The Vinson & Elkins Shale and Fracking Practice Group
Our Shale and Fracking practice group focuses on a broad base of issues encountered in recovering oil and gas from the emerging shale using techniques that have revolutionized the oil and gas business. Our practice group is cross-disciplinary and international, led by senior members of our Litigation, Environmental, Transactional, and Intellectual Property practice groups. We serve the needs of our broad base of worldwide oil and gas, oil service, midstream energy, investment and financial clients in this rapidly developing area. We hope to provide you with the latest legal, regulatory and newsworthy developments.
Members of our Shale and Fracking practice group stand ready to assist you on legal and regulatory matters that you may have. See more information about the group’s members below.
Fracking Practice Group Sections and Contacts:
Fracking Environmental Practice
Contacts: Larry Nettles, Casey Hopkins
V&E is actively assisting a variety of producers and service companies in responding to federal, state and local regulatory initiatives relating to shale resource development and hydraulic fracturing activities. We constantly monitor regulatory developments, such as the ongoing investigations of hydraulic fracturing by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy, evolving state well permitting programs and chemical disclosure laws, and ancillary requirements relating to water supply and wastewater disposal, and we provide regular client bulletins and up-to-date advice with respect to these developments. Our representation of a variety of clients before state and federal agencies on hydraulic fracturing matters provides us with a very current view of this rapidly changing regulatory arena.
Fracking Litigation Practice
Contacts: Jim Thompson, Bob Schick
Companies engaged in unconventional gas recovery face risks from a variety of operational and commercial disputes. V&E’s litigation practice groups have the experience to manage those risks. We routinely defend clients in litigation and investigations concerning not only environmental and safety issues, but also the financial disclosure and reporting concerns that increasingly affect players in unconventional recovery. Our lawyers also bring a world-class energy litigation background to the shale space, with dispute resolution experience that includes issues involving leasing, drilling, completion, wellbore integrity, production, transportation and sale.
Fracking Transactional Practice
Contacts: Jim Prince, Marcia Backus, Robin Fredrickson
Our transactional practice groups serve upstream and oil service clients in investments and joint ventures targeting oil and gas shale plays by assembling experienced attorney teams with broad transactional disciplines to meet the needs of the client. V&E has to date participated in the closing of transactions involving investments of over $20 billion targeting specific investments in oil and gas shale development in the United States and around the world. We also are a leader in advising publicly traded companies exploiting the shale plays in accessing capital markets and meeting the stringent public disclosure requirements related to fracking regulatory developments and risks.
Fracking Intellectual Property Practice
Contacts: Margaret Sampson, Peter Mims
Our intellectual property (IP) practice group has served various oil and gas clients in connection with intellectual property issues and hydraulic fracturing technologies. We have experienced attorneys with a broad array of scientific and technical backgrounds associated with hydraulic fracturing who can assist our clients in identifying IP protection available for their hydraulic fracturing technologies, as well as minimizing IP risks in connection with hydraulic fracturing.
