October 20, 2023, opinions

Posted on by tadbartlett

Designated for publication

  • Street v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30393; c/w Macon v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30394; c/w Murray v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30395; c/w Johnson v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30396; c/w Johns v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30397; c/w Bunch v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30496; c/w Ash v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30499; c/w May v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30500; c/w Stennis v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30501; c/w Booker v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30502; c/w Webb v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30503; c/w Hall v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30504; c/w Minor v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30505; c/w Summers v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30506; Brewer v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30508; c/w Bell v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30512; Williams v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30513; c/w Magee v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30514; c/w Darrington v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30515; c/w Carpenter v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30516; c/w Lundy v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30517; c/w Taylor v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30518; c/w Causey v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30519; c/w Nelson v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30520; c/w Burns v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30521; c/w Coleman v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30522; c/w Guess v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30523; c/w Williams v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30524; c/w Rawls v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30525; c/w Black v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30528; c/w Garlow v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30529; c/w Brister v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30532; c/w Barnes v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30535; c/w Frazier v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30536; c/w Gonzalez v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30542; c/w Jackson v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30592; c/w Hockaday v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30593; c/w Summerall v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30596; c/w Williams v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30599; c/w Estate of Smith v. BP Exploration & Production Co., 22-30604; appeal from E.D. La.
    • Southwick, J. (Richman, Southwick, Oldham), toxic tort, recusal
    • Affirming district court judge’s denial of motion to disqualify himself from cases arising from Deepwater Horizon spill.
    • The Court held that the district court judge’s former partnership in a law firm that represented a former defendant in the claims that had been found not liable during a liability trial prior to severance of the claims was sufficiently unrelated to the remaining claims that had been assigned to him, and that even if there had been error, it was harmless.
  • Armadillo Hotel Group, L.L.C. v. Harris, 22-50945, appeal from W.D. Tex.
    • Southwick, J. (Smith, Southwick, Higginson), trade secrets, claim splitting
    • Reversing district court’s dismissal of claim of misappropriation of trade secrets as impermissible claim-splitting between claims in state court and claims in federal court, holding that “not enough was known from the pleadings about the relation between two of the defendants in the two suits to conclude claim splitting had occurred.”

Unpublished

  • Gray v. GC Services, 23-20056, appeal from S.D. Tex.
    • per curiam (King, Haynes, Graves), employment discrimination, res judicata
    • Affirming dismissal of employment discrimination claims as barred by res judicata.
  • Perkins v. Sheffield Rentals, Inc., 23-30313, appeal from W.D. La.
    • per curiam (Dennis, Elrod, Wilson), personal tort
    • Affirming summary judgment in favor of defendants on premises liability claims.
  • U.S. v. Ferris, 23-50006, appeal from W.D. Tex.
    • per curiam (Higginbotham, Stewart, Southwick), criminal
    • Granting Anders motion to withdraw, and dismissing appeal.
  • Moody National Bank v. Shurley, 23-50163, appeal from W.D. Tex.
    • per curiam (Higginbotham, Stewart, Southwick), bankruptcy
    • Affirming holding that debts to creditor bank were dischargeable in Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceedings.