Opinion ID: 2831311
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Additional Depositions

Text: Finally, Moncrief contends the trial court erred in refusing to allow the deposition of Gazprom’s deputy chairman and a representative of Gazprom Bank. The court of appeals held the trial court did not abuse its discretion because it could have reasonably concluded the testimony would be cumulative as to the jurisdictional facts. 332 S.W.3d at 23. We agree. Initially, we note that because we have concluded the trial court has specific jurisdiction over the Gazprom Defendants as to the trade secrets claim, further deposition testimony regarding these claims is unnecessary. But we have also determined there is no specific jurisdiction over the Gazprom Defendants as to the tortious interference claims. If the depositions Moncrief sought could yield jurisdictional facts that support jurisdiction as to the tortious interference claims, then the trial court abused its discretion. Because Moncrief has not demonstrated what additional jurisdictional facts the depositions would provide, we conclude the trial court did not abuse its discretion. Moncrief claims Gazprom’s deputy chairman sent a representative of Gazprom Bank to California to meet with Occidental. In 20 its motion to compel, Moncrief sought to depose Gazprom’s deputy chairman because it believed he would provide testimony regarding the meetings with Moncrief. It also sought to depose the Gazprom Bank representative because it believed he would provide testimony regarding his meeting with Occidental. But Moncrief already deposed the consultant for Gazprom who attended the meeting with Occidental (as well as both Texas meetings) and one of Occidental’s representatives from that meeting—who both testified as to what the Gazprom Bank representative said. Moncrief has not identified what additional testimony the depositions of the Gazprom Bank representative or Gazprom’s deputy chairman would provide regarding Texas contacts with respect to the tortious interference claims. Therefore, we hold the trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying Moncrief’s motion to compel the depositions. See BMC Software, 83 S.W.3d at 800–01 (holding trial court did not abuse discretion in denying continuance before special appearance hearing).