United States
Experienced energy and natural resources attorney with a focus on representing clients before the Railroad Commission of Texas and Texas General Land Office. My mission is to navigate complex legal frameworks for energy sector clients, ensuring their operations comply with federal and state regulations. At MSMW, I am committed to upholding the highest standards of legal service, bringing broad experience, and an unwavering dedication to achieving our shared objectives. With the firm, I've honed my skills to effectively advise and represent a wide range of stakeholders in the energy industry. My day-to-day responsibilities include managing case proceedings, drafting critical legal documents, and leading negotiations to protect our clients' interests. My experience at the Railroad Commission and Texas General Land Office has been instrumental, providing a robust foundation in energy policy and resource development that I continuously apply to address the challenges faced by our clients.
• Serve as the lead legal counsel for the Energy Resources Division at the Texas General Land Office. • Provide strategic legal support to advance the agency's mission of developing state resources. • Ensure compliance with legal standards to benefit the Permanent School Fund.
• Advise and represent oil and gas operators and landowners on all matters related to mineral exploration and development including leasing, permitting, pooling and unitization, injection and disposal, enforcement actions, plugging, remediation, lease maintenance, boundary disputes, drilling obligations and retained acreage, surface use agreements, and production and royalty disputes. • Serve as lead and co-counsel in contested and non-contested case proceedings before the Railroad Commission of Texas. • Draft motions, briefs, and other pleadings for state and federal filing. • Prepare and respond to written discovery and take and defend depositions of party witnesses and experts. • Draft, negotiate, and finalize complex agreements for CO2 storage, brine production and lithium extraction, renewable energy, mineral leasing and pooling, joint operating agreements, and surface use agreements.
• Provided legal support and analysis to the School Land Board, Texas Land Commissioner, and GLO staff on matters related to mineral leasing, surface leasing, oil and gas development, renewables, royalty accounting and disputes, environmental protection, remediation, and sustainability. • Drafted and reviewed day to day operational agreements and complex transaction agreements. • Drafted and amended rules for adoption in the Texas Administrative Code. • Reviewed pending legislation, preformed legal research, and presented findings and recommendations to senior and executive management. • Managed and coordinated representation by the Attorney General and other outside counsel for litigation.
• Advised and represented Commission staff in contested case and other administrative hearings. • Drafted and amended rules for adoptions in the Texas Administrative Code. • Served as primary liaison to the Office of the Attorney General and coordinated all Commission litigation. • Performed bill review and prepared legislative impact statements on agency related legislation. • Responded to open records requests in accordance with the Texas Public Information Act.
• Drafted and reviewed master service agreements, leases, NDAs and other legal instruments. • Assisted with the audit of various Eagle Ford assets under the Texas EHS Audit Privilege Act.