Legal Consulting
Using extensive trial experience, I help oil and gas companies mitigate legal pitfalls.
My mother’s side of the family was heavily involved and worked in the oilfields of East Texas. I have fond memories from my childhood of going to the East Texas Oil Museum and visiting the “World’s Richest Acre” in Kilgore, Texas. Simply put, the oilpatch is an important part of my life.
Not only is the oilpatch an important part of my life in general, but a large portion of my legal career has focused on the oil and gas industry. I have handled hundreds of oil and gas disputes/lawsuits for both small and large oil and gas companies, including the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors. My experience in the oil and gas litigation world includes, but is not limited to, the following types of claims/lawsuits: personal injury and wrongful death, contract, insurance, pollution, royalty, and trespass. I have trial experience in oil and gas disputes/lawsuits, and I have prepared and presented numerous corporate representatives, safety personnel and field employees for depositions. Given the stakes involved in most oil and gas disputes/lawsuits, I have worked with, and gone up against, some of the most respected and skilled trial lawyers in the State of Texas.
Based on my experience handling numerous oil and gas disputes/lawsuits, I have discovered that, despite the best of intentions, many companies, both big and small, are not prepared for, or are at least unfamiliar with, the pitfalls of litigation until it is too late (i.e., until they are knee deep in a lawsuit).
In light of my vast experience, I am able to offer a wide variety of consulting services to oil and gas companies. I am able to assist those companies in developing sound and effective strategies and plans to help mitigate against the pitfalls of litigation. My consulting services include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Contract review and analysis, including compliance with Texas law on indemnity and insurance obligations, which can reduce and/or mitigate exposure in a lawsuit and reduce insurance premiums
- Safety policies and procedures, including unnecessary language that often becomes the focal point of depositions and lawsuits
- General company/employee policies and procedures, including vehicle use policies, payment polices, etc., all of which may impact exposure in a lawsuit
- Safety training and compliance
- Emergency preparedness and response plans, including training of employees on important topics/actions, preservation of evidence, etc.
- Litigation support, including preparation of witnesses for depositions and trial, and oversight of hand-selected, insurance lawyers
