Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2009 
Zeke Williams solves problems and disputes involving natural resources, oil and gas, energy, the environment, and federal public lands. Zeke also helps clients obtain permits and authorizations for ski area, energy, resort, and other development projects. Zeke combines extensive substantive knowledge of federal lands, energy, environmental, and administrative laws with expertise in a number of industries. His clients include oil and gas companies, ski areas, developers, solar energy companies, pipeline operators, mining companies, recreation providers, private equity investors, trade associations, resort owners, and individuals.
Energy Litigation. Zeke has extensive energy and oil and gas litigation experience in state and federal courts, and in arbitration proceedings. Zeke has litigated disputes involving energy contracts, mineral leases, development agreements, joint venture accounting, gas purchase and processing agreements, dedication claims, gathering agreements, AMI provisions, operating agreements, mineral royalties, capital expenditure audits, gas processing audits, coal purchase agreements, surface use agreements, unit agreements, asset purchase agreements, and net profits contracts. He is deeply familiar with upstream and midstream industry contracts, and has litigated scores of disputes for public and private companies, operators, non-operators, and others.
Government Agency Litigation. Zeke represents clients in federal court litigation and appeals against or in defense of government agencies of the United States. He has obtained nationwide injunctions against the United States government in federal court, and obtained rulings invalidating illegal federal regulations, arbitrary agency policies, and erroneous government decisions. Zeke has successfully obtained court rulings upholding federal and state government decisions that authorized clients to undertake energy, resort, and federal lands development projects.
Federal Lands. Zeke is a national expert on federal lands managed by the United States Forest Service and the United States Bureau of Land Management. Zeke helps his clients obtain, operate, develop, finance, and defend ski area, energy, pipeline, resort, and other projects on federal lands. Zeke has deep experience with Forest Service special use permits, ski area permits, resort permits, BLM decisions, Forest Service and BLM land use plans, federal oil and gas leases, federal rights-of-way, land exchanges, and renewable energy development authorizations. Zeke routinely helps clients obtain government approvals that will authorize future actions, including environmental impact statements, federal land use plans, leases, special use permits, rulemakings, and environmental permits.
Strategic Counseling. Zeke acts as a strategic counselor for clients in complex natural resource and development matters. Zeke has helped clients implement multi-phase resort and land development projects, restructure energy development ventures, resolve disagreements over billions of dollars of accounting practices, and renegotiate or terminate contracts.
