Seeligson v. Devon Energy Production Company L.P.

On June 15^th, 2021 a Final Fairness hearing was held by the Court. At that hearing the Court granted final approval for this Settlement. The Settlement will become effective on July 15^th, 2021. The payments to eligible Class Members are currently being calculated. The payments will be sent out after the effective date of July 15^th, 2021.

If you are or were a royalty owner and received payments from Devon Energy Production Company from one or more wells producing natural gas processed at the Bridgeport Gas Processing Plant, you may be entitled to benefits afforded by a class action settlement.

• This Website is being issued pursuant to Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and an order of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas Dallas Division (“Court”). The purpose of this Website is to advise you of the pendency of a class action, where the Named Plaintiffs – four royalty owners – have sued Devon Energy Production Company (“DEPCO” or “Defendant”) alleging underpayment of royalties. Named Plaintiffs and DEPCO are referred to herein as the “Parties.” The class action, pending in the United State District Court for the Northern District of Texas Dallas Division, is entitled Henry Seeligson, John M. Seeligson, Suzanne Seeligson Nash, and Sherri Pilcher v. Devon Energy Production Company, L.P., No. 3:16-cv-00082-K (“Action” or “Lawsuit”). 

• This Website also advises that the Parties to the Action have agreed to settle the Action (“Settlement”). This Website explains the Lawsuit, the Settlement, your legal rights, available benefits, who is eligible for them, and how to get them.  As a Class Member, you have various options that you may exercise before the Court decides whether to approve the Settlement. 

• Your legal rights are affected whether you act or don’t act. The Notice includes important information about the Lawsuit and the Settlement.  Please read the Notice carefully.  

• The Settlement with DEPCO will provide $28,000,000 in cash to resolve the Class’s claims against Defendant (“Settlement Fund”). The Settlement Fund, after certain deductions described herein, will be allocated to Class Members pursuant to the proposed plan of allocation, which can be reviewed in the Documents section of this Website.

• The Court in charge of this Action still has to decide whether to approve the Settlement.  Payments will be made to Class Members only if the Court approves the Settlement and after appeals, if any, are resolved.  The Court has scheduled a fairness hearing (“Fairness Hearing”) to decide on final approval of the Settlement, the plan for allocating the Settlement Fund to Class Members, and Class Counsel’s request for attorneys’ fees and expenses, and service awards to the Named Plaintiffs.  The Fairness Hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, June 15, 2021 before U.S. District Court Judge Honorable Ed Kinkeade at 10:00 a.m.

• Judge Kinkeade of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas  Dallas Division certified this Lawsuit as a class action, and certified the following Class:  

All persons or entities who, between January 1, 2008 and February 28, 2014, (i) are or were royalty owners in Texas wells producing natural gas that was processed through the Bridgeport Gas Processing Plant by Devon Gas Services, LP (“DGS”); (ii) received royalties from Devon Production Company, L.P. (“DEPCO”) on such gas; (iii) had oil and gas leases that were on one of the following forms: Producers 88-198(R) Texas Paid-Up (2/93); MEC 198 (Rev. 5/77); Producers 88 (Rev. 10-70 PAS) 310; Producers 88 Revised 1-53—(With Pooling Provision); Producers 88 (2-53) With 640 Acres Pooling Provision; Producers 88 (3-54) With 640 Acres Pooling Provision; Producers 88 (4-76) Revised Paid Up with 640 Acres Pooling Provision; Producers 88 (7-69) With 640 Acres Pooling Provision; and Producers 88 (Rev. 3-42) With 40 Acres Pooling Provision (the “Class Lease Forms”);and (iv) had one or more of the oil and gas leases listed on the “Class Lease List”.

Excluded from the Class are: (1) overriding royalty interest owners who derive their interest through the oil and gas lease; (2) all governmental entities, including federal, state, and local governments and their respective agencies, departments, or instrumentalities; (3) the States and territories of the United States or any foreign citizens, states, territories, or entities; (4) the United States of America; (5) publicly traded entities and their respective parents, affiliates, and related entities; (6) owners of any interests and/or leases located on or within any federally created units; (7) owners of any non-operating working interest for which DEPCO or its agents or representatives, as operator, disburses royalty; (8) DEPCO and any entity in which DEPCO has a controlling interest, and their officers, directors, legal representatives and assigns; and (9) members of the judiciary and their staff to whom this Action is assigned.

See FAQ 5 for more information regarding who is a member of the Class.