Taylor Mouledoux enjoys a diverse energy practice that includes litigation, transactional, and regulatory matters both onshore and offshore. His litigation experience includes a number of complex matters, including disputes on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) involving predecessor liability for decommissioning, Louisiana “legacy lawsuits” alleging property contamination from historical E&P operations, and trade secret disputes involving seismic data ownership and licensing. He has also litigated environmental matters under the Clean Water Act and other federal statutes and has pursued and defended lien claims on behalf of operators and service providers under the Louisiana Oil Well Lien Act.
Beyond his litigation practice, Taylor advises clients on a broad array of contractual matters involving joint operating agreements, platform use agreements, seismic licensing agreement, and various other contracts utilized in the E&P industry. He has negotiated several oilfield service contracts, including drilling contracts and master service agreements, and often counsels clients on insurance and indemnity matters. Taylor’s experience also includes larger transactions involving asset sales and other divestitures, most recently including a negotiated withdrawal by a non-operator from multiple joint operating agreements involving substantial accrued decommissioning liability.
Taylor has also worked closely with a number of state and federal agencies on behalf of clients. With his extensive experience addressing issues on the OCS, Taylor regularly interacts with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). Among other matters, he has represented clients in response to BSEE incident investigations and has worked with BOEM on issues relating to Oil Spill Financial Responsibility (OSFR), financial assurance, and other OCS leasing issues. Taylor has also advocated for clients in matters before the Louisiana Office of Conservation involving site remediation and plugging and abandonment obligations.
Education
- J.D., cum laude, Loyola University College of Law (New Orleans), 2008
- Loyola Law Review (Member, 2007-2008)
- B.B.A. in Economics, University of Georgia, Terry College of Business, 2005
Bar Admissions
- Louisiana, 2008
Court Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. District Courts, Eastern, Middle and Westerns Districts of Louisiana
- U.S District Court, Southern District of Texas
- All Louisiana district and appellate courts
Representative Experience
- Representation of Marubeni Oil & Gas (USA) LLC in pursuing proportionate share of decommissioning costs from predecessors-in-title of bankrupt co-working interest owners.
- Retained as expert witness in lawsuit filed in Alberta, Canada to provide expert report addressing U.S. state legal principles involving licensing and misappropriation of seismic data.
- Representation of Taylor Energy Company, LLC in matters with BOEM, BSEE, and the U.S. Coast Guard involving clean-up activities on Mississippi Canyon Block 20, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Ivan in 2004.
- Drafted and negotiated several master service agreements, drilling contracts and other maritime and oilfield service contracts.
- Representation of IHI E&C International Corporation in products liability dispute in Harris County, Texas.
- Representation of ATP Oil & Gas Corporation in defense of in rem admiralty action asserting maritime and state law liens against the ATP Titan production facility located on the Outer Continental Shelf (Warrior Energy v. ATP TITAN, Case No. 13-30587, U.S. Fifth Circuit).
- Representation of oil and gas company in negotiation of multiple seismic licenses and transfer fees in connection with private equity transaction.
- Representation of Taylor Energy Company, LLC in defense of environmental citizen suit involving alleged violations of the Clean Water Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (Waterkeepers v. Taylor Energy Company, LLC, Case No. 12-00337, USDC EDLA).
- Representation of seismic licensing company in lawsuit for license fees owed under various master license agreements for seismic data on the Outer Continental Shelf.
- Representation of EnVen Energy Ventures, LLC in action to collect on Joint Interest Billings from Black Elk Energy Offshore Operations, LLC (EnVen Energy Ventures v. Black Elk, Case No. 14-cv-00424, USDC EDLA).
- Representation of Rooster Oil & Gas, LLC in action against BOEM and platform owner to maintain access under a Platform Use Agreement held pursuant to a Right-of-Use and Easement (Rooster Petroleum, et al. v. Fairways Offshore Exploration, et al., Case No. 12-cv-01322, USDC EDLA).
- Representation of oil and gas companies in defense of coastal zone lawsuits filed by various Louisiana parishes.
- Representation of service providers pursuing Louisiana Oil Well Lien Act claims against Energy XXI.
- Representation of oil and gas companies in responding to incident investigations by BSEE.
- Representation of oil and gas company in dispute concerning misappropriation of seismic data and unfair trade practices.
- Representation of various oil and gas companies in environmental legacy lawsuits by property owners involving property damage and groundwater contamination.
- Representation of chemical company in defense of class actions and mass actions arising from chemical releases and involving claims for personal injury, property damage, fear and fright, business interruption, and inconvenience.
- Representation of nationwide retailer in defense of premises liability cases involving claims for personal injury.
Professional Activities, Memberships & Affiliations
- Louisiana State Bar Association
- Federal Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- New Orleans Bar Association
- Professional Landmen’s Association of New Orleans
- Houston Association of Professional Landmen
- Institute for Energy Law
Honors
- New Orleans Magazine – Recognized as a “Top Lawyer” in Oil and Gas Law (2021)
- Super Lawyers – Rising Star (2015-2022)
Speeches & Publications
- Ethics for Landmen and Lawyers, Presented at PLANO Executive Night Seminar, February 19, 2020
- Treatment of Offshore E&P Contracts in Bankruptcy, Co-Presented at EUCI “Offshore Contracts” Course, January 27, 2015.
- Lien Provisions in Master Service Agreements, Presented at EUCI “Offshore Contracts” Course, January 27, 2015.
- License Agreements for Seismic Data, Co-Presented at EUCI “Offshore Contracts” Course, January 27, 2015.
- Offshore Liens, Presented at LORMAN Emerging Louisiana Legal and Land Issues on the Outer Continental Shelf, March 18, 2014.
- Louisiana Oil Well Lien Act, Presented at PLANO Executive Night Seminar, April 11, 2013.