United States Tenth Circuit
In re Natural Gas Royalties Qui Tam Litig., 08-8004
In an action under the False Claims Act (FCA) alleging underpayment of natural gas royalties, the dismissal of the complaint as to Defendants not named in a prior action is reversed, where the allegations against those Defendants were not "related" to the prior action under 31 U.S.C. section 3730(b)(5).
Appellate Information
- Decided 05/14/2009
- Published 05/14/2009
Judges
- McCONNELL, Circuit Judge., Before MURPHY, McKAY and McCONNELL, Circuit Judges.
Court
- United States Tenth Circuit
Counsel
- For Appellant:
- Elizabeth L. Harris, (Jeffrey A. Chase, with her on the briefs), Jacobs Chase Frick Kleinkopf & Kelley, LLC, Denver, CO, for Plaintiff-Appellant.
- For Appellees:
- John F. Shepherd, (Elizabeth A. Phelan, Holland & Hart, LLP, Denver, CO, Robert S. Salcido, Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP, Washington, D.C., Taylor F. Snelling, ExxonMobil Corporation, Houston, TX, for appellee Exxon Company, USA; M. Benjamin Singletary and Dennis Cameron, Gable & Gotwals, Tulsa, OK, for Oxy-USA, Inc.; Robin F. Fields and Charles B. Williams, Conner & Winters, Oklahoma City, OK, for Cross Timbers Operating Company, et al.; Charles L. Kaiser and Charles A. Breer, Davis Graham & Stubbs, LLP, Denver, CO, for ARCO Oil and Gas Co., et al.; Donald I. Schultz, Schultz & Belcher, LLP, Cheyenne, WY, for Liason Counsel, with him on the brief) Holland & Hart, LLP, Denver, CO, for Coordinated Defendants-Appellees.