Beau E. LeBlanc

Principal | Houston

Biography

Beau E. LeBlanc is a member of the firm with a practice focusing on complex commercial litigation, construction-related dispute resolution and advice, general contract advice, as well as admiralty and insurance litigation. Among the clients Beau serves are onshore and offshore energy and marine general and EPC contractors, shipyards, marine and rig fabrication companies, land-based contractors and vendors, design and engineering firms, marine transportation and offshore service companies, marine and energy power manufacturers/service providers, and heavy equipment manufacturers.

Beau has significant experience in prosecuting and defending against claims in complex commercial, construction, maritime and insurance matters, in state and federal courts – on the district court and appellate levels – in Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi, as well as in domestic and international arbitrations administered by the American Arbitration Association and the London Court of International Arbitration.

Beau’s litigation and arbitration experience has included the preparation, litigation and/or trial of claims addressing: commercial contract breaches, delay, disruption and acceleration, cumulative impacts, disputed changes orders, warranty or guarantee obligations, force majeure, contractual liquidated damages, non-competition agreements, breach of fiduciary duties, fraudulent transfers, builder’s risk and other insurance coverage issues, bonds/letters of credit, exoneration from and/or limitation of liability and personal injury/death.

Beau has negotiated, drafted or advised upon a wide range of commercial and construction-related contracts, including EPC contracts, new construction and repair contracts, master service agreements, design and engineering contracts, purchase orders, professional service agreements, joint venture/teaming agreements, bonds and letters of credit, non-competition agreements, as well as charter party and other agreements in the admiralty context.

Prior to undertaking his private practice, Beau served as a full-time law clerk from 1998-1999 to the Honorable G. Thomas Porteous, Jr., District Court Judge, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana.

Education

  • University of Virginia School of Law – J.D., 1998
  • Georgetown University – B.A., with honors, 1995

Recognitions & Distinctions

  • Named to the Louisiana Rising Stars list as one of the top up-and-coming attorneys in Louisiana for 2012
  • Best Lawyer in America 2023, 2024: Admiralty and Maritime Law, Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, and Litigation – Construction

Representative Experience

  • Represented international contractor in an arbitration administered by the International Centre for Dispute Resolution under UNCITRAL rules against major energy company (owner) related to engineering, production, and construction of a deep water production facility hull, topsides and mooring system. Prosecuted over $110 million in claims by contractor for cumulative engineering and fabrication productivity impacts, acceleration, and individual change orders. Defended owner’s counterclaims of over $130 million for consequential damages, clawbacks of settled change orders and defective engineering and fabrication. This matter involved a multi-week hearing in Houston, Texas before a three member tribunal.
  • Represented U.S. contractor in an arbitration administered by the London Court of International Arbitration (“LCIA”) against the owner, an independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company (owner was purchased during the dispute by a major energy company), to resolve disputes arising out of a contract for the manufacture, fabrication, assembly, supply, testing and delivery of a fixed production platform for processing natural gas in a large field off the coast of Israel. Prosecuted approximately $70 million in claims by contractor for disputed change orders for additional / revised work, loss of productivity, disruption and acceleration. Defended owner’s counterclaims of approximately $12 million for liquidated and general damages, lost and damaged material and incomplete / carryover work. This matter involved a three week hearing in London before a three member tribunal.
  • Represented a US shipbuilder in an AAA arbitration against owner — a provider of marine transportation services to exploration and production, oilfield service and offshore construction – on a shipbuilding contract dispute related to design, construction and warranty defects on a series of ten (10) offshore supply vessels. Defended contractor against $50 million in claims by owner. Took lead on largest owner claim relating to Electrical and Instrumentation issues. Prosecuted $3 million in claims by contractor relating to unpaid baseline adjustments, extra work and excessive LDs charged. This matter involved several multi-week hearings before a three member tribunal in New Orleans, Louisiana.
  • Represented international contractor in AAA arbitration arising from transportation and installation of completed and assembled deepwater production facility, including over $38 million in disputed change orders and project delays. Defended claims for installation delay and for alleged defective work.
  • Represented U.S. contractor in an arbitration administered by the London Court of International Arbitration (“LCIA”) under UNCITRAL Rules against an international shipbuilder. The matter involved a multi-week hearing in London before a three member tribunal. The EPC contract was for the detail design, procurement, fabrication, loadout and seafastening of two tower sections for a fixed, deepwater offshore platform for oil and gas production off the coast of Africa. As a result of design delays, work growth and subsequent acceleration of the schedule, the contractor claimed entitlement to additional costs approximating $18 million.
  • Represented US fabricator in $18 million dispute in federal district court in Texas with drilling contractor related to the construction and integration of two deepwater, state-of-the art drillships. Pursued claims resulting from contract breaches, extra-contractual work and project impacts arising from late and defective design, increased work scope, compensable schedule delays and impacts.
  • Represented contractor in a Society of Maritime Arbitrators arbitration with the owner regarding the design and construction of a first-in-kind dual mode ATB trailing suction hopper dredge. The matter involved competing breach of contract claims of over $45 million relating to contract default, termination, claims for additional compensation for changes, delay, disruption and costs to complete with another company
  • Represented U.S. industrial construction contractor in a dispute with an oil and gas producer regarding an EPC contract for the construction of a gas ‐ treating and sulphur recovery plant in Canada. The contractor claimed damages resulting from an incomplete design and specifications. Contractor’s claims included incorporating new owner requirements, correcting the specifications, changes and growth to the work and resulting impacts. The total amount in dispute was approximately $100 million.
  • Represented owner / charterer of inland and offshore towing vessels, barges and crewboats against purchasers of two tugboats in Eastern District of Louisiana dispute relating to breach of a non-compete provision relating to charters in a vessel sales agreement. Prevailed against purchasers with $6.75 million judgment, which was successfully defended on appeal to the U.S. Fifth Circuit. Prosecuted further claims against global mergers, acquisitions, and operations company (parent) for fraudulent transfers and piercing of corporate veil.
  • Represented owner of two barges in successful limitation of liability action in the U.S. Southern District of Mississippi with respect to claims by the MDOT relating to the allision of those two barges into the I-10 bridge near Pascagoula, Mississippi, causing over $6 million in damages, as a result of Hurricane Katrina.

Memberships & Affiliations

  • American Bar Association (Member, ABA Forum on Construction Law and ABA Litigation Section)
  • Louisiana State Bar Association (Member, Fidelity, Surety & Construction Law Section; Civil Law & Litigation Section; and Alternative Dispute Resolution Section)
  • State Bar of Texas (Member, Construction Law Section)
  • New Orleans Bar Association
  • Houston Bar Association (Member, Construction Law Section)
  • Partner Member of the Shipbuilders Council of America

Admissions

  • State Bar of Texas
  • State Bar of Louisiana
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • United States District Court: Eastern, Western & Middle Districts of Louisiana
  • United States District Court: Northern, Eastern & Southern Districts of Texas
  • United States District Court: Southern District of Mississippi
  • United States Bankruptcy Court: Southern District of Mississippi
  • United States District Court: Southern District of Alabama

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