In another example of the oil and gas industry’s lack of concern about safety and the consequences of its profit-making activities, Los Angeles County has been forced to sue Southern California Gas Company to compel the gas company to install and upgrade the safety shut-off valves on its wells. The suit arises from a massive … Continued
On May 11, 2016, the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 was signed into law and became effective immediately. The Act was passed overwhelmingly by Congress and creates a legal claim in federal court for theft or misappropriation of trade secrets. Most states have had trade secrets laws for years, but the federal law gives … Continued
An oilfield worker was killed on an oil rig near Midwest, Wyoming on July 14, 2016. According to the initial investigation, Dennis McCulloch fell 76 feet from a workover rig and died instantly. Mr. McCulloch was 28 years old at the time of his death and was a resident of Casper, Wyoming. He worked for … Continued
An oilfield worker was killed on an oil rig near Gillette, Wyoming on July 7, 2016. According to the initial investigation, the rig partially collapsed, crushing 26 year-old Joshua Adams. Mr. Adams was working for Basic Energy Services, a Texas company. The circumstances of the tragic death are still being investigated. As oil and gas drilling … Continued
A federal court jury in Ohio found that corporate giant DuPont’s dumping of chemicals into the Ohio River caused cancer in a man who lives near the river. The chemical, called ammonium perfluorooctanoate, is used in the manufacture of Dupont’s Teflon, Gore-Tex, and Stainmaster carpet products. Dupont denied that the chemicals caused cancer. However, the … Continued
Three Workers Burned and Two Killed in Separate Oilfield Tragedies Three workers were burned and one was killed when a wellsite operated by XTO Energy exploded, engulfing the rig and the workers in a devastating fire. The explosion occurred on June 18, 2016 at the XTO wellsite outside of Watford City, North Dakota. One of … Continued
Trademarks are registered by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (called the USPTO) as well as by state trademark offices. A federal trademark registration gives a trademark owner stronger enforcement rights than does a state registration. However, federal law places certain limits on the types of words, phrases, or symbols that may be registered … Continued
In October, 2011, a tanker truck driver working in the Bakken suffered severe burns over more than 30% of his body when a water tank at a gas processing plant exploded into a massive fireball. The burns left the driver permanently disfigured and totally disabled from future employment. After three years of litigation, as reported … Continued
Bob Schuster and Brad Booke, along with Kris Koski of Cheyenne, Wyoming, have just successfully completed their representation of a Jackson, Wyoming restaurant known as “Bon Appe Thai,” in a federal court trademark infringement action against a Salt Lake City company that operated a restaurant using the name “Bon Appe-Thai.” The Jackson restaurant has been in business … Continued
Brief On June 18, the United States Patent and Trademark Office cancelled six trademark registrations owned by Washington D.C.’s National Football League franchise, because they use the word “Redskins.” The Trademark Office action was based on its finding that the word “Redskins” is disparaging to Native Americans — and the federal trademark law, called the … Continued