Antero Resources Corporation, Antero Resources Piceance Corporation, Calfrac Well Services Corporation, and Frontier…

Summary

The court held that Colorado's civil rules do not authorize a trial court to issue a Lone Pine order requiring plaintiffs to establish a prima facie case before obtaining full discovery. Because the trial court lacked authority to impose the order and dismissed the action based on the plaintiffs' failure to satisfy it, the court affirmed the court of appeals' judgment reversing the order and reinstating the claims. Justice Boatright, dissenting, would have upheld the order and dismissal because Rule 16 authorized changes to disclosure and discovery timelines.