Pauper Petroleum LLC v. Kaiser-Francis Oil Company
Pauper v. Kaiser-Francis Settlement
4:19-cv-00514-JFH-JFJ

Welcome to the Pauper v. Kaiser-Francis Settlement Website

If You Are or Were a Kaiser-Francis Oil Company Working Interest, Overriding Royalty Interest, or Royalty Interest Owner in an Oklahoma Oil and Gas Well, You Could Be a Part of a Proposed Class Action Settlement.

This page contains information about the Class II Settlement. For information regarding the Class I Settlement, please visit the Class I Settlement page.

 

What is this lawsuit about?

The Litigation seeks, inter alia, damages for Defendant’s alleged failure to pay statutory interest on allegedly late payments under Oklahoma law. Defendant expressly denies all allegations of wrongdoing or liability with respect to the claims and allegations in the Litigation. The Court has made no determination with respect to any of the parties’ claims or defenses.

What does the Settlement provide?

In settlement of Released Claims alleged in the Litigation, Defendant has agreed to pay One Million, Six Hundred Thousand Dollars ($1,600,000.00) in cash (“Gross Settlement Fund”). In exchange for the payment noted above and other consideration outlined in the Settlement Agreement, the Settlement Class shall release the Released Claims against the Released Parties. The Gross Settlement Fund, less Class Counsel’s Fees and Expenses, and other costs approved by the Court (the “Net Settlement Fund”), will be distributed to Final Class Members pursuant to the terms of the Settlement Agreement. The Settlement does not release the Remaining Claims (as defined in the Settlement Agreement) related to the Class I alleged claims for underpaid or unpaid royalties or oil or gas proceeds payments, or interest on such underpaid or unpaid royalties.

A copy of the Settlement Agreement is available on the Important Documents page.

Who is included?

The Settlement Class in the Litigation consists of all non-excluded persons or entities who received working interest, royalty, and/or overriding royalty payments from Defendant for oil and/or gas proceeds from oil and/or gas wells located in the State of Oklahoma with check dates between September 1, 2014, up to and including February 28, 2021.

The persons or entities excluded from the class are: (1) agencies, departments, or instrumentalities of the United States of America or the State of Oklahoma; (2) publicly traded oil and gas companies and their affiliates; and (3) the Released Parties.

Your Legal Rights and Options

Option/Deadline
Event
Do Nothing, Participate in the Settlement By taking no action, your interests will be represented by Plaintiff as the Class Representative and Plaintiff’s Counsel. As a Class Member, if you are entitled to a distribution pursuant to the Allocation Methodology, you will receive your portion of the Net Settlement Fund and will be bound by the Settlement Agreement and all orders and judgments entered by the Court regarding the Settlement.
Exclude Yourself
October 29, 2021 at 5 p.m. CT
(received)
(Passed)		 If you did not wish to be a member of the Settlement Class, then you must exclude yourself from the Settlement Class by mailing by certified mail, return receipt requested, a Request for Exclusion to the Settlement Administrator. If you validly requested exclusion, you will not receive any distribution from the Net Settlement Fund, you cannot object to the Settlement, and you will not have released any claim against the Released Parties. You will not be legally bound by anything that happens in the Litigation. For more information see FAQ 5.

Object or Comment
November 19, 2021 at 5 p.m. CT
(received)
(Passed)

 Any Class Member who wishes to object to any part of the Settlement, the Allocation Methodology, the Plan of Allocation, the request for Plaintiff's attorneys' fees or and Litigation Expenses, or the request for a Nominal Case Contribution Award to Class Representative may file an objection. For more information see FAQ 6.

Attend the Final Fairness Hearing
December 3, 2021 at 10 a.m. CT

 At the Fairness Hearing, the Court will consider: (a) whether the Settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate; (b) any timely and properly raised objections to the Settlement; (c) the Allocation Methodology; (d) the application for Class Counsel’s Attorneys’ Fees and Litigation Expenses and Administration, Notice, and Distribution Costs; and (e) the application for a Nominal Case Contribution Award for the Class Representative.

For More Information

Visit this website often to get the most up-to-date information.

Call
1-833-823-0041
Email
info@pauper-kfoc.com
Mail
Pauper v. Kaiser-Francis Settlement
c/o JND Legal Administration,
PO Box 91244,
Seattle, WA 98111