Teater, James S.

Current Employment Position(s)

Partner

Lawyer Overview

Jim Teater has a broad trial practice involving commercial, oil and gas, trade secret, product liability, regulatory, shareholder, antitrust, and other actions. He has extensive experience with cross-border disputes, multidistrict litigation, scientific experts, arbitrations, and trials in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies.

Examples of Jim's major cases include an FTC action to enjoin a merger of refining and marketing companies; litigation over oil and gas rights at Prudhoe Bay; tort and contract claims involving oil production in Nigeria; an injunction action to enforce a major chemical supply contract; shareholder actions challenging the valuation of worldwide oil reserves; an inventory dispute on a major oil pipeline; the environmental permitting of a major petrochemical complex in Texas; attorney general lawsuits against electric utilities concerning global warming; a nationwide class action challenging the safety of air bags; environmental enforcement actions against automotive assembly plants; a contract suit over the design of hydroelectric facilities; municipal and neighborhood suits alleging groundwater contamination in Hawaii; patent and trade secret rights to a major agricultural product; municipal public nuisance suits against the gun industry; and defense of thousands of toxic tort claims brought in the U.S. and several other countries.

Before law school, Jim worked as an engineer at a petrochemical complex in the Houston area. He heads the Houston Office Trial Practice.

Areas of Practice

• Trial Practice
• International Litigation & Arbitration
• Environmental, Health & Safety
• Energy
• Energy Dispute Resolution
• Construction

Representative Cases

• BP succeeds in resolving issues in excess of $10 million , (2009)
• Chevron defended against claims brought by subcontractor's employees in Nigeria
• Chevron defends against inventory dispute on major oil pipeline
• Chevron pursues arbitration to enforce contractual right to indemnification against Petroecuador , (2009)
• Colt's defends against product liability litigation brought by the City of Boston , (2009)
• Dole defends against multiple cases alleging pesticide link to field workers' infertility , (2009)
• Dole Food defends against toxic tort suit brought by Honolulu public water board
• Dole Food settles toxic tort litigation by Oahu residents claiming exposure to pesticides
• Dole resolves shareholder class action litigation , (2009)
• Dole successfully defends against trade secret theft claims involving hybrid pineapple , (2009)
• Dole wins dismissal of judgment enforcement action
• Formosa Plastics defends air permit to construct petrochemical facility opposed by Sierra Club and local residents
• Giant Industries defeats FTC attempt to block merger with Western Refining , (2007)
• GM defends against EPA enforcement actions in several states seeking to enjoin changes in paint shop operations at assembly plants
• Lehman Brothers defends against breach of contract and fraud claims related to sale/leaseback transaction , (2009)
• Maxus Energy merges with YPF Sociedad Anónima , (2009)
• OxyChem pursues injunction for contract performance requirements , (2009)
• Xcel and other energy utilities defend against claims by state Attorneys General and citizen groups that carbon dioxide emissions contributed to global warming , (2009)
• Xcel Energy defends property damage class action claiming that global climate change caused Hurricane Katrina , (2009)

West Practice Categories

Bankruptcy Litigation, Class Actions, Clean Air Practice, Cleanup & Superfund, Complex Litigation, Environmental Law, Federal Appellate Practice, Federal Claims Court, Federal Trial Practice, Hazardous Waste, International Trade Litigation, Litigation & Appeals, Military & Veterans Appeals, Multidistrict Litigation, Patent Litigation, Permits, Regulatory Compliance & Auditing, Solid Waste, State Appellate Practice, State Trial Practice, Tax Litigation, US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, US Supreme Court, Water Pollution, Wetlands & Wild Lands

Bar Admissions

• Texas

Education

• Ohio State University
• U of Virginia- C'ville (Main)

Published Works

• PFOA Litigation: More to Come? Also printed in Mealey’s Emerging Toxic Torts, May 5, 2006, 2006

Address

717 Texas
Suite 3300
Houston, TX 77002-2712

Phones

1.832.239.3777 (Business Phone)

Faxes

1.832.239.3600 (Business Fax)

Emails

Contact Us (Business Email)

Websites

http://www.jonesday.com