Best Lawyers in America for Oil and Gas Law
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State
Owen J. Rarric is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Construction and Oil and Gas Law. Owen J., who practices law in Canton, Ohio, has been recognized since 2016. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Owen J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Eric Fjelstad, a partner in the Environment, Energy & Resources practice, is managing partner of the Alaska office and leads the firm’s Alaska EER practice. His practice is focused on natural resources project development, defense of governmental and citizen enforcement actions, and compliance counseling. Eric’s project development is focused on due diligence and permitting of mining, oil and gas, energy, forestry, and heavy infrastructure projects. He regularly counsels Alask...
Fishman Haygood partner Lance McCardle practices in the areas of securities arbitration and litigation, environmental law, and general commercial litigation. Lance regularly represents investors (both individuals and institutions) in claims against their brokers, investment advisors, and/or investment banks in court or in arbitration proceedings administered by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). He also represents several landowners in claims against oil and ga...
Area of Emphasis Kip Power is a shareholder in the Energy and Natural Resources and Litigation groups of Babst Calland. Mr. Power helps clients comply with environmental laws and defend related litigation while keeping their businesses running profitably. He regularly represents companies when permitting and enforcement disputes arise and prosecutes civil actions and appeals challenging unlawful agency actions. Over the course of his career, he has successfully negotiated favorable resolution...
Lee H. Ayres is principally a trial lawyer. He has extensive experience in civil litigation, including business and commercial disputes, oil and gas litigation, property disputes, natural resources litigation, products liability claims, professional malpractice defense, trucking defense, personal injury claims, fraud claims, insurance coverage, and insurance bad faith defense. Lee received his undergraduate and law degrees at Louisiana State University Law Center, where he was a member of the...
Mark W. Hanna is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Oil and Gas Law. Mark W., who practices law in Austin, Texas, has been recognized since 2022. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Mark W. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Loulan Pitre has extensive experience with the development, construction, operation, and decommissioning of energy, environmental, and infrastructure projects. He has represented energy and other industrial companies, real estate developers, financial institutions, ports, levee districts and other public entities, and participants in the construction and service industries such as contractors, engineers, and material suppliers. His work has included entity formation and governance, traditiona...
Patrick Talley practices primarily in the area of commercial litigation, with a focus on transportation, energy and environmental law. Mr. Talley has worked extensively within the railroad industry, and is well-known both regionally and nationwide in that area. He has successfully represented railroads, including three Class I and two Short Line railroads, in matters involving cargo and freight claims, derailments, crossing litigation, and employee personal injury and death (F.E.L.A.). He als...
A partner of Montgomery Barnett, John Pearce is engaged in general civil practice concentrating in energy (oil and gas) and environmental law for a variety of clients both corporate (international, national, regional and local) and individual. With broad experience in civil litigation and corporate, partnership, environmental, banking, securities and contract law including interpretation, negotiation and preparation of a wide variety of contracts, Mr. Pearce has handled or participated in a b...
Tony Marino’s practice focuses on energy transactions and regulatory matters. His work includes drafting and negotiating oil and gas agreements, acquisitions and divestures of mineral properties, and energy financings. Additionally, he advises clients on regulatory issues on mineral leases both onshore in Louisiana and offshore in state and federal waters on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Tony represents clients before regulatory agencies, including the Bureau of Ocean Energy Manage...
Areas of Emphasis Charles Saffer is senior counsel in the Energy and Natural Resources and Corporate and Commercial groups of Babst Calland. His practice is focused on real estate and mineral title matters for corporate clients within the commercial and oil and gas industries. He has experience in examining and certifying mineral titles in counties throughout West Virginia. Mr. Saffer has also represented property owners in commercial real estate transactions including leasing, acquisitions a...
Jane Jackson focuses her practice in the areas of environmental litigation, oil and gas, and commercial litigation. She handles the defense of environmental claims by landowners alleging environmental damage arising from oil and gas exploration and production operations. Ms. Jackson has represented public entities in land use cases involving the appropriation of property for constructing and maintaining hurricane protection levees, and she also has experience handling cases involving land los...
John J. Richardson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Bankruptcy and Oil and Gas Law. John J., who practices law in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which John J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Nicki Carlsen is the co-leader of the firm’s Environment, Land Use & Natural Resources Group. Her practice focuses on land use, environmental compliance and litigation. She has over 25 years of experience with the federal, state and local regulations affecting development projects, including land use planning and subdivision laws, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), California Coastal Act, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Clean Water Act, endangered species act...
James M. Saxton is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Economic Development Law, Natural Resources Law, Oil and Gas Law and Real Estate Law. James M., who practices law in Little Rock, Arkansas, has been recognized since 1999. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which James M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.