Gerald F. Slattery, Jr.
SHAREHOLDER
Practice Areas
Business Litigation (with emphasis on oil and gas
and financial institutions)
Creditors’ Rights in Bankruptcy
Education
J.D., Tulane University School of Law, 1978
Tulane Law Review (Member, 1976-77, and
Managing Editor, 1977-78)
Senior Fellow, 1977-78
B.S., Louisiana State University, 1973
Omicron Delta Kappa
Professional Experience
Mr. Slattery is a shareholder in the firm and has thirty years’ experience in business litigation, with an emphasis on oil and gas, banking and financial institutions, and bankruptcy. He is experienced in all aspects of oil and gas litigation, including “legacy” lawsuits, royalty disputes, joint operating agreements, exploration and farmout agreements, drilling contracts, insurance coverage issues, well blowouts, property damage, pollution and casualty matters, trespass, and mineral lease issues.
He is also experienced in all litigation aspects of creditors’ representation in financial transactions, including commercial loan foreclosures, defense of lender liability claims and counterclaims, mineral mortgages, Louisiana Oil Well Lien Act cases, and bankruptcy issues.
Mr. Slattery has argued cases before courts at all levels of the federal judicial system, including the United States Supreme Court, and at all levels of the state judicial system, including the Louisiana Supreme Court. He has been named to The Best Lawyers in America and Louisiana Super Lawyers in the field of oil and gas law.
Representative Matters
- Representation of major oil and gas companies in “legacy” litigation alleging environmental contamination from exploration and production activities.
- Testimony as expert witness on behalf of major oil and gas company in litigation alleging underpayment of more than $10 million in mineral royalties.
- Several representations of operators and nonoperators in disputes relating to joint operations, including operators’ responsibilities and standards of performance, area of mutual interest and preferential rights provisions, and nonoperators’ right to share in take-or-pay settlement proceeds on nonoperators’ gas sold by operators.
- Representation of major oil and gas company in defense of litigation filed by State political subdivisions alleging underpayment of gas royalties.
- Representation of major oil and gas company in defense of putative class action alleging underpayment of mineral royalties arising from take-or-pay settlements with pipeline companies.
- Several representations of major oilfield service companies in disputes involving drilling contracts, requirements contracts, subcontracts, and joint ventures.
- Representation of major mezzanine lender in foreclosure of mineral mortgages and security interests on thirteen mineral leases on the Outer Continental Shelf, securing a debt of more than $135 million.
- Representation of large commercial bank in defense of lender liability lawsuit alleging more than $200 million in damages; plaintiff’s case dismissed on summary judgment following a holding by the Louisiana Supreme Court on res nova issue of Louisiana banking law.
- Several representations of asset-based lenders in large commercial loan foreclosures, bankruptcies, and lender liability actions.
- Representation of major domestic commercial bank and predecessors for more than fifteen years in foreclosures of mortgage liens and security interests, contested matters and adversary proceedings in bankruptcies, and defense of actions alleging wrongful dishonor of checks, breach of loan commitments, and lender liability claims.
- Several representations of Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation as receiver for banks and savings and loan associations in litigation involving commercial debt collection, foreclosure, and defense of lender liability counterclaims.
- Representation of beneficiary of standby letter of credit in case involving letter of credit’s interpretation and status as insured deposit under Federal Deposit Insurance Act; argued insured deposit issue before United States Supreme Court.
Selected Publications and Speeches
Mr. Slattery has taught at numerous seminars conducted by professional organizations in the oil and gas industry, and at in-house seminars conducted at major oil and gas companies and at several offices of a large domestic commercial bank. Recent presentations and publications include the following:
- State and Local Regulation of Oil and Gas Wells in Louisiana, Women's Energy Network, April 2010.
- Professionalism, Louisiana Mineral Law Institute, March 2010.
- Area of Mutual Interest, Preferential Rights, and Maintenance of Uniform Interest Provisions in Joint Operating Agreements, Landman (Journal of American Association of Petroleum Landmen), March-April 2008.
- Act 312 and More: Recent Developments in Louisiana, Petroleum Landmen's Association of New Orleans Seminar, January 2008.
- Site Restoration Obligations: Corbello, Castex and Consequences, Gulf Coast Land Institute, October 2006.
Member Organizations
Louisiana State Bar Association (Member, Sections on Alternative Dispute Resolution, Antitrust and Trade Regulation, Civil Law Litigation, Consumer Protection and Bankruptcy Law, and Mineral Law)
New Orleans Bar Association
Professional Landmen’s Association of New Orleans
Houston Producers’ Forum
Houston Association of Petroleum Landmen
North Houston Association of Petroleum Landmen
Bank Counsel Section of Louisiana Bankers’ Association
Association of Commercial Finance Attorneys