Vorys Partner Quoted in Columbus Business First Story Titled “Utica Landowners Lose Appeal in Lease-Renewal Dispute with Chesapeake Energy"

Gregory Russell, a partner in the Vorys Columbus office and chair of the energy group, was quoted in a Columbus Business First story about landowners who had signed a five-year mineral extraction lease. According to the story, when the lease expired it was automatically renewed and the landowners sued saying that the lease should have been renegotiated. The landowners lost the case and appealed and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, which upheld the earlier decision.

The story states:

“There are other ‘Paragraph 19’ cases from landowners with similar lease provisions working their way through the courts, said Greg Russell, who leads Columbus law firm Vorys Sater Seymour and Pease LLP’s energy group. This case especially has been watched because it’s believed to be the first shale-related case decided by the Sixth Circuit. The next step for the Easthams would be to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, which is unlikely to take the case, he said.”

To read the entire story, visit the Columbus Business First website.