Gibbs & Bruns LLP > Houston, United States > Firm Profile

Gibbs & Bruns LLP Offices

Gibbs & Bruns LLP
1100 LOUISIANA
SUITE 5300
HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002
TEXAS
United States
Visit website 1 713 650 8805 1 713 750 0903

Gibbs & Bruns LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings

Energy > Energy litigation: oil and gas Tier 1

Praised for its ‘elite courtroom skills’, Gibbs & Bruns LLP exclusively handles high-profile commercial litigation. While based in Houston, the firm has a national reach and represents a broad client base, ranging from tech start-ups to major entities in the oil and gas sector. Founding partner Robin Gibbs is a veteran of the industry, with over 50 years' experience in handling high-stakes business and commercial litigation, while Kathy Patrick is relied upon by industry powerhouses, such as Occidental, in handling high-end issues. Barrett Reasoner is adept in handling business-critical disputes for energy companies and Brian Ross is highly recommended, with a docket that includes prominent force majeure disputes stemming from Winter Storm Uri. Mark Giugliano is another key contact in the group, with considerable experience in multi-party commercial litigation, while Sam Cruse, who is commended as ‘a highly effective courtroom lawyer and negotiator’, is noted for his expertise in the energy and finance sectors.

Practice head(s):

Robin Gibbs; Kathy Patrick; Barret Reasoner

Other key lawyers:

Brian Ross; Mark Giugliano; Andi Gulley; Sam Cruse; David Sheeren

Testimonials

‘Excellent lawyers, subject-matter experts, great use of technology and elite courtroom skills.’

‘Sam Cruse is my first call for high stakes oil and gas litigation matters.  He has successfully handled several high stakes oil and gas contract and royalties disputes for us.  He is a highly effective courtroom lawyer and negotiator.’

Key clients

Occidental Petroleum

Enterprise Products

Lone Star Production Company

Anadarko Petroleum Corp.

Quantum Energy Partners

Kinder Morgan

Tennessee Gas Pipeline

GR Lift LP

Mesquite Energy

Tanos Exploration

Pioneer Natural Resources, Inc.

Warwick-Athena LLC

Sanchez Oil & Gas

Jonah Energy

Workrise f/k/a RigUp, Inc.

RDV Resource Properties LLC

Sunrise Oil and Gas Properties, LLC

Work highlights

  • Representing plaintiff client Lone Star in a breach of contract, breach of fiduciary and good-faith duties matter.
  • Representing Occidental Chemical Corporation in a suit filed in June 2018, in which Occidental is seeking contribution from more than 100 defendants for, among other costs, the $165 million Occidental has agreed to spend to design the dredge-and-cap remedy for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
  • Acting in an engineering/construction plaintiff’s suit involving $1bn+ in cost overruns, settled favorably for Enterprise Products.

Dispute resolution > Leading trial lawyers Tier 2

Kathy Patrick – Gibbs & Bruns LLP. Houston-based Kathy Patrick is noted for the depth and breadth of her practice, representing a diverse range of clients including Occidental Petroleum Corp., ExxonMobil and BlackRock. As well as assisting clients pursuing recoveries for securities fraud internationally, she has extensive commercial experience representing clients enforce leveraged buyouts, construction contracts, and corporate indemnities. Patrick currently acts as lead trial counsel for Target and a large group of retailers in a complex antitrust matter against Visa and Mastercard, with the plaintiffs seeking damages in excess of $17 billion. Robin Gibbs – Gibbs & Bruns LLP. With half a century of experience in high-stakes litigation, Houston-based Robin Gibbs’ practice focuses exclusively on business and commercial litigation across a broad range of areas including contract, antitrust, trade secret, energy and securities. Also adept in the field of construction disputes, Gibbs recently recorded another significant win for Enterprise Products Operating in a lawsuit against Amec Foster, in which after years of prolonged litigation, Enterprise received a settlement of $115 million in April 2022.Barrett Reasoner – Gibbs & Bruns LLP. A quintessential generalist trial lawyer, Houston-based Barrett Reasoner’s practice focuses on complex commercial disputes across a broad array of areas, including securities, energy, construction, environmental, and IP. Reasoner continues to handle a number of high-stakes mandates, including representing Trustmark National Bank before the Southern District of Texas in a trial scheduled for February 2023, the case concerns three lawsuits related to the collapse of Stanford Financial Group and alleged damages in excess of $5 billion.

Work highlights

    Work highlights

      Work highlights

        Dispute resolution > General commercial disputes Tier 3

        Houston-based law firm Gibbs & Bruns LLP specializes in handling commercial disputes, with a focus on the banking, energy, technology, and financial services sectors. The firm’s experienced team is capable of representing both plaintiffs and defendants across a broad range of subjects. Robin Gibbs is highly regarded for his extensive experience as a trial attorney, while Kathy Patrick has regularly returned successes for longstanding high value clients. Barrett Reasoner is an expert in handling energy-related disputes and co-leads the practice alongside Gibbs and Patrick. Brian Ross  is particularly knowledgeable in the oil and gas industry and has expertise in market defining cases. Other notable members of the team include securities specialist Sam Cruse , energy and construction advisor Ayesha Najam , and David Sheeren . Denise Lambert Drake and Jorge M. Gutierrez Gutierrez Jr. were promoted to partner in October 2022.

        Practice head(s):

        Robin Gibbs; Kathy Patrick; Barrett Reasoner

        Other key lawyers:

        Brian Ross; Sam Cruse; Ayesha Najam; David Sheeren; Denise Lambert Drake; Jorge M. Gutierrez Gutierrez Jr.

        Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: plaintiff Tier 3

        Gibbs & Bruns LLP in Houston became a prominent player in the securities litigation having brought many successful claims relating to mortgage-backed securities, and the firm continues to handle some long-running matters arising from the global financial crisis. Key partner David Sheeren, who has ‘excellent industry knowledge of securitization litigation issues’, worked with newly promoted partner Denise Lambert Drake to bring a case for PIMCO and BlackRock concerning 156 Countrywide RMBS trusts, ultimately securing a $266m settlement. Sheeren and highly regarded Kathy Patrick, who together lead the practice, acted for PIMCO and TCW as investment managers for funds and accounts holding over $200m of certificates issued by a legacy RMBS deal sponsored by First Franklin / Merrill Lynch., which were pursued for selling loans into the Trust that breached a variety of representations and warranties, leading to significant losses. Approval of a $242m settlement is currently pending. Partner Sam Cruse also plays a key role in the practice, notably for clients in the financial services and energy sectors.

        Practice head(s):

        David Sheeren; Kathy Patrick

        Other key lawyers:

        Denise Lambert Drake; Sam Cruse

        Testimonials

        ‘David Sheeren has excellent industry knowledge of securitization litigation issues.’

        Key clients

        BlackRock, Inc.

        Pacific Investment Management Company (PIMCO)

        Trustmark National Bank

        Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM)

        Fannie Mae

        The TCW Group, Inc.

        Kore Advisors LP

        BlackRock Financial Management

        MetLife

        Work highlights

        • Secured a total victory for Institutional Investor clients PIMCO, Blackrock and others in $266 million RMBS IO payment dispute.
        • Representing PIMCO in four trust instruction proceedings, three in New York and one in California, involving treatment of deferred principal recoveries by trusts holding residential mortgage-backed securities.
        • Representing Trustmark National Bank in three lawsuits related to the collapse of the Stanford Financial Group, headed by convicted financial fraudster R. Allen Stanford.

        Gibbs & Bruns LLP > Firm Profile

        Gibbs & Bruns LLP is a litigation boutique engaged exclusively in high-stakes business and commercial litigation.  The firm is acclaimed for its high-value and precedent-setting work across the banking, energy, technology, and financial services sectors, among others.  Exceedingly rare for a litigation firm, we routinely practice on both sides of the docket.  With both plaintiff and defense experience, we bring a higher level of insight and strategy to complex disputes.  Our lawyers excel in creative approaches to disputes in the context of dynamic and ever-changing industry landscapes.

        Founded by Robin Gibbs, named “Father of the Litigation Boutique in Texas” by The Texas Lawbook, the firm sustains a forward-thinking culture of creativity and a personal approach to managing its client matters.  Reciprocity is at the core of all of the firm’s client engagements. Risk sharing with clients and innovative fee arrangements are a hallmark of Gibbs & Bruns’ practice.  The firm’s track record of successes for clients since 1983 attests to the talents, creativity, and dedication of the firm’s trial lawyers.

        The firm’s current docket of cases range from high-stakes plaintiffs’ RMBS matters for institutional investors and a high-profile plaintiffs’ patent case against tech giants Apple and Samsung, to the defense of Reynolds & Reynolds in a massive federal antitrust matter, as well as defense of Trustmark National Bank in a complex matter related to the collapse of Stanford Financial Group.  These matters involve billions of dollars in damages. The firm’s energy docket remains as robust as ever, as is the firm’s private client/professional service firm docket.

        Recent results demonstrate the significance of our impact nationwide:

        • $8.5bn Countrywide RMBS Precedent–Setting Settlement Obtained for 22 Institutional Investor Clients (2015)
        • $7bn Allowed Claim – ResCap Bankruptcy Settlement with 17 Institutional Investors (2013)
        • $4.5bn Settlement with JPMorgan on Behalf of 21 Institutional Investors (2013)
        • $2.4bn Settlement with Lehman Brothers on Behalf of 14 Institutional Investors (2017)
        • $1.7bn Net Settlement Package for Huntsman; including $1.1bn in financing and $632m in cash, the largest cash settlement payment ever recovered with respect to a busted LBO (2009)
        • $1.13bn Settlement with Citigroup on Behalf of 18 Institutional Investors (2014)
        • $1bn in Total Recoveries for Clients, Including $40m  Settlement with Credit Suisse – National Century Enterprises (NCFE) Securities Litigation (2013)
        • Major Defense Win in Multi-Billion Dollar Environmental Trial for Waste Management; settlement was less than one percent of the government’s demand (2014)
        • $196m Judgment Win for Plaintiff Client D. Bobbitt Noel Jr. against Devon Energy (2011)
        • $100m Value Arbitration Award for Venoco against Denbury Onshore (2014)
        • $56m Take-Nothing Success for Natural Resource Partners (2019)
        • Take Nothing Judgment for Private Client in $40m Trade Secrets Dispute (2021)
        • $37.2m Recovery for Client Against the Port of Houston (Verdict 2010, Finalized 2017)
        • $35m in Settlements for ERG re: Contract Dispute in the Republic of Columbia (2017)
        • $12.4m Judgment for Private Client in Dispute with EnVen Energy Corp. (2021)
        • $5.65m in Damages Awarded in Trial Win for U.S. Pipeline (2018, Affirmed by Nebraska Supreme Court 2019)
        • $4.58m Jury Verdict for Plaintiff Client SourceGas in Dispute against Noble Energy (2011)
        • Successful resolution of seven-year dispute for Chevron re the transfer of its responsibility for massive future dismantling and restoration costs of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline; the firm succeeded on each aspect of the legal disputes involved in this matter (2019)

        Main Contacts

        DepartmentNameEmailTelephone
        Co-Managing Partner Mike Absmeiermabsmeier@gibbsbruns.com+1.713.751.5235
        Co-Managing Partner Ashley Kleberakleber@gibbsbruns.com+1.713.751.5225
        Founding Partner Robin Gibbsrgibbs@gibbsbruns.com+1.713.751.5217
        Senior Partner Kathy Patrickkpatrick@gibbsbruns.com+1.713.751.5253
        Senior Partner Barrett Reasonerbreasoner@gibbsbruns.com+1.713.751.5244

        Lawyer Profiles

        PhotoNamePositionProfile
        Michael Absmeier photoMr Michael AbsmeierCo-Managing Partner, Gibbs & Bruns LLPView Profile
        Sam W. Cruse, III photoMr Sam W. Cruse, IIIPartner, Gibbs & Bruns LLPView Profile
        Denise Lambert Drake photoMs Denise Lambert DrakePartner, Gibbs & Bruns LLPView Profile
        Robin Gibbs photoMr Robin GibbsFounding Partner, Gibbs & Bruns LLPView Profile
        Mark Giugliano photoMr Mark GiuglianoPartner, Gibbs & Bruns LLPView Profile
        Aundrea (Andi) Gulley photoMs Aundrea (Andi) GulleyPartner, Gibbs & Bruns LLPView Profile
        Jorge Gutierrez, Jr. photoMr Jorge Gutierrez, Jr.Partner, Gibbs & Bruns LLPView Profile
        Anthony Kaim photoMr Anthony KaimPartner, Gibbs & Bruns LLPView Profile
        Ashley Kleber photoMs Ashley KleberCo-Managing Partner, Gibbs & Bruns LLPView Profile
        Ross MacDonald photoMr Ross MacDonaldPartner, Gibbs & Bruns LLPView Profile
        Ayesha Najam photoMs Ayesha NajamPartner, Gibbs & Bruns LLPView Profile
        Kathy Patrick photoMs Kathy PatrickPartner, Gibbs & Bruns LLPView Profile
        Colin Pogge photoMr Colin PoggePartner, Gibbs & Bruns LLPView Profile
        Barrett Reasoner photoMr Barrett ReasonerPartner, Gibbs & Bruns LLPView Profile
        Brian Ross photoMr Brian RossPartner, Gibbs & Bruns LLPView Profile
        Charles Rosson photoMr Charles RossonPartner, Gibbs & Bruns LLPView Profile
        David Sheeren photoMr David SheerenPartner, Gibbs & Bruns LLPView Profile
        Brice Wilkinson photoMr Brice WilkinsonPartner, Gibbs & Bruns LLPView Profile

        Staff Figures

        Partners : 18
        Associates : 12
        Counsel : 3

        Other

        Co-Managing Partner : Mike Absmeier
        Co-Managing Partner : Ashley Kleber