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Andrew Stakelum is a trial partner in King & Spalding’s Houston Office.  He focuses on energy disputes across the United States, Latin America, Asia, Africa and their surrounding waters. Andrew also counsels energy industry clients on pre-litigation issues, including contractual risk allocation, domestic oil and gas regulations and compliance with offshore and marine regulations.

Onshore Energy Expertise.  Andrew regularly assists clients with onshore upstream, midstream, and downstream disputes.  This includes disputes involving historical oilfield environmental liabilities, joint operator agreements, well abandonment and decommissioning responsibilities, energy infrastructure projects (pipelines, refineries, and LNG facilities), and well-site incidents.  Andrew has litigated many of these disputes in Louisiana, where he is also licensed and has extensive experience with Louisiana’s civil law regime.  

Offshore Energy Expertise.  Andrew also regularly counsels clients on the general maritime law and marine pollution statutes. He has litigated pollution claims under the Oil Pollution Act and Clean Water Act, vessel casualties, vessel arrests and Rule B attachments, offshore drilling contract disputes, and vessel charter disputes.  In addition, Andrew advises offshore energy clients on maritime choice of law issues, the application of international maritime conventions, decommissioning liabilities, and operational and compliance issues involving the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and U.S. Coast Guard.

Construction Expertise.  Andrew also has significant experience litigating construction disputes involving the energy industry for both owners and contractors.  This experience includes disputes involving the construction of a fleet of offshore service vessels, pipeline systems, and petrochemical facilities.     

Andrew has tried cases to verdict in Louisiana state courts and U.S. federal courts in Louisiana, Texas, and Missouri; and he has arbitrated disputes to final award under the AAA, SMA, and HMAA rules.  Andrew has presented at various conferences in the U.S. and U.K. on oilfield environmental issues, oilfield decommissioning liabilities, offshore regulatory developments, and offshore contractual risk allocation.  He has also authored numerous articles on these topics.

Full Bio

Credentials

J.D., Tulane University Law School, cum laude

B.B.A., University of Georgia, Magna Cum Laude

Louisiana

Texas

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana

Matters

Onshore

Defended oilfield service company against breach of warranty and negligence claims arising out of the hydraulic fracturing of wells in the Willison and Delaware Basins.

Defended services company against the attempted confirmation of a purported $18 billion foreign arbitral award involving historical oilfield concessions in the Middle East.

Defended multiple oil and gas companies against allegations that historical oilfield operations contaminated soil and groundwater with chlorides and heavy metals.

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Matters

Onshore

Defended oilfield service company against breach of warranty and negligence claims arising out of the hydraulic fracturing of wells in the Willison and Delaware Basins.

Defended services company against the attempted confirmation of a purported $18 billion foreign arbitral award involving historical oilfield concessions in the Middle East.

Defended multiple oil and gas companies against allegations that historical oilfield operations contaminated soil and groundwater with chlorides and heavy metals.

Defended oil and gas company in Louisiana federal court against allegations that historical oil and gas operations along Louisiana’s coast contributed to coastal erosion.

Represented multiple oil and gas companies in disputes involving legacy well abandonment and facility abandonment liabilities.

Represented multiple oil and gas companies in disputes involving joint operating agreements, including issues related to preferential rights, withdrawal and surrender rights, and audit rights.

Offshore

Defended oil and gas company in Puerto Rico against mass tort claims arising out of tank farm explosion during vessel discharge operations.

Defended oil and gas company alleged to have wrongfully redelivered a tanker vessel in breach of the vessel charter.

Represented one of Louisiana’s largest private land owners in pursuing claims against a responsible party under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990.

Represented owner of offshore platform whose platform was damaged in vessel allision resulting in lost and deferred production.

Represented oil and gas company in dispute involving early termination rights under an offshore drilling contract.

Defended oilfield contractors against whistleblower allegations of offshore regulatory violations.

Energy Infrastructure

Defended shipyard against construction defect claims involving the construction of high-spec offshore supply vessels.

Represented refinery owner in pursuing claims against the contractor arising out of the construction of refinery.

Represented oil and gas company in dispute with purchaser of various pipeline systems in Louisiana.  

Represented contractor in dispute with pipeline owner over the construction of a pipeline system in Louisiana.

Matters

Onshore

Defended oilfield service company against breach of warranty and negligence claims arising out of the hydraulic fracturing of wells in the Willison and Delaware Basins.

Defended services company against the attempted confirmation of a purported $18 billion foreign arbitral award involving historical oilfield concessions in the Middle East.

Defended multiple oil and gas companies against allegations that historical oilfield operations contaminated soil and groundwater with chlorides and heavy metals.

See more

Close

Matters

Onshore

Defended oilfield service company against breach of warranty and negligence claims arising out of the hydraulic fracturing of wells in the Willison and Delaware Basins.

Defended services company against the attempted confirmation of a purported $18 billion foreign arbitral award involving historical oilfield concessions in the Middle East.

Defended multiple oil and gas companies against allegations that historical oilfield operations contaminated soil and groundwater with chlorides and heavy metals.

Defended oil and gas company in Louisiana federal court against allegations that historical oil and gas operations along Louisiana’s coast contributed to coastal erosion.

Represented multiple oil and gas companies in disputes involving legacy well abandonment and facility abandonment liabilities.

Represented multiple oil and gas companies in disputes involving joint operating agreements, including issues related to preferential rights, withdrawal and surrender rights, and audit rights.

Offshore

Defended oil and gas company in Puerto Rico against mass tort claims arising out of tank farm explosion during vessel discharge operations.

Defended oil and gas company alleged to have wrongfully redelivered a tanker vessel in breach of the vessel charter.

Represented one of Louisiana’s largest private land owners in pursuing claims against a responsible party under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990.

Represented owner of offshore platform whose platform was damaged in vessel allision resulting in lost and deferred production.

Represented oil and gas company in dispute involving early termination rights under an offshore drilling contract.

Defended oilfield contractors against whistleblower allegations of offshore regulatory violations.

Energy Infrastructure

Defended shipyard against construction defect claims involving the construction of high-spec offshore supply vessels.

Represented refinery owner in pursuing claims against the contractor arising out of the construction of refinery.

Represented oil and gas company in dispute with purchaser of various pipeline systems in Louisiana.  

Represented contractor in dispute with pipeline owner over the construction of a pipeline system in Louisiana.

Credentials

J.D., Tulane University Law School, cum laude

B.B.A., University of Georgia, Magna Cum Laude

Louisiana

Texas

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana