Judge Orders Colorado Oilman to Pay $16.8M in Legal Fees
A Colorado oilman must pay $16.8 million to reimburse energy companies for legal fees they incurred defending his unsuccessful lawsuits against them, a federal judge in Wyoming has ordered, according to a report in The Casper Star-Tribune.
The defendant, Jack Grynberg, filed scores of lawsuits against natural gas and pipeline companies around the West in the late 1990s.
“Grynberg claimed the companies had underreported energy production from federal lands by billions of dollars and claimed he was due a share of the funds as a whistleblower under the federal False Claims Act.” the newspaper reported. “He stood to collect up to 30 percent of any award, but said he intended to donate proceeds to charity if he was successful.”
Casper lawyer Tom Reese is liaison counsel for the energy companies.
