Appellate court grants client-requested arbitration in oilfield dispute worth nearly $1 billion.

The firm secured a reversal in the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ensuring arbitration for National Oilwell Varco entities in an energy sector lawsuit alleging nearly $1 billion in damages.

Firm partner Eileen O’Neill, representing a group of NOV companies as lead appellate counsel, convinced the appeals court to reverse a Houston federal court ruling denying NOV’s motion to compel an ICC arbitration. The appellate court found the trial court had erred in finding that an arbitration clause in standardized industry terms enclosed with an equipment quote was not part of the parties’ contract. The appellate court also found the trial court erred in finding that NOV Norway’s right to arbitrate was waived just because affiliated co-defendants engaged in discovery before it was served with the suit.