Baron and Budd Stays at the Forefront of Gulf Oil Spill Litigation

Federal Report Released Today Blames BP for Majority of Spill

DALLAS (September 14, 2011) –A new federal report, released Wednesday, ultimately blames BP and other companies involved for the worst offshore oil spill in the history of the U.S. Baron and Budd, P.C., a national environmental law firm headquartered in Dallas, Texas and with offices in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has been involved in litigation regarding the spill since it occurred in April 2010. According to the report, in the days leading up to the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon and the subsequent oil spill, BP made a series of decisions that increased risk on the rig, complicated cementing operations and possibly contributed to the ultimate failure of the cement plug on the Macondo well.

The report, which is the federal government’s final report on the matter, ultimately blames poor management, missteps and a faulty cement job by BP and others. Though the government report places the majority of the blame on BP as the designated operator of the site, Transocean, Halliburton and Cameron are also listed as responsible parties for the spill. The report also found that BP and some of its contractors violated a number of federal regulations regarding safety on the Deepwater Horizon.

The government panel that compiled the report held hearings for over a year after the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard and the federal agency that regulates offshore drilling.

Baron and Budd has been heavily involved in the Gulf Oil Spill since the disaster began. Firm shareholder Scott Summy is one of four attorneys who serves on the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee in the BP Oil Spill litigation. Summy was also a member of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee (PSC) in the national MTBE litigation where he helped negotiate a massive $422 million settlement with many of the nation’s major oil companies, including BP/Amoco.

About Baron & Budd, P.C.

The law firm of Baron & Budd, P.C., with offices in Dallas, Baton Rouge, Austin, Los Angeles and Miami, is a nationally recognized law firm with a 30-year history of "Protecting What’s Right" for people, communities and businesses harmed by negligence. Baron & Budd’s size and resources enable the firm to take on large and complex cases. The firm represents individuals, governmental and business entities in areas as diverse as water contamination, Gulf oil spill, Qui Tam, California Proposition 65 violations, dangerous medications and medical devices, Chinese drywall, insurance claims, consumer fraud, commercial litigation, securities fraud and asbestos-related illnesses such as mesothelioma.