In June 2011, Morgan Keegan and Morgan Asset Management agreed to pay $200 million to settle civil fraud charges because it overstated the value of mortgage investments in 2007 during the collapse of the housing market. Under the settlement, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is to distribute $100 million to the victims and the […]

US judge OKs class actions in Va. lawsuits seeking natural gas royalties from energy cos. By Associated Press, Updated: Tuesday, October 1, 12:32 PM RICHMOND, Va. — A federal judge has certified a handful of lawsuits as class actions accusing two energy companies of cheating southwest Virginia residents out of tens of millions of dollars […]

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA ABINGDON DIVISION ROBERT ADAIR, ETC., v. EQT PRODUCTION COMPANY DORIS BETTY ADDISON, ETC., v. CNX GAS COMPANY, INC., ET AL., EVA MAE ADKINS, ETC., v. EQT PRODUCTION COMPANY JEFFERY CARLOS HALE, ETC., v. CNX GAS COMPANY, INC., ET AL.,  

Emails show AG staffer continued advising energy companies after office learned of communications Posted: Saturday, September 28, 2013 10:14 pm | Updated: 10:19 pm, Sat Sep 28, 2013 BY MICHAEL L. OWENS | BRISTOL HERALD COURIER A state Attorney General’s Office staffer continued to advise energy companies how to fight landowners suing over natural gas […]

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s office distancing itself from emails BY MICHAEL L. OWENS | BRISTOL HERALD COURIER | Posted: Friday, September 20, 2013 7:50 pm Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s office is distancing itself from the staffer who in a series of emails appears to have advised energy company lawyers in their defense of […]

Emails shows relationship between AG’s office, energy company BY MICHAEL L. OWENS | Bristol Herald Courier | Posted: Friday, September 20, 2013 2:57 pm BRISTOL A Bristol Herald Courier review of dozens of emails from a Virginia attorney general staffer to energy company lawyers being sued for natural gas royalties revealed she offered nearly as much […]

Judge voices frustration during extensive legal debate over natural gas escrow account BY MICHAEL L. OWENS | BRISTOL HERALD COURIER | Posted: Thursday, September 12, 2013 7:59 pm ABINGDON, Va. – Two hours of legal debate on Virginia’s natural gas laws passed Thursday when U.S.  District Judge James P. Jones suddenly voiced frustration over the […]

U.S. judge expresses frustration in Va. gas case THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | Posted: Thursday, September 12, 2013 1:41 pm ABINGDON, Va. (AP) – A federal judge said Thursday he will rule promptly on whether natural gas royalty claims by southwest Virginia landowners will move forward as a series of class-action lawsuits. U.S. District Judge James […]

Putting a face on gas royalties tied up in lock-box escrow accounts Posted: Saturday, September 7, 2013 9:31 pm BY MICHAEL L. OWENS | BRISTOL HERALD COURIER RAVEN, Va. — Bonnie Clemons doesn’t realize she just might be the symbolic face of the frustration surrounding a federal lawsuit seeking at least $30 million in natural […]

‘Avery’ lawyers say plan for Karmeier deposition is not immediate August 15, 2013 10:30 AM By Steve Korris EAST ST. LOUIS – Lawyers whose plan to depose Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lloyd Karmeier became public now say they will do it later or maybe not at all. On Aug. 14, they told U.S. District Judge […]