Cernosek Enterprises, INC V. The city of Mont Belvieu and Enterprise Products Operating, LP

Thomas W. Paterson and Chanler Langham win First Court of Appeals affirmance of state trial court dismissal on behalf of Enterprise Products Operating. The plaintiff Cernosek Enterprises, Inc. sued the City of Mont Belvieu and Enterprise Products Operating alleging violations of Mont Belvieu’s municipal ordinances governing the issuance of drilling permits and zoning for hydrocarbon storage well operations. The trial court granted Enterprise’s plea to the jurisdiction contending that Cernosek lacked standing to enforce the municipal ordinances and dismissed with prejudice all of Cernosek’s claims. In March 2011, the Court of Appeals for the First District of Texas affirmed.