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LyondellBasell’s defense of more than 65 lawsuits tied to its 2021 La Porte chemical release leaned on Houston’s plant-incident defense bar. General counsel Jeff Kaplan brought in outside counsel from Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Mensing for the litigation. Five years later, Kaplan and his department picked up the 2026 Houston Corporate Counsel Award for Legal Department of the Year.
The Docket
A chemical release at LyondellBasell’s La Porte facility in 2021 killed two workers and injured many more. Dozens of plaintiff filings followed. Catastrophic industrial incident matters can result in nine or even ten-figure exposure.Kaplan’s disposition tally for the matter came in like this: 45 cases dismissed on summary judgment, 20 settled at nuisance value, three resolved with indemnitor funds, fatality settlements fully recovered through coverage litigation against the broker and excess insurer, a defense verdict in the OSHA trial, and a state regulatory matter resolved for a nominal amount. Total out-of-pocket spend, in Kaplan’s words, “was well below what we had expected it would cost.”
The Nominator’s Read
AZA partner Todd Mensing nominated Kaplan for the 2026 Houston Corporate Counsel Award. Mensing has tried more than 60 cases in his career. He described Kaplan in two ways. On the case results: “The results were exceptional, and unlike those seen by other companies facing similar claims. LYB was able to resolve those claims with little out-of-pocket money by leveraging legal arguments and trial readiness.” On Kaplan’s broader standing at the company: “Jeff’s longevity proves that he is the real deal — one critical stakeholder after another has recognized his irreplaceable value. He has a keen ability to read the room and effectively communicate, even in stressful circumstances.”
Recognition
The Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook honored Kaplan’s department this month with the 2026 Houston Corporate Counsel Award for Legal Department of the Year. A May 28 ceremony at the Four Seasons Hotel marked the recognition. Eighteen other in-house lawyers and teams received honors at the same event, including Dave Louie, a LyondellBasell lead legal counsel who reports to Kaplan. Louie has worked with Kaplan for more than seven years.
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