United States Fifth Circuit

Judgment in a case arising out of an accident during the construction of an oil and gas production facility in the Gulf of Mexico is reversed in part as to a products liability action arising from the loss of a portion of a compliant tower where the district court erred in determining its subject matter jurisdiction and the applicable substantive law.

Appellate Information

• Decided 05/05/2006
• Published 05/05/2006

Judges

• DeMOSS, Circuit Judge:, Before JONES, Chief Judge, and JOLLY and DeMOSS, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Fifth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• S. Gene Fendler (argued), David W. Leefe, Don Keller Haycraft, Brett Daneil Wise, Liskow & Lewis, James H. Roussel, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, New Orleans, LA, Philip G. Eisenberg, Mark Anthony Shavez, Locke, Liddell & Sapp, J. CLifton Hall, III (argued), Karen Klaas Milhollin, Houston, TX, for Plaintiffs-Appellants., Charles M. Steen (argued), Houston, TX, Susan Elisabeth Kearns, Kirkland & Ellis, Washington, DC, John Donley, Kirkland & Ellis, Chicago, IL, for J. Ray McDermott Intern. Vessels, Ltd.


• For Appellees:
  
• Robert E. Couhig, Jr. (argued), Couhig Partners, Louis C. LaCour, Jr., James T. Rogers, III, Adams & Reese, New Orleans, LA, Robert N. Markle, Adams & Reese, Baton Rouge, LA, for Defendants-Appellees.