Taft partner Craig Sweeney and attorney Zachary Eddy successfully represented Taft client SWN Production Company, LLC in an appeal before the Ohio Seventh District Court of Appeals in an important oil and gas case. The appellate court, in its decision in Cardinal Minerals, L.L.C. v. Menno Miller, et al., 2024-Ohio-2133, agreed with SWN Production Company, LLC’s argument that the appellant in the case lacked standing to raise its claims. The Court found that the appellant’s attempt to purchase minerals abandoned pursuant to the Ohio Dormant Mineral Act violated Ohio Revised Code 5301.56(H)(2) and that appellant’s actions in the matter were void as violating the common law doctrines of champerty and maintenance.

Sweeney is a partner in the Energy and Corporate/Real Estate practice groups. With nearly a decade of experience advising diverse clients on a variety of matters, Sweeney focuses his practice on all areas of energy law, including oil and gas and pipeline litigation, real estate litigation, real estate/midstream/upstream transactional matters, and title curative litigation.

Eddy represents individual and business clients in corporate mergers and acquisitions, commercial finance transactions, and commercial real estate transactions. In addition, he has extensive experience in oil and gas litigation.