Porter Hedges has extensive knowledge of downstream oil and gas operations, petroleum refining, and the chemical industry, including petrochemical processing and manufacturing.
Our intellectual property attorneys specialize in the chemical arts, including the litigation and prosecution of patents for the chemical and petrochemical industries. They provide intellectual property counseling for process and product development such as patent opinion preparation, patent portfolio development, and pre-litigation management. Our specific experience in the chemical and fuel manufacturing industries includes an active role in cases involving the metallocene catalyst patent for two global energy companies and general representation in patent prosecution matters for two of the world’s largest chemical companies.
Our environmental experience includes both transactional and trial work for petrochemical and refining companies, including issues involved with air quality, water quality, hazardous and solid waste, and other permitting and enforcement matters. They have been lead counsel in trial and administrative cases involving polymer manufacturing facilities and petroleum refineries. They have also provided expertise regarding criminal investigations for these facilities, and have put together teams of local criminal practitioners to represent management persons during investigations.
Our trial and appellate lawyers have handled numerous cases for companies in the chemical and refining industries. Examples include breach of contract cases relating to chemical feed stocks, claims by a refinery for failed refining equipment, defense of personal injury claims, defending claims of improper manufacture of polymers, and numerous construction claims involving refineries and petrochemical plants. Our lawyers also have experience with the electronically stored information (ESI) challenges that the modern process facility can present.
Our real estate lawyers have been lead counsel in the sale of chemical manufacturing facilities, and have represented clients in purchasing existing and new sites for chemical manufacturing. They are familiar with permit transfers, due diligence, and other aspects of these transactions.
Our transactional team not only has experience with public and private merger and acquisition agreements, joint venture agreements, and credit and project financing documents, but also advises on commercial contracts such as feedstock supply, transportation, storage, terminalling and product sales agreements. These transactional lawyers have significant experience in the chemical and refining industries from fairly small supply agreements to significant mergers and acquisitions. These lawyers also have experience with SEC and other compliance filing issues that are often faced by companies in the chemical and refining industries.