In Re National Oilwell Varco, L.P.

NOTE: This order is nonprecedential United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit IN RE NATIONAL OILWELL VARCO, L.P., Petitioner. - Miscel1a11eous Docket No. 994 On Petition for Writ of MandamuS to the United States District Court for the Southern District of TeXas in case no. 06-CV-170, Judge Lynn N. Hughes. ON PETITION Befo;re LoUR1E, BRYsoN, and MooRE, Circuit Judges. LOURIE, Circuit Judge. 0 R D E R Nationa1 Oilwe11 Varco, L.P. (NOV) seeks a writ of mandamus directing the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas to allow "baSic discovery." Hydri] Co., L.P. opposes NOV replies The remedy of mandamus is available only in ex- traordinary situations to correct a clear abuse of discre- lN RE NATIONAL OILWELL VARCO 2 tion or usurpation of judicial power. In re Calmar, In,c., 854 F.2d 461, 464 (Fed. Cir. 1988). A party seeking a writ bears the burden of proving that it has no other means of attaining the relief desired, Mallard v. U.S. Dist. Court for the Southern Dist. of I0wa, 490 U.S. 296, 309, (1989), and that the right to issuance of the writ is "clear and indisputab1e," Allied Chem. Corp. v. Daiflon, Inc., 449 U.S. 33, 35 (l980). A court may deny mandamus relief "even though on normal appeal, a court might find re- versible error.” In re Cordis Corp., 769 F.2d 733, 737 (Fed. Cir. 1985). In the papers submitted NOV has not shown why it cannot raise any challenge to the district court’s discovery determinations on appeal from a final judgment Al- though NOV argues that it will be unableto present a proper record on appeal without this court’s intervention now and that it wishes to “avoid piece by piece” appeal, that argument is generally insufficient to warrant man- damus relief. See Bcmkers Life & Cas. Co. u. H0lland, 346 U.S. 379, 383, (1953) ("[I]t is established that the extraor- dinary writs cannot be used as substitutes for appeals even though hardship may result from delay and perhaps unnecessary trial"). NOV will still be able to argue about the propriety of the district court’s discovery determina- tions on appeal. Because NOV has failed to meet its burden of establishing the extraordinary circumstances necessary to grant mandamus relief, we deny the petition Accordingly, IT lS ORDERED THATZ The petition for writ of mandamus is denied. 3 1N ar NAT1oNA_L o1LwELL vance FoR T1-in CoURT 0 2 /s/' J an Horbal_v Date J an Horbaly Clerk cc: Robert M. Bowick, Esq. R. Paul Yetter, Esq. Clerk, United States District Court for the-Southern District of Texas s24 t FlLED .S. COURT DF APPEALS FOR THE FEDERAL ClRCUlT SEP 92 2011 :|AN HiJRBALY Cl.EM