John Sullivan is a seasoned litigation, arbitration, and trial attorney with extensive experience in domestic and international matters involving energy industry construction projects; insurance coverage and claims; breach of contract, oil and gas, catastrophic personal injury, and wrongful death claims; and claims for fraud and breach of fiduciary duty for multiple Fortune 50 companies, including Shell and Texaco. Mr. Sullivan has also been the recipient of multiple special recognition awards for outstanding legal practice and achievement.
Representative Experience:
· Steered the negotiation of a nolo contendere plea in a criminal case brought against client by the United States Department of Justice, which was the first nolo contendere plea ever agreed to by the DOJ in this type of criminal case; resulted in the client maintaining several hundred million dollars in insurance coverage for liability claims
· Defended owner of refinery in Washington state on multiple wrongful death and bodily injury claims arising from process unit fire and explosion
· Defended operator of refined products pipeline in Washington state concerning pipeline rupture, explosion, and fire with multiple fatalities, significant property damage, and business interruption claims
· Defended owner of refinery in Delaware on wrongful death and bodily injury claims arising from rupture and explosion of an above ground-storage tank
· Defended former owner of refinery in Washington state on multiple wrong death and bodily injury claims arising from failure of an exchanger
· Defended driver and owner of tanker truck on multiple wrongful death and catastrophic bodily injury claims arising from collision between 15- passenger van and tanker truck in Delaware
· Defended nation’s largest quick lube operator and franchisor in several cases involving wrongful death and catastrophic injury claims
· Recovered $20 million from EPC contractor in a cost-overrun dispute concerning expansion of chemical plant in Louisiana
· Recovered $100 million in environmental remediation and response costs from insurance carrier by prevailing in international arbitration in London
· Obtained complete reversal from Supreme Court of South Carolina of a $50 million judgment on dram shop claim involving two fatalities and several serious injuries
· Obtained voluntary dismissal of 21 wrongful death claims arising from explosion and sinking of the chemical tanker Bow Mariner off the coast of Virginia
· Defended an oil and gas lease cancellation, trespass, and accounting action for international energy company
· Defended a refined products pipeline rupture claim for a Houston-based service company.
· Pursued defense and indemnification claim against multiple insurance carriers for Houston-based service company
· Expert witness on settlement issues for an international staffing company involved in insurance coverage litigation
· Investigated and prepared $5 billion claim against EPC contractor and $300 million insurance claim related to expansion of Gulf Coast refinery in Texas
· Prevailed in a precedent-setting oil and gas case before the New Mexico Court of Appeals in which a multi-million-dollar judgment was reversed on a claim of subsurface trespass and damage to natural gas reserves
· Represented a petroleum refinery in Washington state in London arbitration against excess insurer on claims arising from a process unit fire with multiple fatalities
· Represented a captive insurance carrier in London arbitration against reinsurer on claims arising from a refined products pipeline rupture, explosion and fire with multiple fatalities, significant property damage, and business interruption claims
· Represented a major energy company in London arbitration against insurance carrier on claims arising from alleged contamination of municipal water supply of city in California
· Represented a major energy company in London arbitration brought by excess insurer seeking declaration on coverage for products liability claims related to gasoline additive
· Represented a major energy company in London arbitration against excess insurer on claims arising from alleged environmental contamination caused by gasoline additive
· Represented minority interest owner in multi-billion-dollar arbitration in Qatar concerning construction of a Liquefied Natural Gas facility
· Represented a petroleum refinery in Louisiana in arbitration against a demolition contractor on claims arising from a process unit fire and explosion
· Consulted petroleum refinery in Texas concerning arbitration against property insurers on claims arising from failure of a process unit
· Consulted petroleum refinery in Texas concerning arbitration against EPC contractor on claims involving allegations of fraud and breach of fiduciary duty
· Consulted on several investment treaty claims and arbitrations arising from seizure and expropriation of assets, property, and business by foreign governments
· Handled multi-million-dollar arbitration against two property insurers concerning fire damage to catalyst used in refinery operations