In a monumental victory for Oklahoma royalty owners, Nix Patterson attorneys Drew Pate and Brad Beckworth, alongside co-counsel, successfully secured a court order for Sunoco to pay $80 million in owed interest and punitive damages. Representing thousands of oil well owners, Pate and Beckworth argued that Sunoco deliberately delayed interest payments on oil proceeds, affecting approximately 53,000 class members.
During the trial, expert testimony revealed that Sunoco had made nearly 1.6 million late payments, failing to pay an estimated $74.1 million in interest. The judge, agreeing with the plaintiffs’ case, added 12% compounded interest and awarded $75 million in punitive damages, citing Sunoco’s willful neglect in addressing the overdue payments. This landmark ruling, spearheaded by Pate and Beckworth, holds Sunoco accountable for years of underpayment, reinforcing Nix Patterson’s reputation for securing justice in complex class-action cases.
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