Chesapeake Energy Corp. has appointed Robert Douglas Lawler of Anadarko Petroleum Corp. as chief executive, filling the post vacated by co-founder Aubrey McClendon, who left the company April 1, 2013. Lawler, senior vice president of international and deep-water operations at Anadarko Petroleum, will join Chesapeake and its board of directors on June 17, 2013. In January, Chesapeake Energy said that its co-founder, chief executive officer and president Aubrey McClendon would retire from the company on April 1, ending a 24-year tenure at the company's helm. McClendon, aged 53, has served as Chesapeake's CEO since the inception of the company in 1989 and as chairman of the board from its founding until 2012. He would continue to serve as CEO of the company until a successor is named.

Chesapeake Energy Corp. plans to discontinue its Office of the Chairman once its new CEO, Doug Lawler, takes over that position on June 17, 2013. The company says its three-person chairman's office is no longer needed with a full-time CEO on board. Once Lawler starts with Chesapeake, Archie Dunham will return to his role as the company's vice president of operations and geosciences, Dixon will return to his duties as chief operating officer and Domenic Dell'Osso Jr. will return to his position as chief financial officer.

Bank of New York Mellon Corp. on May 11 filed a notice of appeal challenging a ruling that allowed Chesapeake Energy Corp. to redeem certain bonds six years early. U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer on May 8 ruled in favor of Chesapeake Energy in its bond dispute with Bank of New York Mellon, enabling the energy company to redeem $1.3 billion of 6.775% senior notes due 2019 at par. Bank of New York Mellon wants the ruling to be reversed.