One month into a complex case involving energy production in post-Soviet Russia, Moncrief Oil International abruptly dropped its $1.37 billion lawsuit that included a trade secret misappropriation claim against Gazprom after the Fort Worth company was accused of producing a falsified key document in the case. The company’s lawsuit hinged upon the allegation it had shared with Gazprom the secret details of an LNG plant it wanted to build with Occidental Petroleum in Ingleside, Texas in 2004.
State District Judge Melody Wilkinson dismissed the case with prejudice at the request of attorneys representing Moncrief Oil, which was suing the Moscow-based energy company for backing out of a deal for rights to develop a natural gas field in Siberia. During the trial last week, a document prepared by an accountant at Moncrief Oil International was found to include a key error, making it impossible to continue with the case
By dismissing the case with prejudice, Wilkinson prevents Moncrief Oil from continuing with any lawsuit on the same claims. This case shows the necessity of following all rules, both ethical and procedural, whilst litigating such claimes.