Oil and Gas

A reliable pipeline of high-octane legal and business solutions.

Few industries move as quickly or change as rapidly as oil and gas. Success in this field requires an advanced understanding of markets and the competitive landscape, on-the-ground partnership between firm and client, and next-level responsiveness that takes into account the constantly evolving legal terrain. We are a full-service legal team, advising in every channel of the oil and gas industry.

Overview

Uniquely positioned to serve oil and gas clients in the upstream and midstream industry segments

Whether your interest is in exploration and production or in the service industry, Spencer Fane Oil and Gas attorneys can advise on the challenges you face and help you overcome them. Partnering with industry participants of all sizes to address the challenges of the oil and gas business, our team includes former government officials (including an Oklahoma Corporation Commission member) and in-house counsel at large energy companies.

Transactions. Our oil and gas team consists of focused, dealmaking, legal veterans who handle transactional needs in a swift and impactful manner. Our attorneys have been in the oil and gas industry for 30 years and understand how to get deals done.

We work with entities, established and emerging, on diverse matters that include:

  • Oil and gas leases
  • Drilling contracts
  • Purchase and sale agreements
  • Title opinions
  • Joint operating agreements
  • Confidentiality agreements
  • Seismic agreements
  • Liens
  • Commodity sales contracts
  • Title Examinations. We understand the importance of title examinations and provide comprehensive title examination services, ensuring that our clients have the strongest possible starting point.

Litigation. When disputes arise, our team has the extensive knowledge and experience to generate favorable outcomes. While cases are often resolved outside of the courtroom, we have a winning ability to represent our clients when a trial is necessary.

We have vast experience practicing in both state and federal courts in traditional exploration and production litigation and before the regulatory bodies with jurisdiction over oil and gas activities.

We handle the full range of industry-related trials, appeals, and arbitrations within the oil and gas sector. We advise a variety of clients, including operators, owners, producers, processors, and transporters of oil and gas on a wide breadth of legal matters.

Experience

  • Represented exploration and production company in the acquisition of approximately 200,000 net mineral acres in the Utica Shale valued at $650 million.
  • Represented the seller in the $1.2 billion sale of Michigan oil and gas properties.

  • Led oil and gas trade association as amicus participant before the 10th Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court in tribal jurisdiction case.
  • Defeated class certification efforts in a case consisting of 175,000 potential class members alleging improper payment of royalties.