively are a given but only a handful of lawyers have the keen insight and deep industry knowledge to answer questions from the bench like, “How does this insurance policy work in the real world?” and “Describe what actually happens in an oil and gas well during a blowout.” Appeals can be won or lost in that 30-second sound bite and the sufficiency of the answer often depends on whether the attorney truly understands the subject matter. That’s where our energy experience is a strong factor.

Our active appellate practice includes lawyers who know the energy industry inside and out and have the know-how and focus to develop smart and calculated strategies that give our clients a winning advantage.