Law360, New York (July 7, 2015, 11:22 AM EDT) -- Last month, the Texas Supreme Court decided three cases implicating oil and gas contract interpretation issues with important consequences to the industry. The state high court held in all three cases that the plain meaning of a contract will prevail over an interpretation based on the industry's common views of the intended effect of a provision. This result can be troublesome for attorneys, landmen and commercial deal makers in the industry, as each has felt comfortable in the past relying on a common industry view of how certain key provisions in oil and gas contracts work. Consequently, these cases reinforce the need for a more careful review of key contract terms to ensure that the plain meaning of the text correctly expresses the intended commercial arrangement without the need to rely on what may have been the industry's customary interpretation....