AZA Partner Tim Shelby Quoted in Texas Lawyer, Law360 on Litigation Amid Low Oil Prices

HOUSTON – The legal publications Texas Lawyer and Law360 recently called on commercial litigator Tim Shelby of AZA, or Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Mensing, for his perspectives on how low oil prices are impacting the Texas legal landscape. Mr. Shelby regularly represents AZA’s clients in significant oil and gas cases.

“There will be a serious and inevitable increase in energy litigation. Deals will be terminated and contracts will be breached,” Mr. Shelby told Texas Lawyer in a story headlined, “A Litigator’s Perspective: Oil Price Drop’s Impact on Lawyers’ Work Volume” (subscription required). “Some companies will surely turn to litigation as a way to delay or avoid payment while they keep the company afloat.”

He also noted that “even if the price of oil rebounds later this year, energy litigation will still stay heavy through 2017. I worked on a number of similar lawsuits after the fairly short-lived price drop in mid-2008, and some of those cases stretched through late 2012.”

The Law360 article focused on legal actions in Texas’ Eagle Ford Shale region.

In an article headlined, “Sinking Oil Prices Drive Fresh Legal Work in Eagle Ford” (subscription required), Mr. Shelby told Law360: “In boom times, energy companies are reluctant to sue, either because they dislike the litigation expense or just hate being involved in litigation. But when times are desperate, you kinda force their hand. They may not like it, but they don’t have a choice. You see a lot of companies who historically are not big players in litigation going to court.”

Mr. Shelby has been recognized repeatedly for his legal work, including earning selection in the 2015 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. He also claimed a spot on the 2014 Texas Super Lawyers list of the state’s top lawyers after six prior appearances on the companion Texas Rising Stars list, which recognizes the state’s leading young lawyers.

AZA, or Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Mensing, is a Houston-based law firm that is home to true courtroom lawyers with a formidable track record in complex commercial litigation, including energy, intellectual property, and business dispute cases. AZA is recognized in Chambers USA 2014 among the best in Texas commercial law; U.S. News & World Report and The Best Lawyers in America as one of the country’s best commercial litigation firms in 2014; and Law360 as one of only 13 Texas Powerhouse law firms. National corporate counsel named AZA one of the country’s best in client service among law firms serving the Fortune 1000. Read more at https://azalaw.com.