telephone icon 800.747.9354
CONTACT USarrow icon

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
Consent*

Overview

Protecting the products and processes that power modern industry

The chemical and petroleum processing industries supply the raw materials, refined products, and specialty chemicals that power transportation, manufacturing, agriculture, construction, and consumer goods. Operating in these sectors means managing technical complexity, safeguarding proprietary process know-how, structuring high-value commercial arrangements, and protecting the intellectual property that defines competitive advantage.

Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig advises chemical and petroleum processing companies on intellectual property creation, protection, and exploitation; commercial transactions; and litigation matters. Whether you are a specialty chemical startup protecting a proprietary process or a private equity sponsor acquiring a chemical processing facility, our lawyers bring technical fluency and practical judgment to every engagement.

We know credible experts in fire cause and origin, suppression systems, engineering, and life safety codes personally, having spent years working alongside them at fire scenes throughout the U.S. Those relationships allow us to assemble the right team quickly and conduct a disciplined, evidence-based investigation before assumptions become accepted as fact.

Our lawyers regularly attend site inspections in person. Opposing experts in one matter may be retained experts in another, and opposing counsel may be attorneys we have encountered in prior fire-loss and subrogation matters. That familiarity gives us credibility in the room from day one and helps us identify the technical, legal, and practical issues that will drive the claim.

We move quickly to evaluate potential exposure, identify and preserve service and inspection history and other relevant records, retain the appropriate experts, and negotiate investigation protocols. We also identify other potentially responsible parties, including property owners, contractors, component manufacturers, maintenance providers, and other entities whose actions may have contributed to the loss.

When local or panel counsel is required in a particular jurisdiction, we can recommend capable attorneys based on direct experience in that market and give them a file that is already well developed. We stay involved throughout the matter, helping counsel understand the applicable fire and life safety codes, serving as a resource on industry practices, coordinating technical experts, and keeping clients and insurers informed through regular meetings and written updates.

When a fire happens, the response should be led by someone who has been through this before, who understands how fire claims develop, and who knows what must be done to shape the narrative in our client’s favor before the evidence disappears and the narrative hardens. That is what we do.

OUR EXPERIENCE IN THE CHEMICAL AND PETROLEUM PROCESSING SECTOR

Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig works with businesses across the chemical and petroleum processing value chain, from refinery operations to specialty chemical manufacturing, distribution logistics, and downstream industrial applications.

We serve a broad range of clients, including the following:

  • Crude oil processors, petroleum refiners, and refined product marketers
  • Chemical and petrochemical manufacturers and commodity chemical companies
  • Specialty chemical producers and pharmaceutical ingredient suppliers
  • Pipeline operators, terminal owners, and storage facility operators handling petroleum and chemical products
  • Industrial gas producers and compressed gas distributors
  • Chemical distributors, blenders, repackagers, and toll processors
  • Manufacturers of machinery used in the chemical and petroleum processing industries
  • Private equity sponsors and strategic acquirers of chemical and petroleum processing assets


WHAT WE DO

Intellectual property: Patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and copyright
  • Prepare and prosecute patent applications directed to chemical and petroleum processing products and processes
  • Devise trade secret protection strategies for proprietary process know-how, formulation data, operating manuals, and analytical methods
  • Prepare and negotiate technology licensing agreements, cross-licensing arrangements, and intellectual property provisions in joint venture and joint development agreements
  • Prepare patentability opinions, validity opinions, infringement opinions, and freedom-to-operate opinions for chemical and petroleum products, processes, and machinery
  • Represent chemical and petroleum companies in patent infringement litigation, post-grant review proceedings, and trade secret misappropriation actions
  • Counsel on intellectual property due diligence in chemical company acquisitions
  • Offer advice on open innovation arrangements, collaborative research agreements, and university technology transfer agreements for chemical R&D programs


Transactions, joint ventures, and project development
  • Structure acquisitions and divestitures of chemical plants, petroleum refineries, and processing facilities, including intellectual property due diligence, regulatory permit transferability, and liability allocation in purchase agreements
  • Design joint venture arrangements for chemical and petroleum processing projects, including technology licensing, feedstock supply, offtake arrangements, and operational governance
  • Support the development and financing of new chemical and refining facilities, including environmental permitting strategy, land use approvals, and community benefit agreements
  • Draft chemical technology licensing agreements, process license terms, royalty structures, and know-how transfer arrangements
  • Coordinate midstream asset acquisitions and greenfield development


Commercial contracts and supply chain
  • Draft and negotiate chemical supply agreements, tolling arrangements, offtake contracts, and distribution agreements
  • Structure indemnification, insurance allocation, and quality control provisions in commercial agreements
  • Resolve commercial disputes arising from supply agreements, tolling arrangements, offtake contracts, and technology license agreements
  • Address force majeure claims and supply chain disruptions


Export controls and trade compliance
  • Assess exposure related to chemical export controls under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions programs in international chemical sales and technology transfers
  • Counsel on compliance with chemical export licensing requirements for dual-use chemicals, precursors, and processing equipment


Commercial and product liability litigation
  • Assess product liability exposure for chemical products
  • Litigate commercial disputes arising from supply agreements, tolling arrangements, offtake contracts, and technology license agreements
  • Pursue business interruption insurance claims arising from plant incidents, force majeure events, and supply chain disruptions

Contact Us

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Name*
Consent*
Please do not include any confidential or sensitive information in this form.
Submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Intern Program

As part of our effort to recruit, develop and retail the best and brightest attorneys, Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig offers a summer intern program for promising law school students who are looking to work as part of an innovative and incredibly successful team. With a global team of lawyers, selected candidates are able to work on high level projects in a collaborative space.

Paralegals and Legal Support Staff

At Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig, our team of paralegals and staff work together collaboratively along side our attorneys toward a common goal. We have created a positive work environment where our paralegals and legal assistants work to successfully reach firm-wide goals and support each other to combine individual strengths to enhance team performance. They regularly assist our attorneys with organizing and maintaining files, conducting legal research, and preparing documents.