Wheeler Energy, Oil & Gas Lawyers

Linkedin Bio at: http://www.linkedin.com/in/smarrs. TRIAL ATTORNEY and ARBITRATOR. Over 20 years of experience in complex international and energy arbitrations and lawsuits: oil & gas, energy, chemical, commercial, international and intellectual property matters, including disputes relating to: upstream and downstream agreements and operations, alternative energy, biofuels, pipelines, supply agreements, exploration, production, refining and processing, service company issues, title, drilling, royalty, transportation, catastrophic events, accounting, international, fiduciary duty, fraud, products liability, environmental, rig and plant construction matters. Represents plaintiffs and defendants (apx 50/50). Also experienced with intellectual property, including disputes involving patent, trademark, copyright and trade secrets. ...

Austin Smith focuses his practice on litigation and dispute resolution. Austin has experience in handling a wide variety of matters in state and federal court, involving complex commercial and business disputes, fraud, personal injury, and criminal matters including white collar crime. From 2017 to 2018, Austin was honored to serve as a law clerk to the Honorable Judge Amos L. Mazzant in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. With Austin has been consistently selected by BestLawyers as “One to Watch” (2020-2022) and Texas Super Lawyers Rising Stars (2021-2022) - a recognition that only 2.5%...

Rafael is a proud native of a small town in West Texas (Fort Stockton), where he spent his youth camping in Big Bend National Park and on drilling rigs with his father learning the oil and gas industry that has long-fueled much of the West Texas economy. Rafael credits his work ethic and “never-say-die” attitude to his parents, both of whom worked blue-collar jobs during Rafael’s adolescence to help their children succeed. Rafael left home to play Division I football in the Big XII Conference, where he received several accolades for his performance on and off the field, including being selected...

Daniel Charest gets results for his clients in high-stakes litigation. His career reflects a history of big wins in the court room and high-profile settlement agreements. He achieves those results through a combination of smarts and daily hard work. Daniel understands that trust and accountability with his clients, plus a dedicated group of attorneys, form the foundation of a strong legal team.

From international arbitrations in London to small-town courthouses, Daniel knows each victory—no matter the size—matters to the client. Daniel co-founded Burns Charest with the mission to form a team of dynamic attorneys from varied backgrounds who are motivated...

Joseph Tung brings nearly 20 years of business and legal experience to the table that began with investment banking and continued through an appellate judicial clerkship, a regional and national law firm, and a global oilfield services company. In 2009, Joseph started a full-service private practice offering general counsel services for a variety of businesses and investors. His practice areas included corporate, transactional, employment, litigation, intellectual property, mergers, acquisition, and real estate law. By 2016, Tung Law Firm, PLLC now represents a diverse range of clients in many industries ranging from information technology, construction, oil and...

Scott Zimmer is a partner in the Shreveport office of Kean Miller and practices in the commercial litigation group. He assists clients in all manner of litigation, including commercial, environmental, transportation, gaming industry litigation, and complex personal injury matters.

Scott is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell. He is listed in Louisiana Super Lawyers 2018 - 2019.

Scott earned his B.S. from the University of Southwestern Louisiana in 1994. He earned his J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center in 1998.

Robert W. St. Clair, born Pampa, Texas, July 5, 1957; admitted to Texas bar, 1982; also admitted to practice before: United States Supreme Court,1998; United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, 1988; United States District and Bankruptcy Courts, Northern (1982), Western (1987), Eastern (1987), and Southern (1987) Districts of Texas. Preparatory education, Abilene Christian University (B.B.A., 1979); legal education, South Texas College of Law (J.D., 1982). Board Certified, Business Bankruptcy Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization (since 1988). Member: State Bar of Texas (Bankruptcy Section, Member; Litigation Section, Member); Lubbock County Bar Association; and West Texas Bankruptcy Bar Association (Secretary 1989-90, President 1997-98). Fellow: Texas Bar Foundation. Texas...

Attorney Rodney L. Drinnon is an experienced litigator who handles complex civil litigation in cases in both federal & state courts and he is a partner in the McCathern Houston office. He has served as the lead trial lawyer on matters ranging from antitrust actions, contested corporate control disputes, director and officer liability, contract disputes, employment matters (including misappropriation of trade secrets, restrictive covenants, and Department of Labor investigations), insurance coverage questions, and oil and gas litigation. Mr. Drinnon is admitted to practice in Texas, Ohio, and Illinois and he has successfully tried cases in over ten jurisdictions throughout the...

Bill Ogden is a partner in the Houston office of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 2017 and practices in the trial and appellate groups. He has extensive courtroom and appellate experience in a wide range of commercial litigation, with concentration in communications and First Amendment law, employment litigation, financial services and energy law. Bill is Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He is one of the foremost First Amendment attorneys in the state of Texas having represented traditional media such as newspapers, broadcasters, journalists and book publishers, as well as internet...

Michael C. Sanders has over 20 years of experience litigating business, energy, and real estate disputes. Michael has handled cases from filing through trial and appeal.

Michael is Board Certified in Oil, Gas, and Mineral Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Michael’s practice has consisted of handling a variety of commercial, energy, and real estate disputes and lawsuits.

In addition to representing clients in lawsuits, Michael serves as an alternative dispute resolution provider. He is available to conduct mediations & arbitrations.

Paul Grinke is Managing Partner of McCathern’s office at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Mr. Grinke has broad experience on a national level, litigating complex commercial and catastrophic event claims from both sides of the docket. He has successfully litigated commercial breach of contract, fiduciary duty, and employment covenant claims. In addition, Mr. Grinke prosecutes and defends claims involving personal injury, wrongful death, and disastrous property damage arising from construction defect, product defect, trucking, and liquor liability.

Mr. Grinke leads McCathern’s Construction Defect, Product Liability and related Fire Litigation practices. He has particular expertise in counseling institutional clients involved in tragic...

Don Ethridge is senior counsel in The Woodlands office of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 2018 and practices in the oil and gas litigation group. Don’s practice centers on oil and gas property title examination, contract negotiation, and drafting in both Louisiana and Texas. He also has extensive litigation experience representing clients in such diverse areas as eminent domain, oilfield environmental remediation, pipeline and utility rights-of-way, personal injury defense, class actions, and disputes concerning ownership of minerals, royalties, and production from oil and gas wells.

Oil, Gas and Energy Law Practice: Drilling and Division Order Title Opinions; asset acquisitions and divestitures transactions; mineral interest purchase and sale transactions; wind energy and solar contracts.

Business organizations and related transactional work.

Military: Commissioned Second Lieutenant, USMC, May 1968; Captain, Judge Advocate; Primary duties as Chief Prosecutor, Chief Defense Counsel and Military Judge (1971 - 1974); Honorable Discharge 1974; USMC Reserves, Commanding Officer; Abilene (Texas) Reserve Unit 1974 - 1978.

Our teams start with a deep understanding of our clients’ business objectives. We share knowledge across practices and regions. We help our clients not only mitigate risk, but also discover opportunity. And each success begins with the same simple question…

How can we help you?

By pooling our energy, talents and resources, we are able to achieve the highest order of excellence in the practice and profession of the law. Through such practice we are able to give back to our communities, and in all things to govern ourselves as members of a free democratic society with responsibilities both to our profession...

Our lives our integrated, and work is no longer 9-5. Business is intertwined with family, and family is intertwined with work. A legal decision at work or at home doesn’t just effect you.

It’s important to have counsel that is present in your conversations, but futuristic in counseling so you can maximize the long-term goals of your company, your family, and your life.

it’s important to have counsel that understands that one sentence in a legal document can effect every other area of your company, your employees and/or your family.

Deborah understands the importance of words, of timing, and of the long...

Keith is a general practice attorney with an emphasis on Real Estate , Energy, Civil Litigation and Trials. Keith has handled numerous jury trials, bench trials and appeals ranging from Real Estate, Energy, Medical Malpractice, Criminal, Military and Business transactions. Bradley Law Firm also handles transactional matters ranging from Estate Planning, Wills, Trusts, Real Estate, Title Opinions,Probate to Business and Contractual issues.

Philip Robert Brinson is an experienced trial lawyer who possesses unique skills derived from experience outside of the legal fields that have made him not only a trusted advocate for his clients, but also a formidable adversary in the courtroom. Mr. Brinson has extensive legal experience in a variety of practice areas, including hospitality and dram shop, entertainment, premises liability, products liability, professional liability, employment, oil field services, and business and commercial litigation. Mr. Brinson has litigation experience on both sides of the docket in handling infringement actions in copyright and trademark actions in the entertainment and hospitality industries, including...

Clint J. Hays is a Senior Attorney in the Oil & Gas Division with Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC. He has over seventeen years’ experience in the oil and gas industry, with a focus on complex title examination and oil and gas transactional matters. Clint has been Board Certified in Oil, Gas and Mineral Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 2009. After graduating from the Texas Tech School of Law in 2004, Clint began his career as a Petroleum Landman/Associate General Counsel for a land services company in Midland, TX, and has spent the last sixteen years as...

Mr. Woodall is a trial attorney with experience in insurance subrogation, coverage and defense litigation, construction law, commercial litigation, labor and employment, and real estate. In addition to his litigation practice, Mr. Woodall also provides special counsel services to small and mid-size businesses in a variety of industries such as construction, roofing, manufacturing, and distribution. He is fully dedicated to understanding his clients’ businesses and helping them achieve their goals and objectives through risk management, contract negotiations, reviewing, negotiating and documenting real estate and business transactions, and resolving labor and employment issues.

After graduating from Baylor University in Waco Texas in...

Michael R. Hancock is a licensed attorney in the state of Texas, practicing in both transactional and litigation groups. He is primarily focused on oil and gas title work and related upstream services, and also has experience in real estate, corporate litigation, commercialization, and environmental and water law. Michael is a graduate of the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University. During this time, Michael participated in the Moot Court program, where he had the opportunity to compete in the Dean Jerome Prince Memorial Evidence Competition in Brooklyn, New York. Michael later served as the President of...

With nearly 30 years of complex commercial litigation experience, Robert R. Burford has distinguished himself as an aggressive and successful attorney for his clients. Mr. Burford has handled business disputes of nearly every variety for both plaintiffs and defendants. Mr. Burford has skillfully handled nearly every type of high-stakes business disputes including litigation involving fiduciary duties, securities fraud, mergers and acquisitions, Director’s and Officers’ liability, legal malpractice, oil and gas matters, partnership disputes, intellectual property disputes, theft of trade secrets, healthcare related matters and complex contractual disputes. Mr. Burford graduated from the University of Houston in 1981...

Attorney Andrew Green is a partner in the Houston office of McCathern who practices in both commercial litigation and transactional matters. Mr. Green represents a diverse range of clients, from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses and individuals, but approaches each client with a simple philosophy: listen closely to the client’s goals and apply a practical and efficient strategy in order to most directly reach a positive result.

Mr. Green has experience in multiple areas of civil litigation across various business sectors, including real estate and commercial development, oil and gas, energy and retail electricity providers, construction, food services, and the...

Mr. Sessions is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Leagal Specialization since December, 1991. He is experienced in handling complex litigation in state and federal trial and appellate courts, and arbitrations. His practice includes prosecution and defense of claims, primarily in business-related litigation. In 2008, Mr. Sessions obtained a $22,178,403 unanimous jury verdict in the case of Sovereign Cherokee Nation Tejas v. Frank P. Hernandez, which ranked No. 98 in VerdictSearch's top 100 Verdicts of 2008. Mr. Sessions has been counsel of record in multiple litigation matters involving more than $10 Million in...

EDWARD J. KAZALEH is an Attorney, Mediator and Arbitrator who offers tremendous business, legal and real world expertise to his clients. KAZALEH & ASSOCIATES, LLP provides Legal Representation of BUSINESSES and INDIVIDUALS for REAL ESTATE, COMMERCIAL, PERSONAL INJURY, LITIGATION, CONSTRUCTION, OIL & GAS, PIPELINE, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY and certain IMMIGRATION LEGAL MATTERS. Our Clients are in the United States and International. GO TO OUR WEB SITE: www.BizLaw.Pro Our particular strengths are: CONSTRUCTION DISPUTES AND DEFECT LAW & ARBITRATION- REAL ESTATE & PROPERTY LAW - COMMERCIAL & BUSINESS LAW - INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, TRADEMARKS & PATENTS...

Octavio Salinas II brings forth an extensive legal and business background. He has handled hundreds of criminal and civil cases throughout Texas and the United States, settled multi-million dollar personal injury claims, and argued before the state and federal appeal courts.

Nick Morrow is an aggressive and relentless trial lawyer, committed to getting his clients results as quickly as possible. From growing up in a small town to succeeding at the highest levels of corporate law, Nick has a unique life experience. This helps him understand his clients’ needs, solve complicated problems, negotiate settlements with large and powerful companies, and connect with judges and juries. Most importantly, he is fiercely loyal to his clients. Nick is a fourth-generation Texan. He grew up in a middle class family in Sealy. He was brought up in a home that valued hard work,...

RUDY BEUTTENMULLER, born St. Louis, Missouri, December 20, 1953; admitted to bar, 1980, Texas. Also admitted to U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas; U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Texas; U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas; U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Texas; U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas; U.S. Tax Court. Education: Princeton University (B.A., cum laude, 1976); Duke University (J.D., with distinction, 1980). Staff Member, 1978-1979 and Articles Editor, 1979-1980, Duke Law Journal. Author: Comment, "The Goal of The New Premerger Notification Requirements: Preliminary Relief Against Anticompetitive Mergers," Duke Law Journal 249, 1979....

A business attorney with more than 10 years experience with business law, property law, oil and gas law experience. Cliff also helps people, from time to time, with family law and other litigation issues. Cliff has degrees in Business Management and for 20 years prior to law school, Cliff spent his time in a variety of sales and management positions. He is aware of what it takes to make a profit, secure a business and project a great image to the community. For a free consultation, please feel free to call or visit my web page. For more information, visit: https://bcwilliamslaw.com

Attorney Ronald Wright is a managing partner of the McCathern office in Houston, Texas. Mr. Wright practices in the areas of real estate, food services, retail electricity, and oil and gas. He regularly advises clients regarding general business and corporate governance matters.

Mr. Wright is experienced in handling complex transactional matters involving mergers & acquisitions, contract negotiation and drafting, corporate governance formalities, finance, and succession planning. Applying a “deal maker” philosophy, Mr. Wright works with his clients to navigate the challenges and risks of negotiating and closing a deal while ensuring his client is well informed and adequately protected. He has...

Kate Mains Eckhart is as an associate in the firm’s Beaumont office. Kate works in the firm’s business section with a concentration in real estate and corporate transactions, tax, estate planning and probate, oil and gas law, and probate and guardianship litigation.

While in law school at South Texas College of Law, Kate served on the Editorial Board of the South Texas Law Review; as a law clerk in the United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas; and as a research assistant to the school’s professors updating hornbooks on federal income taxation and estate and gift taxation. She was a...