Find Lawyers in America for Oil and Gas Law
Practice Area Overview
Oil and gas law has developed around the three “streams” of business — (i) upstream is the “E&P” business, the actual exploration for, and production of, oil and gas; (ii) midstream is the gathering, processing, storing, transporting, and marketing of produced oil and gas; and (iii) downstream is the refining of crude oil and the selling and ultimate distribution of natural gas and products derived from crude oil. Oil and gas is the body of law that organizes the discovery, development, allocation, ownership, management, and ultimately use of oil and natural gas as energy sources that fuel modern civilization. Oil and gas law means the constellation of statutory, regulatory, and judicial law that customarily applies to the three streams of the oil and gas business.
This body of law draws heavily from contract, property, and corporate law, but also has substantial overlap with environmental, tax, employment, administrative, and even tort law. The set of legal issues that confront, for example, a client wishing to organize a company to acquire and develop a particular offshore or onshore oil and gas prospect, is unique. Therefore, the diversity and specificity of these issues led to the emergence of specialized oil and gas lawyers.
Oil and gas lawyers also must be familiar with the business realities that affect their clients. They are experienced with the operational details and points of negotiation in the contracts and physical operations that are common and also unique to oil and gas. They must alert clients to potential traps for the unwary in the case law of their jurisdiction, navigate government regulations to accomplish their clients’ goals, and assemble transactions from the myriad property and operational issues that exist for each particular oil and gas prospect or producing property. For example, the mechanics and economics of the development of oil and gas versus hard minerals such as coal has led to dramatically different business structures and contracts to develop these fossil fuel resources.
Some oil and gas lawyers specialize in unwinding the often Gordian mineral ownership of oil and gas in place; others are skilled in litigating the unique disputes that arise in the context of development joint ventures; and still others can structure oil and gas projects from exploration to development and sale. Additionally, the oil and gas industry has a significant international dimension; in this context, oil and gas lawyers can provide invaluable orientation and counsel to foreign companies investing in oil and gas exploration projects in the United States or domestic companies seeking to expand their presence globally.
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Pam Anderson, a partner in the Environment, Energy & Resources practice, represents utilities, local distribution companies, energy marketers, producers, and natural gas, crude oil and products pipelines throughout the country. Pam has represented energy clients before the FERC, NERC, CFTC, PHMSA, DOE and various state regulators. A certified public accountant, she combines her legal and financial experience to help clients negotiate complex business transactions and conduct due diligence...
Lee H. Ayres is principally a trial lawyer. He has extensive experience in civil litigation, including business and commercial disputes, oil and gas litigation, property disputes, natural resources litigation, products liability claims, professional malpractice defense, trucking defense, personal injury claims, fraud claims, insurance coverage, and insurance bad faith defense. Lee received his undergraduate and law degrees at Louisiana State University Law Center, where he was a member of the...
Kevin represents a diverse clientele in virtually all aspects of the energy industry. With a background in petroleum geology, he has operated and participated in oil and gas exploration and development projects across North America. As a transactional lawyer, he has represented owners and operators with documentation, due diligence, and business counseling for acquisitions and divestitures and for exploration and operation. As a trial lawyer, he has represented plaintiffs and defendants, both...
Bill Benitez is a partner in the Houston office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. His practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, equity investments, recapitalizations, joint ventures and corporate governance, with a particular emphasis on the energy and infrastructure sector. Clients have described Bill as a “great practitioner” who provides “incredible client service” in connection with his recognition in various industry publications, including Chambers Global, The Wor...
William B. Burford is a partner in the firm's Oil & Gas/Energy practice. He is a leader in the field of oil and gas title examination and is a past chair of the Texas State Bar Oil, Gas and Energy Resources Law Section. His experience includes all aspects of oil and gas title and transactional matters, involving fee, state and federal lands in both Texas and New Mexico. Mr. Burford has been a frequent speaker on oil and gas topics before legal and industry groups and has been a member, si...
Nicki Carlsen is the co-leader of the firm’s Environment, Land Use & Natural Resources Group. Her practice focuses on land use, environmental compliance and litigation. She has over 25 years of experience with the federal, state and local regulations affecting development projects, including land use planning and subdivision laws, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), California Coastal Act, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Clean Water Act, endangered species act...
Brenda L. Clayton practices environmental, energy, and appellate law. Her environmental practice includes regulatory matters involving waste and water such as those arising under the Resource Conservation and Recovery act (“RCRA”), the Clean Water Act (“CWA”), the Texas Water Code, the Texas Solid Waste Disposal Act (“TSWDA”), and other statutes. She handles the defense or prosecution of private environmental litigation such as private suits under the Compr...
Based in our Houston office, Paul Clote has been a litigation attorney handling trials and appeals for more than four decades. His cases involve commercial and business disputes across a variety of industries. He has tried to verdict in both state and federal courts, cases entailing fiduciary duties; partnership termination and windup; letters of credit; business fraud and civil theft; trust account funds; broker commissions; ERISA disability benefits; child abuse; minimum wage and overtime c...
Travis Conner joined Biggs, Ingram & Solop in 2008 after working as a petroleum landman representing various oil and gas companies. Using this prior experience, he concentrates his practice in oil and gas title opinions, development agreements relating to energy exploration, as well as real estate and litigation matters.
Greg Curry focuses his litigation practice on complex commercial (including real estate and construction), oil and gas, insurance coverage, and environmental matters. Greg is recognized annually by his peers as one of the top lawyers in Texas. He has an active trial practice, having secured significant settlements and judgments for plaintiffs and defending numerous complex cases with substantial monetary claims. Greg works on a number of high profile and high risk domestic and international a...
Area of Emphasis Jim Curry is the Managing Shareholder of the Firm’s Washington, D.C. office. Jim is an energy lawyer with years of experience in government service and private practice helping clients navigate difficult regulatory and strategic challenges throughout the energy sector. His clients include pipelines, utilities, energy producers, LNG terminals, investors, technology companies, chemical makers, and hydrogen infrastructure developers. Jim takes a pragmatic, business-minded ...
Earl DeBrine concentrates his practice in oil and gas, railroad, product liability and commercial litigation. For over 30 years, he has represented major energy companies, railroads and manufacturers in lawsuits and negotiations ranging from preferential purchase rights and other disputes under joint operating agreements, environmental and title disputes to oilfield wrongful death claims. He also regularly advises oil and gas producers concerning development transactions and appears before th...
Andrew B. Derman is a Partner and head of International Energy Practice Group for Thompson & Knight LLP and Chairman of Thompson & Knight Global Energy Services. He represents public and private companies and host governments in their strategic design, commercial execution, negotiations, contract preparation, and legal interpretation. Recent experience includes: acquisition and divestment efforts in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia; international finan...
John M. DeVries, a native of Grand Rapids, practices in the areas of litigation in federal and state courts, oil, gas and water law, eminent domain and zoning law. John received his bachelor's degree from Calvin College and his law degree from the University of Michigan, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif. He is a member of the Grand Rapids and Federal Bar Associations, the State Bar of Michigan, and is a life member of the Sixth Circuit Judicial Conference.
Bob Duplantis has dedicated his entire career to the oil and gas industry. Prior to joining the firm in 1982 and establishing its Lafayette office, Bob spent more than a decade serving in-house oil company legal departments, including six years as a lobbyist in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Bob’s law practice focuses on Louisiana oil and gas regulation and “meat-and-potato” legal issues. He routinely argues contract disputes affecting the oil and gas industry, including lease inte...
Greg Duplantis’ legal practice centers on oil and gas property title examination with an emphasis on analyzing and rendering complex opinions concerning title that is held by production. He frequently calculates varying royalty interests, overriding royalty interests, and proportionately burdened net revenue interests. Greg routinely renders “stand up” title opinions that require physically searching the indices of courts' conveyance records and executing opinions on site. H...
David has significant trial experience with complex commercial, intellectual property, trust and estates, tax, energy, and environmental litigation matters in both state and federal courts. He has successfully tried to verdict complex litigation matters in state and federal courts, and under the rules of the American Arbitration Association. He has successfully argued before state and federal appellate courts. In addition, he has experience with matters before state and federal administrative...
Eric Fjelstad, a partner in the Environment, Energy & Resources practice, is managing partner of the Alaska office and leads the firm’s Alaska EER practice. His practice is focused on natural resources project development, defense of governmental and citizen enforcement actions, and compliance counseling. Eric’s project development is focused on due diligence and permitting of mining, oil and gas, energy, forestry, and heavy infrastructure projects. He regularly counsels Alask...
Felicity has more than 28 years of experience representing employers in all facets of employment law, including litigation, arbitrations, injunctive relief, administrative proceedings, counseling and trainings throughout the United States and in a few foreign jurisdictions.She has been certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1998 as a specialist in the field of Labor and Employment Law, and chaired a multitude of lawsuits on behalf of employers in state and federal courts (...
Tim George practices administrative law and litigation on behalf of oil and gas owners and operators. Tim represents clients before the Railroad Commission of Texas and the Texas General Land Office. He has helped solve complex problems with leasehold permitting and production; special field rules; rulemaking; salt water disposal injection; unitization and enhanced recovery; environmental compliance and remediation; pipeline transportation; common carrier, common purchaser, and gas utility co...
Luis F. Gomar is a partner in the Corporate department of Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s Houston office. Mr. Gomar has over 18 years of experience advising on domestic and cross-border transactions in the energy, finance and private equity sectors. Mr. Gomar counsels clients on both domestic and international transactions involving M&A, asset acquisition and divestitures, fund formations, joint ventures and strategic alliances, project development, and structured finance a...
Selected to the 2016 Louisiana Super Lawyer list in the Environmental Litigation, Energy and Natural Resources Law, and Business Litigation practice areas (other years recognized: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015) 2014 Baton Rouge Area Environmental Lawyer of the Year; 2016 Lafayette Area Environmental Lawyer of the Year Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America for Energy Law, Litigation - Environmental, Natural Resources Law and Oil & Gas Law Practice Concentration & E...
Clients, including private equity funds, seeking to expand operations, divest businesses, or commit capital benefit from Mitchell’s transactional experience across various industries, including oil and gas, manufacturing, renewable energy, and telecommunications. Mitchell Griffith focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital, securities offerings, corporate governance, and other corporate matters. His experience includes equity financings for priv...
Gordon has counseled clients in the power generation industry for over three decades, assisting private energy generators, banks, and contractors with matters ranging from insurance and warranty claims to crisis management. As a managing director of the alternative energy consulting firm Stratex Energy, he’s well-versed in the waste-to-energy, pulp and paper, biomass, and ethanol industries, as well as more traditional energy sources like oil and natural gas. He is also a Managing Direc...
Michael C. Haines' practice includes the general representation of established and emerging energy and natural resources companies in Michigan. He provides legal and practical advice on contract matters, leases, unitization, transportation, regulatory, legislative and other matters, including acquisitions and dispositions of assets. He serves as legislative counsel for an oil and gas exploration and production association and has represented gas utility companies in municipal rate proceedings...
Robin Harrison has represented plaintiffs and defendants in trials and arbitrations in venues from Cuero, Texas to Paris, France for more than 35 years. He has extensive experience handling cases involving breach of fiduciary duties, breach of contract, misappropriation of trade secrets, fraud and misrepresentation, professional liability, and business owner/ “business divorce” disputes. He has assisted numerous clients in several different industries, including construction, oil ...
Peck Hayne's practice centers on oil and gas, pipeline and other energy-related transactions and regulation and on federal appellate litigation. Peck regularly negotiates, drafts and advises clients on complex purchase and sale agreements, operating agreements, mineral leases, right-of-way agreements, transportation and interconnection agreements, gas storage agreements and settlement agreements in complex litigation and other disputes. He also frequently renders title opinions on complex pet...
Aimee Hebert helps clients in the energy business solve their challenging legal problems. Her experience includes disputes that involve mineral royalties, mineral lease termination, implied obligations, mineral servitude maintenance, operating agreements, production handling agreements, blowouts, and oilfield environmental issues. She represents both individuals and businesses and gets excellent results. U.S. News and World Reports has included Ms. Hebert on The Best Lawyers in America® r...
Harold L. Hensley, Jr. is a partner in the Oil & Gas/Energy and Litigation Sections of the firm. He is a skilled trial lawyer with a legacy of victories in both state and federal courts. He is a member of the Roehl Circle of Honor of trial lawyers in New Mexico and served the New Mexico Supreme Court as a member of its Uniform Jury Selection Committee. Mr. Hensley received his BBA degree from Rice University and his law degree from the University of Texas. He is a member of the State Bar ...
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