5th Circuit Affirms Judgment for Landholder on Contract, Trade Secret Claims

NEW ORLEANS - A federal appeals court has affirmed summary judgment for a Louisiana landholder and others accused by a prospective oil and gas driller of breaching a lease agreement and/or misappropriating proprietary test data. Mayne & Mertz Inc. v. Quest Exploration LLC, et al., No. 09-31203 (5th Cir.).

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals released the opinion in favor of Excalibur Land Co. and other defendants sued by Mayne &Mertz, a Midland, Texas, oil firm over drilling rights on a tract in southwestern Louisiana.

Mayne & Mertz executed a contract with Excalibur in 2002 in which M&M was granted …