Energy Industry

Overview

BakerHostetler’s Energy Team “impresses with its ‘excellent response times, and strong business and industry knowledge’. The team is particularly strong in the oilfield services sector."

– Legal 500 2018

Members of BakerHostetler’s Energy team, recognized as an Energy Group of the Year by Law360, have successfully secured major projects for leading international and domestic energy companies and service providers with interests in oil, natural gas (including shale) and alternative energy sources. From financing to land acquisitions, exploration to drilling, and production to distribution—our business, litigation and regulatory knowledge affords clients the leverage they need in a highly demanding marketplace.

On the business side, we’ve handled large-scale stock and asset acquisitions and dispositions of energy companies and their assets, including acquisitions and dispositions of proved and unproved oil and gas properties, natural gas gathering systems, drilling rigs and related equipment. We have represented issuers and underwriting syndicates in public offerings of oil and gas company debt and equity securities and managed private placement of energy company debt and equity securities with commercial banks, insurance companies and other institutional investors.

Energy production is a process with unlimited challenges and legal disputes. We help you resolve litigation arising from contractual disputes involving oil and gas leases, joint operating agreements, joint development agreements, exploration and development agreements, drilling contracts, licensing agreements, patent infringement, offshore environmental compliance and oil spill issues. Our work has included lease disputes involving over $1 billion in claims, defense of major antitrust lawsuits that could have resulted in hundreds of millions in damages and representation of the world's largest integrated energy company in federal litigation involving a dispute over development rights and ownership.

We share our clients’ interest in the safe development of energy and can help you work cooperatively with regulatory bodies on the local, state and national level. We can guide you through regulatory project approval and compliance efforts, help you understand rulemakings, navigate regulatory proceedings (including appeals), and help you obtain fair penalty resolution. For our international producers and operators, we also aid with international commercial and regulatory matters, including a host of maritime and offshore issues.

More »

In response to the spectacular growth of the oil and gas industry resulting from shale development, BakerHostetler created a dedicated, multidisciplinary practice team of 80 attorneys. We work on matters in every major shale play throughout the United States and the financing, leasing, development and licensing of shale properties and energy infrastructure needed to support existing and new discoveries.

Select Experience

  • Secured a jury verdict of more than $60 million for a global oilfield services and equipment company after a six-week trial on claims that two former officers of a subsidiary entity misappropriated tens of millions of dollars from the company by engaging in undisclosed related-party transactions amounting to fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, conspiracy and theft of trade secrets.
  • After a monthlong trial, recovered more than $74 million in damages for an independent oil and gas exploration and production company. The award was based on a counterclaim asserting gross negligence and willful misconduct on the part of the operator in the construction of a processing facility, which exceeded the authorized budget by millions of dollars.
  • Represented an industry leader in a $4.5 billion transaction that created one of the nation's largest crude oil-focused independent North American exploration and production companies.
  • Worked with a hedge fund to purchase $700 million of oil and gas properties in two complex transactions involving a volumetric production payment that gives the financing bank an interest in the energy reserves.
  • Represented one of the world's largest energy companies in a variety of transactions, including a $200 million joint venture with a common carrier pipeline company, the $500 million sale of a refinery and the $30 million acquisition of major terminal and pipeline assets.
  • Represented the pipeline division of a large energy company for the negotiation of $800 million long-term shipping agreements with large refining companies.
  • Represented a publicly-held drilling company in its $3 billion merger with another publicly-held drilling company.
More »

Professionals

Name Title Office Email
Partner San Francisco
Partner Houston
Partner Dallas
Partner Denver
Partner Washington, D.C.
Partner Costa Mesa
Partner Los Angeles
Associate Houston
Partner Columbus
Partner Cleveland
Partner Houston
Partner Houston
Partner Houston
Partner New York
Partner Dallas
Counsel Cleveland
Partner Washington, D.C.
Partner Houston
Partner Denver
Counsel Cleveland
Partner San Francisco
Partner Cleveland
Partner Dallas
Partner New York
Partner Orlando
Associate Houston
Senior Advisor Columbus
Partner Houston
Partner Houston
Partner Dallas
Staff Attorney Houston
Counsel Houston
Associate Houston
Counsel New York
Partner Cleveland
Partner Houston
Associate Dallas
Partner Houston
Senior Advisor Washington, D.C.
Partner Washington, D.C.
Partner Washington, D.C.
Partner Columbus
Partner Houston
Associate Houston
Partner Denver
Partner Orlando
Partner Orlando
Partner Houston
Partner Houston
Partner Cleveland
Partner Cleveland
Partner Washington, D.C.
Partner Los Angeles
Partner Houston
Partner Denver
Partner Washington, D.C.
Chairman Washington, D.C.
Associate Houston
Partner Houston
Partner Washington, D.C.
Partner Houston

Experience

  • Secured a jury verdict of more than $60 million for a global oilfield services and equipment company after a six-week trial on claims that two former officers of a subsidiary entity misappropriated tens of millions of dollars from the company by engaging in undisclosed related-party transactions amounting to fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, conspiracy and theft of trade secrets.
  • After a monthlong trial, recovered more than $74 million in damages for an independent oil and gas exploration and production company. The award was based on a counterclaim asserting gross negligence and willful misconduct on the part of the operator in the construction of a processing facility, which exceeded the authorized budget by millions of dollars.
  • Represented an industry leader in a $4.5 billion transaction that created one of the nation's largest crude oil-focused independent North American exploration and production companies.
  • Worked with a hedge fund to purchase $700 million of oil and gas properties in two complex transactions involving a volumetric production payment that gives the financing bank an interest in the energy reserves.
  • Represented one of the world's largest energy companies in a variety of transactions, including a $200 million joint venture with a common carrier pipeline company, the $500 million sale of a refinery and the $30 million acquisition of major terminal and pipeline assets.
  • Represented the pipeline division of a large energy company for the negotiation of $800 million long-term shipping agreements with large refining companies.
  • Represented a publicly-held drilling company in its $3 billion merger with another publicly held drilling company.
  • Representing a client in connection with significant litigation surrounding the first U.S. offshore wind energy project—the 420 MW Cape Wind project—which will supply most of the energy needs of Cape Cod and its islands.
  • Successfully represented a global energy company in litigation regarding the closure and permitting of process waste water ponds at one of its facilities.
  • Represented several trade associations and companies in various rulemakings under the Clean Air Act that resulted in the promulgation of NAAQS, NESHAPs and MACT standards, as well as the subsequent legal challenges to those rules.
  • Representing a coal company in an administrative appeal of terms and conditions of a Section 401 Water Quality Certification that, if upheld, would prohibit the company from accessing millions of tons of coal resources.
  • Representing a leading supplier of wind turbines on various matters, including the resolution of disputes with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Federal Aviation Administration, and working with state and federal resource agencies to address concerns related to potential environmental impacts associated with proposed development projects.

Recognition

  • Law360: Environmental “Practice Group of the Year” (2017 and 2023)
  • Law360: Energy “Practice Group of the Year” (2023)
  • Chambers USA: Environment
    • District of Columbia (2015 to 2019 and 2021 to 2022)
  • Chambers USA: Natural Resources and Environment
    • Colorado (2014 to 2022)
  • Chambers USA: Oil & Gas Litigation
    • Nationwide (2021 to 2022)
  • The Legal 500 United States
    • Industry Focus – Environment: Litigation (2017 to 2020)
    • Industry Focus – Energy Litigation: Oil and Gas (2015 to 2022)
    • Energy Transactions: Oil & Gas (2018 to 2019)
  • U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms”
    • Energy Law: National (2012 to 2022); Denver (2011 to 2022); Houston (2017 to 2022); Washington, D.C. (2019 to 2022)
    • Environmental Law: National (2013 to 2022); Atlanta (2018 to 2022); Cleveland (2011 to 2017); Denver (2019 to 2020); Columbus (2011 to 2021); Los Angeles (2014 to 2021); Orlando (2011 to 2022)
    • Litigation – Environmental: National (2013 to 2020); Cleveland (2012 to 2016); Orlando (2011 to 2022)
    • Mining Law: National (2011 to 2020); Denver (2011 to 2016)
    • Natural Resources Law: National (2014 to 2022); Denver (2011 to 2022); Houston (2011 to 2022)
    • Oil & Gas Law: National (2011 to 2020); Houston (2011 to 2020)
  • Recognized as one of the top law firms for client service, BakerHostetler was named to the 2020 BTI Client Service 30 for the sixth consecutive year.

News

News

Press Releases

Publications

Alerts

Articles

Blog Posts

Key Contacts

Blog

In The Blogs

Previous Next
Ohio Clock
Overview of the Inflation Reduction Act's Methane Tax
By Bailey A. Bridges, L. Poe Leggette
January 13, 2023
Part I of this three-part methane update discussed the state of substantive methane regulation in the United States and touched on the Inflation Reduction Act’s (“IRA” or “the Act”) addition of Section 136 to the Clean Air Act. This Part...
Read More ->
Pillar and Post: Energy Law in the 21st Century
Litigation over Injection Wells Threatens to Stall Carbon Sequestration Project in Louisiana
By Thomas A. Donaho
October 25, 2022
As carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) projects proliferate across America, hints of conflict around the relatively new and large-scale business endeavors are beginning to appear. On Tuesday, Oct. 18, international chemical company Air...
Read More ->
Pillar and Post: Energy Law in the 21st Century
Governor of Indiana Signs New Carbon Capture Bill
By Thomas A. Donaho
October 5, 2022
Indiana is the most recent state to build out a regulatory structure in anticipation of significant carbon capture, utilization and sequestration (CCUS) project deployment. Last week, Governor Eric Holcomb signed into law H.R. 1209, which...
Read More ->
Pillar and Post: Energy Law in the 21st Century
Inflation Reduction Act Provides Boost and Benefits to Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage Industry
By Thomas A. Donaho, L. Poe Leggette, John R. Lehrer II
August 25, 2022
The newly passed Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) is poised to transform the carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) industry through significant tax credits and benefits, including through enhancements to Section 45Q of the...
Read More ->
Pillar and Post: Energy Law in the 21st Century
Fifth Circuit Rules Texas Choice-of-Law Provision Cannot Save Indemnity Agreement from Wyoming Anti-Indemnity Act
By Thomas A. Donaho
January 5, 2022
Throughout the oil patch, it has become common for parties to enter into agreements that contain Texas choice-of law-provisions, regardless of where the work is being performed or the extent of the parties’ sometimes tenuous relationship...
Read More ->