Chemical, Energy, and Industrial Services | McGlinchey Stafford PLLC

A nimble and responsive team protecting and serving chemical, energy, and industrial services market leaders

Members of McGlinchey’s Chemical, Energy, and Industrial Services team have a wide range of technical expertise, giving us the ability to address the diverse needs of companies in these industries. Many of our attorneys have education or training in chemical and mechanical engineering, physics, and biology. We follow scientific developments and litigation trends closely and respond proactively to best prepare our clients for challenges. We advise on a full range of issues facing companies in this sector, including:

Asbestos, legacy, and ground contamination litigation
Bankruptcies, workouts, acquisitions of distressed companies
Buying, selling, construction, and financing of offshore exploration vessels and equipment
Construction
Environmental litigation, regulation, transactions
Explosions and wrongful death litigation
Global patent prosecution
Insurance
Labor and employment
Liquified natural gas
Maritime
Mergers and acquisitions
Real estate
Wetlands and coastal zones

Careful Investigation, Cooperation with Regulators, and Finding the Real Guilty Party Clears Client from Government Action in HAZMAT Probe – At No Cost
Where we started: The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Justice (DOJ), and Ohio EPA brought allegations that our client, a large military defense contractor, illegally disposed of hazardous waste material in a residential area in Ohio. After these agencies notified the contractor’s legal department and management team of an impending enforcement action, theyMore
Cost Predictability Combined with Strategic, Aggressive Patent Prosecution is Key to Successful Global Patent Portfolio Management
Where we started: Our client, a multinational developer and manufacturer of specialty chemicals, ranks among the top three product suppliers, and in one case the top product supplier, in the world in its primary business segments. The company demands excellence in the crafting of its patent procurement strategy and global patent procurement activities, to protectMore

Contact your McGlinchey Chemical, Energy, and Industrial Services team for our latest insights about the following:

Money from the BP oil spill settlement. Government agencies have a pool of cash from the BP settlement. Some will be invested in wetlands reclamation, and some could find its way to supporting new investments in commercial activity in the Gulf South. Our Chemical, Energy, and Industrial Services team knows both the risks and opportunities associated with such investments and stands ready to advise companies as they consider new business ventures.

Bankruptcy and acquisitions. The bankruptcy of chemical giant Hexion sent shockwaves through the industry. At the same time, with energy prices at low levels for a number of years, there is a lot of cash on the sidelines in the energy and petrochemical industries. With deep experience in bankruptcy matters and workouts as well as mergers and acquisitions, McGlinchey's Chemical, Energy, and Industrial Services team is prepared to help companies navigate any downturn and make the most of opportunities to acquire assets and grow.

Cost Predictability Combined with Strategic, Aggressive Patent Prosecution is Key to Successful Global Patent Portfolio Management
Where we started: Our client, a multinational developer and manufacturer of specialty chemicals, ranks among the top three product suppliers, and in one case the top product supplier, in the world in its primary business segments. The company demands excellence in the crafting of its patent procurement strategy and global patent procurement activities, to protectMore
Knowing the Intricacies of State Law Made the Difference in Obtaining Dismissal of a Disability Discrimination Charge
Where we started: Our client, a national chemical manufacturing company, had an employee with multiple and recurring performance issues. He also had a complicated medical history which included episodes of mental illness. Though these incidents required absence from work for medical treatment, his physician routinely released him to resume work without any limitations. After theMore
Timing Is Key: Recognizing How and When to Seize Opportunities and Enter a Market and How and When to Sell Assets and Exit a Market
Where we started: One of our clients, a prominent investor in the offshore oil and gas industries, had acquired two accommodation vessels. These crafts moor next to rigs or platforms and serve as floating hotels for offshore workers, meeting an essential need in the production of energy. One of the largest and most prominent New York-basedMore
Both Legal and Technical Prowess Required to Achieve a Positive Outcome in Patent Interference Challenge Involving Work by Nobel-Winning Scientist
Where we started: Our intellectual property lawyers represent a major university’s research and technology foundation, performing chemical patent work on its behalf. During the course of our work for the foundation, it encountered a patent interference challenge from another institution based upon work done by a Nobel-winning scientist. While our client maintained relationships with several otherMore
Careful Investigation, Cooperation with Regulators, and Finding the Real Guilty Party Clears Client from Government Action in HAZMAT Probe – At No Cost
Where we started: The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Justice (DOJ), and Ohio EPA brought allegations that our client, a large military defense contractor, illegally disposed of hazardous waste material in a residential area in Ohio. After these agencies notified the contractor’s legal department and management team of an impending enforcement action, theyMore
Getting Royalty Interests Right: Appeal Preserves Longstanding Industry Interpretations of Mineral Interests
Where we started: Our client, a global petrochemical company, was the holder of an overriding royalty interest (ORRI) valued at hundreds of millions of dollars on an oil field on the outer continental shelf adjacent to Louisiana. After years of litigation, a federal district court held that the mineral instruments creating the ORRI did notMore

DOJ to Stop “Piling On” and “Overfiling” Under Clean Water Act
On July 27, 2020, in an effort to promote federalism, U.S. DOJ Assistant Attorney General issued a memorandum limiting federal civil enforcement discretion concerning certain Clean Water Act matters involving prior state proceedings.
3M to Assess Alabama PFAS Risks in ‘Precedent-Setting’ Deal
Environmental attorney Michael Blumenthal (Cleveland) was quoted in a Bloomberg Law article on an agreement 3M has made with the Alabama Dept. of Environmental Management, in which the company will assess contamination of “forever chemicals” PFAS in two Alabama counties, and will be held accountable for cleaning up the chemicals. The agreement “sets the stageMore
McGlinchey Launches Podcast That Brings You “More”
McGlinchey Stafford is pleased to announce the launch of its podcast, “More With McGlinchey,” available now where you listen to podcasts. “We know our clients look to us to cut through the noise in distilling the issues that matter to them,” said Rudy Aguilar, McGlinchey’s Managing Member. “We’re committed to providing information where our audienceMore
Lack of Perchlorate Standard Paves Way for Superfund Slowdown
Environmental attorney Michael Blumenthal (Cleveland) was quoted in a Bloomberg Law article on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decision not to set an enforceable limit for perchlorate, a chemical commonly used in rocket fuel. Since entities involved in Superfund cleanups often lean on federal drinking water limits to decide how much of a chemical to remove, aMore
Feuds Among EPA, Companies Delay Cleanup of Contaminated Harbor
Environmental attorney Michael Blumenthal (Cleveland) was quoted in a Bloomberg Law article on the tug of war between the U.S. EPA and the companies paying for cleanup over the scale and cost of the cleanup at Portland Harbor, a key international shipping port in Oregon and one of the country’s most toxic sites. The EPA’s Remedial ActionMore