Pat Drouilhet
Member
Patrick has 25 years of experience as a lawyer, and his practice focuses on serving his clients in the energy and transportation industries. Pat has successfully represented his clients involved in significant personal injury and wrongful death claims as well as complex commercial disputes.
Pat Drouilhet
Member
Patrick has 25 years of experience as a lawyer, and his practice focuses on serving his clients in the energy and transportation industries. Pat has successfully represented his clients involved in significant personal injury and wrongful death claims as well as complex commercial disputes.
Pat Drouilhet was admitted to practice in Texas in November 1992. His practice has focused on civil and commercial litigation including toxic tort, personal injury, maritime, energy, railroad/FELA, and other transportation matters as well as contract disputes, arbitration, trademark and competition. Mr. Drouilhet has handled high exposure claims involving serious personal injury and wrongful death. He has also litigated multi-million dollar commercial matters. Mr. Drouilhet has first chair and second chair jury and bench trial experience in the state and federal courts of Texas and Louisiana. Presently, Mr. Drouilhet’s litigation practice focuses on insurance defense, transportation and commercial litigation.
In 2010, Mr. Drouilhet’s litigation experience eventually lead to a transactional practice after receiving regular requests to negotiate and draft the types of transactions that he had litigated in the past. He has been fortunate to work with some of the leading companies in the oil & gas and petrochemical industries. His transactional practice has focused on negotiation and drafting of oil & gas and petrochemical transactions, including operating and drilling agreements, transportation and storage agreements, freight agreements, contracts of affreightment and charter, master service agreements, engineering and construction agreements and other related transactions.
- Loyola University College of Law, New Orleans, J.D. 1992
- University of Texas, B.A. Economics, 1988
National Merit Scholarship
- State Bar of Texas (1992)
- United States District Courts Southern, Eastern & Western Districts of Texas
- United States District Court Eastern District of Louisiana
- United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
- Litigation
- Obtained significant federal court judgment after trial (and subsequent confidential settlement in arbitration) regarding contract of affreightment and charter against NVOCC pertaining to contracts involved with intended shipment of 5,000,000 metric tons of frac sand to Chinese interest
- Obtained $250,000 federal court judgment after trial plus attorney’s fees for equipment manufacturer of 500 ton top drive system in breach of contract claim
- Represented major pipeline and gasoline refinery company in fatal pipeline and refinery explosion case
- Represented significant engineering contractor in separate multiple fatality and injury pipeline explosion case
- Represented drilling company in lease termination dispute also involving environmental cleanup costs, Phase I, Phase II and RECAP assessments.
- Represented Class 1 railroad in excess of 300 claims, including fatalities, arising from June 2004 train collision and derailment involving release of more than 60 tons of chlorine into southwest San Antonio. Litigation and investigation involved regular contact and cooperative efforts among highest levels at railroad, NTSB, FRA, EPA, TCEQ, and other state and federal agencies. Complex litigation involving common carrier contracts, bills of lading, safety and inspection rules and practice among the industries in the supply chain. Successfully resolved numerous and significant wrongful death and exposure claims. Significant appellate practice of national import involving federal preemption issues and new federal legislation regarding same. Efficiently resolved all claims and avoided class action against railroad.
- Successfully defended bad faith litigation claim involving insurance policy attached to marine charter in Eastern District of Louisiana, New Orleans Division
- Tried to jury defense verdict rear end car collision claim with excess of $500,000 in pecuniary damages in evidence
- Tried to jury defense verdict slip and fall claim against Houston downtown building owner in Houston district court
- Defended well known national brand in jury trial of patent, copyright and Lanham Act matter in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas, Beaumont Division; successfully mediated claims post trial on behalf of client.
- Transactions
- As counsel to major pipeline company, negotiated, drafted, and provided legal support to implement of target price agreement with contractor for $20MM pipeline construction project in City of Cleveland which was client’s first implementation of target price contract in a significant project.
- As counsel to major oil company, negotiated crude oil tank car lease agreements in excess of $50 MM.
- As counsel to major petrochemical client, negotiated and drafted in excess of $400 MM aggregate contract values in 2013-2014 including: new contracts of affreightment with major Marine carriers for global trade lane service, new freight agreements with the five Class I railroads, railcar lease agreements for international chemical transport, industry track and plant construction agreements, industrial barge and charter transactions.
- Oil and gas lease and title work supporting $100 MM asset acquisition.
- As counsel to major pipeline company, negotiated and drafted facility engineering and construction agreement, with emphasis on a liquid separation and stabilization agreement (“LSSA”) that involved the engineering, design, construction, and provision of LSS services to major offshore oil company shippers.
- Legal support to trade group of major international oil company including drafted complex PSA, terminalling and storage, and transport agreements.
- Legal support to exports group of major petrochemical client including direct negotiation and resolution of country of origin dispute with South Korean customs authority under international trade agreement procedure.
- Texas Bar Association
- Houston Bar Association
- CLM, Member
- St. Cecilia Catholic School: School Board- Secretary, Vice President, President, (2011-2014)
- Chair “Building on Excellence” Project: leadership for successful fundraising and construction of brick perimeter fence and supporting structure for St. Cecilia Catholic School (2014-2015)
- University of Texas Longhorn Foundation
- University of Texas, Texas Cowboys Alumnus