Vinson & Elkins Wins $8.4 Million Jury Verdict for Oilfield Services Trade Secrets Theft

A Vinson & Elkins litigation team helped client BCCK Engineering Inc. secure an $8.4 million jury verdict against a rival engineering firm in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas – Midland-Odessa Division.

BCCK specializes in nitrogen rejection unit (“NRU”) technology and owns patents and trade secrets related to the technology. After a long-standing engineer and officer of BCCK resigned to start his own consulting firm, Charis Engineering, BCCK learned that Charis was bidding against it on a major NRU project. BCCK suspected that Charis might be competing against BCCK using its own confidential and proprietary technology and communicated the concern to the customer. When the customer awarded the project to BCCK, Charis sued, alleging that BCCK’s communications with the customer constituted tortious interference, unfair competition, and business disparagement.

In January 2026, the court granted BCCK’s motion for summary judgment on all three of Charis’s tort claims, concluding that there was no evidence to support the requisite findings of falsity or bad faith for the claims. 

Following the ruling, the case proceeded to trial with only BCCK’s offensive claim for misappropriation of trade secrets at issue. On February 4, 2026, the jury sided with BCCK, determining that it was owed $3.75 million for the trade secret theft and another $4.65 million in punitive damages because it found Charis’s misappropriation to be willful and malicious.

“This verdict sends a clear message that companies that invest significant resources in developing proprietary technology have the right to protect it,” said Partner Chris Popov, counsel to BCCK and head of Vinson & Elkins’ Complex Commercial Litigation practice. “We are proud to have helped BCCK hold Charis accountable and to ensure that the integrity of innovation in the energy industry is upheld.”

The remainder of the Vinson & Elkins team representing BCCK was comprised of Partner Hilary Preston, Counsel Jeff Han, Counsel Liane Noble, Senior Associate Paige Wright and Associate Maggie Eller. 

About Vinson & Elkins
For more than a century, Vinson & Elkins has provided outstanding client service across important industries that drive the global economy. Built on a strong culture of collaboration across 14 offices worldwide, V&E lawyers are committed to excellence, offering clients decades of legal experience in handling transactions, investments, projects and disputes across the globe. Learn more by visiting www.velaw.com or connect with us on LinkedIn.

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