Justices to Mull AG's Power to Bring Consumer Claims Against Drillers Over Gas Leases

A heated fight between Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro and the drilling industry lives on, as the state Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments in a case of first impression over whether the Attorney General's Office can sue natural gas operators under the state Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law over their dealings with private landowners.

October 31, 2019 at 03:11 PM

6 minute read

Zack Needles

The Commonwealth Court en banc ruled 6-1 in a March 15 precedential opinion that the office can bring UTPCPL claims against drillers for alleged conduct related to subsurface mineral rights leases.

The majority also ruled that the office can bring a cause of action against lessees, under the UTPCPL, for alleged violations of antitrust law. However, the court said that in this specific case, only one of the two antitrust claims advanced by prosecutors was legally viable.

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