LESTER v. EXXON MOBIL CORP.

No. 14-31383.

879 F.3d 582 (2018)

Warren LESTER; Alfreda Marshall; David Quinn; Demetria Sterling; Dawn Humphries; et al., Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. EXXON MOBIL CORPORATION; Chevron USA, Incorporated; Joseph Grefer; Camille Grefer; Rosemarie Grefer Haase; Henry Grefer; OFS, Incorporated; Intracoastal Tubular Services, Incorporated; Rathborne Properties, L.L.C.; Rathborne Land Company, L.L.C.; Rathborne Companies, L.L.C.; Alpha Technical Services, Incorporated; Shell Oil Company; Shell Offshore, Incorporated; BP America Production Company, formerly known as Amoco Production Company; Varco, L.P.; Texaco, Incorporated; Union Oil Company of California; ConocoPhillips Company; Marathon Oil Company; Freeport McMoran, Incorporated; IMC Global, Incorporated; Exchange Oil & Gas Company; Kerr-McGee Oil and Gas Corporation; Torch Energy Services, Incorporated; Torch Operating Company; French Jordan, Incorporated, doing business as Shield Coat, Incorporated; Placid Oil Company; Rosewood Resources, Incorporated; Dynamic Explorations, Incorporated; Certain Underwriters At Lloyds London; Certain London Market Insurance Companies; Hydril Company, Incorporated; Oilfield Testers, Incorporated; KBR, Incorporated; McDermott, Incorporated; Bredero Price Company, Defendants-Appellees. Shirley Bottley; Jovane Benoit; Juajuan Benoit, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. Exxon Mobil Corporation; Exxon Mobil Oil Corporation; Humble Oil & Refining Company; Humble Oil & Refining Corporation; Chevron USA, Incorporated; BP Corporation North America, Incorporated; Devon Energy Production Company, L.P.; ConocoPhillips Company; Shell Oil Company; Marathon Oil Company; Oxy, Incorporated; Varco, L.P.; Intracoastal Tubular Services, Incorporated; BP America Production Company, Defendants-Appellees.

United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.

FILED January 9, 2018.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Timothy John Falcon, Esq. , Jarrett Stephen Falcon , Jeremiah Alexander Mark Sprague, Esq. , Falcon Law Firm, Marrero, LA, Frank M. Buck, Jr., Esq. , Juan Cruz Obregon , Jackson Lewis, P.C., New Orleans, LA, for Plaintiffs-Appellants.

Martin A. Stern , Glen Marion Pilie, Esq. , Adams & Reese, L.L.P., New Orleans, LA, for Defendants-Appellees Exxon Mobil Corporation, Humble Oil & Refining Company, Humble Oil & Refining Corporation, Exxon Mobil Oil Corporation.

Michael Raudon Phillips, Esq. , Shannon Shelton Cobb , Brett Patrick Fenasci , Brittany Buckley Salup , Kean Miller, L.L.P., New Orleans, LA, for Defendants-Appellees Chevron USA, Incorporated, Texaco, Incorporated, Union Oil Company of California.

Gladstone Nathaniel Jones, III, Esq. , Attorney, Jones, Swanson, Huddell & Garrison, L.L.C., New Orleans, LA, Defendants-Appellees Joseph Grefer, Camille Grefer, Rosemarie Grefer Haase, Henry Grefer.

Charles Bruce Colvin , Marguerite K. Kingsmill , Kingsmill Riess, L.L.C., New Orleans, LA, Raymond A. Osborn, Jr., Esq., Osborn & Osborn, Harvey, LA, for Defendant-Appellee OFS, Incorporated.

Carlton Jones, III , Louisiana State University, Office of General Counsel, Baton Rouge, LA, Defendant-Appellee Intracoastal Tubular Services, Incorporated.

Jacques F. Bezou , Bezou Law Firm, Covington, LA, John William Hite, III , Salley, Hite, Mercer & Resor, L.L.C., New Orleans, LA, for Defendants-Appellees Rathborne Properties, L.L.C., Rathborne Land Company, L.L.C., Rathborne Companies, L.L.C.

Caleb H. Didriksen, III, Esq. , Attorney, Didriksen, Saucier, Woods & Pichon, P.L.C., New Orleans, LA, for Defendant-Appellee Alpha Technical Services, Incorporated.

Mary S. Johnson, Esq. , Jill Thompson Losch , Mandeville, LA, Chadwick James Mollere , New Orleans, LA, Johnson Gray McNamara, L.L.C., for Defendants-Appellees Shell Oil Company, Shell Offshore, Incorporated, Kerr-McGee Oil and Gas Corporation, Torch Energy Services, Incorporated.

Deborah DeRoche Kuchler , Mark Edward Best, Esq. , Janika D. Polk, Esq. , Skylar Barbosa Rudin , Milele N. St. Julien , Senior Counsel, Kuchler Polk Weiner, L.L.C., Leigh Ann Schell , Adams & Reese, L.L.P., New Orleans, LA, for Defendants-Appellees Shell Oil Company, Shell Offshore, Incorporated, ConocoPhillips Company.

Michele Hale DeShazo , Kuchler Polk Weiner, L.L.C., New Orleans, LA, for Defendants-Appellees Shell Oil Company, Shell Offshore, Incorporated.

Elizabeth Haecker Ryan , Amanda Wingfield Goldman , Coats, Rose, Yale, Ryman & Lee, P.C., New Orleans, LA, Daniel F. Shank , Coats Rose, Houston, TX, for Defendant-Appellee Varco, L.P.

Richard Stuart Pabst, Esq. , Tyler Ann Moore Kostal, Esq. , Julie Parelman Silbert , Kean Miller, L.L.P., New Orleans, LA, for Defendants-Appellees Marathon Oil Company, Devon Energy Production Company, L.P.

Arthur Mahony Murray, Esq. , Korey Arthur Nelson , Murray Law Firm, New Orleans, LA, for Defendant-Appellee French Jordan, Incorporated, doing business as Shield Coat, Incorporated.

Mary Margaret Steele , Christoffer C. Friend , Curry & Friend, P.L.C., New Orleans, LA, for Defendants-Appellees Placid Oil Company, Oxy, Incorporated.

Meghan Elizabeth Smith , Jones Walker, L.L.P., New Orleans, LA, for Defendant-Appellee Placid Oil Company.

Stephen Porter Hall , Phelps Dunbar, L.L.P., New Orleans, LA, Defendants-Appellees Certain Underwriters at Lloyds London, Certain London Market Insurance Companies.

Georges M. Legrand , Adam Paul Sanderson , Mouledoux, Bland, Legrand & Brackett, L.L.C., New Orleans, LA; for Defendant-Appellee Hydril Company, Incorporated.

Kenneth Hugh Laborde, Esq. , Trial Attorney, Daniel Gibbons Rauh , Attorney, Gieger, Laborde & Laperouse, L.L.C., New Orleans, LA, for Defendant-Appellee KBR, Incorporated.

James Aristide Holmes , Christovich & Kearney, L.L.P., New Orleans, LA, for Defendant-Appellee Bredero Price Company.

Bettye Anne Barrios , Gavin H. Guillot , Pusateri, Johnston, Guillot & Greenbaum, L.L.C., Lauren Raili Bridges , Liskow & Lewis, P.L.C., New Orleans, LA, for Defendants-Appellees BP Corporation North America, Incorporated, BP America Production Company.

Michael P. Cash, Esq. , Wade Thomas Howard, Esq. , Liskow & Lewis, Houston, TX, Joseph Ignatius Giarrusso, III , Liskow & Lewis, P.L.C., New Orleans, LA, for Defendant-Appellee BP America Production Company.

Before OWEN, GRAVES, and HIGGINSON, Circuit Judges.


ExxonMobil Oil Corporation removed the underlying suits as a "mass action" pursuant to the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005.1 The consolidated interlocutory appeals of Warren Lester, et al. and Shirley Bottley, et al. (Plaintiffs) challenge the district court's order denying their respective...

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