Alexis J. Gomez

Alex has a diverse practice representing clients as plaintiff or defendant. He has particular experience in disputes involving the energy industry, trade secrets, and chemical/toxic tort related matters. He has tried to verdict commercial, oil and gas, and toxic tort matters in jury trials, bench trials and arbitrations. Alex’s energy litigation experience includes disputes involving area of mutual interests, covenants running with the land, joint operating agreements, royalty disputes and title disputes. His commercial litigation practice has involved a wide variety of issues including alter ego, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, business theft, fraud, fraudulent transfer of assets, piercing the corporate veil and trade secret misappropriation. Alex has also counseled clients in chemical and toxic tort matters involving asbestos, benzene, butadiene, PFAS, PFOA, PFOS and silica. Alex represents clients in state and federal courts throughout the United States.

• Lead trial counsel representing oil & gas lessee and operator seeking tens of millions of dollars for decommissioning, plugging, and abandonment costs for wells, production facilities, pipelines, and other related equipment with respect to an offshore lease in the Gulf of Mexico against prior predecessor-in-interest in lease chain of title.
• Lead trial lawyer for major oil company in several different matters involving breach of joint operating agreements.
• Lead trial and appellate counsel where represented plaintiff oil & gas software developer in a case involving trade secret misappropriation of “pressure-volume temperature” simulator software used by the upstream oil and gas industry to analyze production capabilities of a particular well or field where defendants allegedly stole source code and other trade secrets and started competing companies. Obtained litigation ending “death penalty” sanctions, and $754,049 in monetary sanctions for attorneys’ fees and expert costs, against the defendants for having destroyed evidence during the litigation. Defendants appealed to 5th Circuit which upheld trial court’s sanctions and judgement. Calsep A/S v. Dabral, 84 F.4th 304 (5th Cir. 2023). Death penalty sanctions for destruction of evidence are an incredibly rare accomplishment, having been awarded in less than ten instances by Texas federal courts.
• Lead trial counsel for oil & gas company in dispute involving area of mutual interest (AMI) in the Bakken shale where defended claims involving in excess of $650 million alleged damages based on breach of contract, tortious interference with contract, fraudulent concealment, and civil conspiracy. Obtained summary judgment from federal district court in favor of client on all counts. Affirmed by the US Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit. Spring Creek Exploration & Production Co., LLC v. Hess Bakken Investment, LLC 887 F3d 1003 (10th Cir. 2018)
• Lead trial counsel for major oil & gas companies in dispute arising from the sale of 1,500 leases in the Eagle Ford shale for $1.2 billion. Initially retained as appellate counsel and successfully had the appellate court reverse trial court’s unfavorable multimillion dollar judgment against clients, and award attorneys’ fees in favor of clients. Case appealed to Texas Supreme court which confirmed the appellate court’s order. Subsequently, tried issue of attorneys’ fees to trial court where obtained $478,670 award in attorneys’ fees in favor of clients.
• Lead trial counsel representing energy company in arbitration defending them against allegations of underpayment of royalty interests in the Bakken shale. Plaintiffs originally sought millions and arbitrator awarded less than $100,000 (which was not in dispute).
• Lead trial counsel representing major oil & gas company with respect to royalty payments and cost dispute, under JOA and AFE, involving Bakken shale leases.
• Lead trial counsel representing oil & gas operator before NDIC, and subsequently North Dakota federal court, with respect to royalty payments and cost dispute, involving Bakken shale leases.
• Lead trial counsel representing major oil & gas company with respect to joint operating agreement contractual dispute involving the remediation of Bakken shale assets.
• Lead trial counsel representing oil company involving title dispute affecting oil & gas interests in West Virginia state court. Obtained summary judgment in favor of client on all counts.
• Lead trial counsel representing Gulf of Mexico operator in successful suit to compel arbitration and obtain payment of idle drillship charges and related joint account expenses caused by Federal offshore drilling moratorium.
• Lead trial counsel in plaintiff representation of company in suit involving claims for breach of contract, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and alter ego and piercing the corporate veil; case tried to verdict and client awarded actual and treble damages.
• Lead trial counsel for company in federal court litigation involving fraud claims related to international sales transactions. Obtained summary judgment dismissal of case.
• Lead trial counsel representing individual in federal investigation of natural gas traders with respect to alleged attempt to influence natural gas prices.
• Represent client in developing national strategy with respect to emerging issues involving PFAS, PFOA, PFOS and other chemicals.
• Trial counsel in plaintiff representation for energy company in suit involving claims for breach of contract, trade secret misappropriation, breach of fiduciary duty, business theft and injunctive relief.
• Lead trial counsel for trucking company in suit alleging tort and property damage; case tried to verdict and obtained jury finding of no liability.
• Represented individual, who was head of global commodities for international investment banking firm, regarding New York Attorney General’s Office and related SEC investigations into year-end Wall Street bonuses by TARP banking recipients.
• Trial counsel in asbestos related lung cancer wrongful death; case tried to verdict over several weeks and obtained jury finding in favor of client of no liability.
• Trial counsel for company that manufactured asbestos containing insulation where tried case involving multiple plaintiffs that had been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis or pleural plaques. Case tried to verdict after an eight week trial.

• Recommended for Energy Litigation: Oil and Gas (2017, 2020-2023) and Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action: Defense - Toxic Tort (2016-2018), Legal 500 United States

• Houston Bar Association
• Greater Houston Partnership
  
  • Education Policy & Workforce Advisory Committee
• City of Houston Ethics Committee
  
  • Chairman (past)
  • Committee Member (past)
• Strake Jesuit College Preparatory – Board member (past)