Manslaughter charges have been dismissed against Robert Kaluza and Donald Vidrine, who were BP plc‘s senior employees in charge of the Macondo well that blew out in April 2010. They had faced charges for the deaths of 11 men who perished when the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded. The men earlier this year won dismissal of 11 counts of seaman’s manslaughter charges after the court ruled that the victims were not seamen (see Daily GPI, March 12; Jan. 28, 2014). BP in 2013 pleaded guilty to 11 manslaughter charges and four other charges and agreed to pay $4 billion resolve all of the criminal claims (see Daily GPI, Jan. 30, 2013).

ExxonMobil Corp. has hired attorneyTed Wells to defend it against claims that it misled the public about climate change research (see Daily GPI, Nov. 6). New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman‘s office has subpoenaed the company and is demanding financial records, emails and other documents dating back to the 1970s. Wells, who has worked for ExxonMobil previously, is a partner with the New York law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. He recently represented the NFL in the “Deflategate” scandal involving the New England Patriots.