Picture of Charles S. McCowan III

Charles S. McCowan, III

Partner
trey.mccowan@keanmiller.com
Download VCard Print This Profile

Phone: 225.382.3433
Fax: 225.388.9133

18th Floor, One American Place
P. O. Box 3513
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70821

Trey McCowan is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 1989 and practices in the litigation group. Trey represents local, regional and multinational energy and petrochemical clients in a wide variety of litigation matters. He has specific experience representing clients in litigation involving complex commercial agreements and legacy site litigation in the energy industry. Trey also represents clients with regard to environmental litigation and toxic tort defense.

He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America (Commercial Litigation, Oil & Gas Law).

Representative Experience

  • Representation of a major international oil companies in a wide range of legacy oil field site cases. The cases have involved claims associated with soil and groundwater contamination. The claimed contaminants included Non-Hazardous Oilfield Wastes ("NOW") as well as NORM. The cases include inland locations as well as locations in marsh/wetland environments. The cases have been brought on behalf of individual landowners and landowners numbering in the hundreds. Many cases were filed as class actions involving thousands of potential class members. The sites range from 1 acre tracts to 158 square miles.
  • Representation of major energy companies in wetlands loss issues in Louisiana's coastal parishes.
  • Representation of a major international oil company in the Herrington NORM litigation case in Mississippi, the Broussard NORM personal injury case in Lafayette, and the Bulot NORM personal injury case in New Orleans.
  • Summary judgment in favor of two oil companies in the OGTI personal injury case in New Orleans Civil District Court three months following the Grefer punitive damage award.

Education

Trey earned his B.A. from Louisiana State University in 1986 and his J.D. from Tulane University, cum laude, in 1989.

Admissions

  • Admitted to bar, 1989, Louisiana.

Memberships

  • Baton Rouge (Mock Trial Competition Committee), Louisiana and American (Sections on Litigation and Energy and Environment), Bar Associations
  • Dean Henry George McMahon American Inn of Court
  • Defense Research Institute

Community Service

  • Graduate, Non-Profit Board of Directors Training School, Volunteer Baton Rouge!
  • Board of Directors, Community Advisory Committee, Nominating Committee Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank.
  • Member, Disaster Action Team, American Red Cross.
  • Member, Board of Directors, Committee, Legal Counsel Scout Show Committee and Judge, Eagle Scout Sponsor, SME Fundraiser, Cubmaster, Pack 50, Istrouma Area Council, Boy Scouts of America.
  • Member, 7:30 Club, Greater Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce.
  • Member, Agency Services Board, Community Partnership Duration, Capital Area United Way.
  • United Way Gottlieb Association Leadership Giver.
  • Fundraiser, Catholic High School.
  • Baton Rouge Business Report's "40 Under 40" (2000).
  • Member, City Club of Baton Rouge.
  • Board Member, Kappa Alpha Order, Alpha Gamma Chapter Alumni Association, LSU.
  • Baton Rouge Rotary Club.
  • Board Member, You Who, Inc., Louisiana Non-Profit Corporation (Children's Issues).

Reported Cases

  • Geraldine Ard, et. al. v. Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation, 138 F. 3rd 596 (5th Circuit 1998).
  • Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation v. Transportation Insurance Company, 958 F. ed 622 (5th Circuit 1992).
  • Kelly v. Star Enterprises, 44 F. 3rd 531 (5th Circuit 1995) (Table).
  • Texaco Inc. v. John M. Duhe, 44 F. Supp. 2d 809 (W.D.La. 1998).
  • United Houma Nation v. Texaco Inc., No. 97-4006, (E.D.La. 1998).
  • Resolution Trust Corporation v. American Title Insurance Company, 901 F. Supp. 122 (M.D.La 1995).
  • Cockerham v. Triad Chemical Company, No. 92-944 (M.D.La. 1993).
  • Sheppard v. Citgo, et. al., No. 93-0270 (M.D.La. 1994).
  • Vulcan Materials Company v. River City Towing, Inc. (M.D.La. 1992).
  • Ecosystems Management Inc. v. Vulcan Materials Co., (M.D.La. 1992).
  • Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation v. 118 Acres of Land, 745 F. Supp. 366, 116 P.U.R. 4th 350 (E.D.La. 1990).
  • Texaco Inc. v. Sanders, et. al., 182 B.R. 937 (Bkrtcy. S.D.N.Y. 1995).
  • Hargis v. Jefferson Parish, et. al., 748 So. 2d 606 (La. App. 4th Circuit 1999).
  • Wilson v. Palmer Production, et. al., 706 So. 2d 142 (La App. 1st Circuit 1998).
  • Sanders v. Gary, et. al., 657 So. 2d 1085 (La. App. 1st Circuit 1995).
  • Copolymer Rubber & Chemical Co. v. Otha Lynn Scofield, Director of Finance for the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge, No. 334,476, 19th Judicial District Court, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana.
  • Geraldine Ard, et. al. v. Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation, No. 15,089, 21st Judicial District Court, St. Helena Parish, Louisiana.
  • Johnson v. Star Enterprise, No. 20045, 23rd Judicial District Court, St. James Parish, Louisiana.
  • Champagne v. Triad Chemical Co., No. 48715, 23rd Judicial District Court, St. James Parish, Louisiana.
  • Nadimi v. Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, No. 229,141, 19th Judicial District Court, East Baton Rouge Parish.

Articles, Publications and Presentations

Louisiana Supreme Court Clarifies Mineral Lessee's Surface Restoration Obligations in School Board v. Castex Energy

Authorships

  • A Case for an Independent Administrative Judiciary for Louisiana, Louisiana Association of Administrative Law Judges Annual Meeting, 1994.
  • Louisiana Judicial and Legislative Highlights and Hypothetical Problems, Institute of Property Taxation, 1989.
  • Coauthor: A Discussion of Selected Problems Presented by Class Action Mass Tort Litigation—A Defense Perspective, Conference for Trial Lawyers and Judges, Northwestern School of Law, Lewis & Clark College (1995).

Education

J.D., Tulane University School of Law, 1989

B.A., Louisiana State University, 1986

Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice

Louisiana, 1989

Professional & Bar Association Memberships

Baton Rouge Bar Association
Mock Trial Competition Committee

Louisiana State Bar Association

American Bar Association
Sections on Litigation and Energy and Environment

Dean Henry George McMahon American Inn of Court

Defense Research Institute

Martindale Hubbell Peer Review Rated