In Re ExxonMobil Corp.

97 S.W.3d 353, 162 Oil & Gas Rep. 1224, 2003 Tex. App. LEXIS 981, 2003 WL 203225
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 31, 2003
Docket14-02-00779-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by57 cases

This text of 97 S.W.3d 353 (In Re ExxonMobil Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re ExxonMobil Corp., 97 S.W.3d 353, 162 Oil & Gas Rep. 1224, 2003 Tex. App. LEXIS 981, 2003 WL 203225 (Tex. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

OPINION

CHARLES SEYMORE, Justice.

In this original proceeding, relator, Exx-onMobil Corporation, seeks a writ of mandamus ordering the respondent, the Honorable Tracy Christopher, to vacate three orders, dated July 15, 17, and 25, 2002, insofar as they require production of twelve specified documents. 1 We conditionally grant the writ.

*356 Facts

In the underlying lawsuit, the State of Texas claims entitlement to a share of oil and gas produced from the Hawkins Field in Wood County, Texas. The State sought discovery, and relator claimed attorney-client privilege, with respect to a number of documents responsive to the State’s request. The State filed a motion to compel the production of all documents listed on relator’s privilege log and documents responsive to the State’s request for production of documents in connection with the deposition notices of relator’s corporate representatives and certain attorneys from McGinnis, Lochridge & Kilgore (“ML & K”), relator’s outside counsel. Relator objected and the trial court held a hearing on July 2-3, 2002. Relator presented testimony of Clay Barton, an attorney from ML & K, and of two of relator’s former in-house attorneys. The State presented no evidence.

After the hearing, the trial court conducted an in camera inspection and issued her first order on July 11, 2002, compelling relator to produce approximately 94 documents. Two subsequent orders, Order Nos. 2 and 3, issued on July 15 and 17, 2002, respectively, required the production of approximately 211 documents. Relator complied with the July 11th order, but requested reconsideration as to 14 of the documents ordered produced in Order Nos. 2 and 3. On July 25th, the trial court issued Order No. 6 2 in response to relator’s motion for reconsideration, and in this order required the production of 12 documents and specified the bases for ordering production of each document. Order No. 6 stated that, if a mandamus was filed within five days of the issuance of the order, the proceeding was stayed.

Availability of Mandamus Relief

Mandamus relief is available if the trial court clearly abuses its discretion, either in resolving factual issues or in determining legal principles when there is no other adequate remedy at law. See Walker v. Packer, 827 S.W.2d 833, 838 (Tex.1992). A trial court clearly abuses its discretion if “it reaches a decision so arbitrary and unreasonable as to amount to a clear and prejudicial error of law.” Johnson v. Fourth Court of Appeals, 700 S.W.2d 916, 917 (Tex.1985). To show the trial court clearly abused its discretion in the resolution of factual issues, the relator must show the trial court could reasonably have reached only one decision. Id. To show the trial court clearly abused its discretion in a determination of legal principles, the relator must show the trial court clearly failed to analyze or apply the law correctly. Walker, 827 S.W.2d at 840.

The relator must also show that it has no other adequate remedy. Id. A remedy by appeal is not inadequate merely because the party may incur more expense and delay than in obtaining the writ. Id. at 842. The appellate remedy may be inadequate when the appellate court cannot cure the trial court’s discovery order, such as where the trial court orders disclosure of privileged documents. Id. at 843. If, as relator claims, the trial court improperly ordered production of privileged docu *357 ments, relator has no adequate remedy by appeal.

Attorney-Client Privilege

The attorney-client privilege protects from disclosure confidential communications between a client and its attorney “made for the purpose of facilitating the rendition of legal services to the client_” Tex.R. Evid. 503(b)(1). See also Huie v. DeShazo, 922 S.W.2d 920, 922 (Tex.1996). The party resisting discovery bears the burden of proving any applicable privilege. Id. at 926. To make a prima facie showing of the applicability of a privilege, a party must plead the particular privilege, produce evidence to support the privilege through affidavits or testimony, and produce the documents for an in camera inspection, if the trial court determines review is necessary. In re Valero Energy Corp., 973 S.W.2d 453, 457 (Tex.App.Houston [14th Dist.] 1998, orig. proceeding).

1. Production of Factual Matter

Relator asserts that the court abused its discretion in ordering production of redacted versions of documents 6109, 3 7443, 9760, and 8729. 4 The trial court’s order allows the production of certain factual information within those documents. Relator claims this ruling is an abuse of discretion because factual information in a privileged document is also covered by the privilege.

a. Document 7443

Order No. 6 requires production of a portion of document 7443, as follows:

Document number 7443-7444 does contain legal advice but it also outlines facts as to the ownership interests of the acreage under Highway 80 and how Exxon from a factual basis credited or did not credit the acreage. Exxon cannot shield these facts through the attorney client privilege. If there are other non privileged documents that outline the facts in this document then Exxon needs to show those documents to the court before it will reconsider its ruling.

Because the trial court only ordered production of certain factual matter within this document, the trial court impliedly found the remainder of the document to be privileged. The attorney-client privilege, however, attaches to the complete communication between attorney and client, including both legal advice and factual information. Huie, 922 S.W.2d at 923; Valero, 973 S.W.2d at 457. In addition to these authorities, a panel of this court has ruled that, if a document is a confidential communication, the privilege extends to the entire document and not merely to the portion of the document containing legal advice, opinions, or analysis. Pittsburgh Corning Corp. v. Caldwell, 861 S.W.2d 423, 425 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 1993, orig. proceeding). The Caldwell court supported this holding with the following reasoning:

It is inconceivable that an attorney could give sound legal advice on a client’s case if he or she did not include an application of the law or opinion to the specific facts of that case.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
97 S.W.3d 353, 162 Oil & Gas Rep. 1224, 2003 Tex. App. LEXIS 981, 2003 WL 203225, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-exxonmobil-corp-texapp-2003.