Energy, Oil, & Gas

Describe your practice area and what it entails.

We have a leading clean tech/renewable energy practice with extensive experience advising on matters involving the financing, development, acquisition, and divestiture of renewable energy and clean power projects and portfolios, including wind, solar (both residential and utility-scale), geothermal, energy storage, green and blue hydrogen, carbon capture and sequestration, microgrid, and other technologies.

We also have a robust tax credit monetization practice, which is widely recognized in the market and has continued to close a high volume of transactions.

What types of clients do you represent?

We primarily represent major financial institutions investing in and lending for wind, solar, and other clean power projects, including Bank of America, GE-Energy Financial Services, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and Wells Fargo.

In addition, we represent top-tier project developers, utilities, and sponsors, including American Electric Power and DTE Power & Industrial, as well as strategic investors and power end users.

What types of cases/deals do you work on?

The bulk of our transactions involves the financing, acquisition, and development of large-scale renewable energy projects across the United States and Latin America, whether as a single project or a portfolio of projects.

How did you choose this practice area?

I’ve always wanted to work in the energy space because it’s an area that is constantly evolving and keeps me intellectually engaged. Hunton has a long-standing history in project development and energy finance and strong relationships with energy market players.

What is a “typical” day like and/or what are some common tasks you perform?

As energy transactional attorneys, our typical day involves the following tasks:

• Drafting and negotiating key transaction documents and ancillary materials.
• Resolving complex questions and issues for clients in collaboration with other key stakeholders.
• Reviewing project documents to ensure bankability.
• Managing other subject matter experts and local counsel to ensure that the client receives coordinated guidance.

What training, classes, experience, or skills development would you recommend to someone who wishes to enter your practice area?

A number of our transactions are secured by interests in col-lateral or involve similar protective structures, so having some coursework in secured transactions would be a positive.

What do you like best about your practice area?

In addition to knowing that my work directly contributes to the energy transition, I thoroughly enjoy having frequent exposure to and opportunities to develop an understanding of multiple legal disciplines, including tax, real estate, environmental, regulatory, technology, and finance.

What is unique about your practice area at your firm?

Hunton Andrews Kurth has a strong and extensive range of attorneys with experience in different areas within clean energy/renewable energy, such as financing, tax, environmental and land use, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and energy regulations, project development, and real estate, which allows us to provide seamless representation over the life of an energy asset.

What are some typical tasks that a junior lawyer would perform in this practice area?

A junior lawyer’s role is very critical to every deal. The junior lawyer is responsible for assisting the team in managing the transaction, including drafting transaction documents and closing deliverables, tracking multiple drafts of documents, and coordinating and liaising with the clients and counterparties in bringing the deal to a successful closing.

The Clean Tech/Renewable Energy practice includes everything from M&A to financing and tax. How do you think this multifaceted practice has helped you grow as a lawyer?

The multiple aspects of our renewable energy practice have helped me develop into a more well-rounded lawyer as I’ve had to acquire and develop legal knowledge in a wide variety of practice areas in order to better serve the firm’s clients.

Henry Jin focuses his practice on project finance and development with an emphasis on renewable technologies. He has advised a mix of project developers, financial institutions, and development banks in connection with a wide variety of transactions, including complex project financings and asset acquisitions and divestitures. Henry has previously served as senior counsel for a renewable energy company where he was the primary legal advisor in connection with the development of solar, energy storage, and electric vehicle solutions.

Describe your practice area and what it entails.

Andrew: I exclusively work on disputes in the energy space handling litigation in state and federal court. This is an advocacy practice. I appear before judges, arbitrators, etc., helping clients solve business disputes.

Dylan: I’m on the firm’s projects team. We close financings to help developers build and operate energy projects. I rep-resent lenders, tax equity investors, or project developers with negotiating, drafting, and finalizing debt and investment documents. I mostly work on financings for solar and wind projects but also have experience with nuclear and natural gas projects.

What types of clients do you represent?

Andrew: I provide counsel to a range of clients upstream, midstream, and downstream. I represent many midstream companies and multinational oil and gas companies, including Energy Transfer, as well as privately held companies in the upstream space, such as Shell.

Dylan: I have represented the usual players involved in project finance, such as project developers, lenders, and investors, as well as government agencies. I’ve recently worked with KeyBanc, rPlus Energies, and the DOE.

What types of cases/deals do you work on?

Andrew: I handle all sorts of cases that come up in the energy space, including gas gathering agreements, oil or gas transportation agreements, disputes involving merger agreements, asset acquisition agreements, corporate governance disputes, and shareholder disputes.

Dylan: I work on construction debt and tax equity financings for utility-scale solar and wind projects. I’ve represented the DOE in connection with guaranteed loans for nuclear projects. I’ve also advised both sellers and buyers of tax credits generated by renewable energy projects, which have become a significant component of our group’s work since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act.

How did you choose this practice area?

Andrew: I thought I was going to be a corporate lawyer until I did moot court and mock trial work to try advocacy. During my summer clerkships, I tried both, which helped make my decision to do disputes over deal work. I gravitated toward the commercial side, and being in Houston, this mostly touches on energy, chemicals, or refineries.

Dylan: During my interviews with the firm, Sameer Mulji, a senior associate, explained project finance in a way that sounded interesting. The projects team thought I was a good fit, so I joined the group. I basically lucked into project finance, but I’m glad I’ve chosen to stay. The mentorship, training, and substantive experience I’ve received in a relatively short time has been invaluable.

What is a “typical” day like and/or what are some common tasks you perform?

Andrew: Daily, I am managing case teams. I check in on the status of projects and make sure that what needs to happen happens, whether that’s legal research, brief writing, or witness files/binders being assembled. I interact with team-mates and communicate with clients and opposing counsel about the issues in a particular case. I also mentor and communicate with junior lawyers about issues they’re having on cases that I’m not working on and provide a sanity check for them when making decisions. I’m also on the Management Committee, so I am also dealing with bigger picture strategic issues that face the law firm.

Dylan: As a mid-level associate, a “typical” day involves attending status calls for active deals, drafting and revising transaction documents, and discussing due diligence questions with our specialist colleagues. I manage work streams and allocate assignments so that we can close out open matters in a transaction. There is usually at least one instance of a client with an urgent request that requires shuffling priorities around.

What training, classes, experience, or skills development would you recommend to someone who wishes to enter your practice area?

Andrew: Solid research, writing, and communication skills are table stakes. The communication piece is multidimensional. The way I communicate with my team and clients requires a certain skill set, and the way I communicate in an advocacy setting requires another. There’s a lot of focus on advocacy communication, but another important dimension is being able to work on teams and communicating effectively with colleagues. Communicating with clients is, of course, critical. Being a good listener is a must.

Dylan: Taking Business Associations during law school is useful because projects associates routinely work on corporate law matters as a component of our finance work. Electives such as Secured Transactions, Federal Income Tax, and Energy Law would also be useful to help someone interested in project finance to learn the foundations of the substantive knowledge of the work we do.

I recommend advanced clinics as a way to learn the practical skills inherent to this job, such as how to work with clients and opposing counsel; how to work under real-world deadlines; and how to draft, take feedback, and revise work product. Finally, the firm’s projects team has a newsletter and two podcasts, which I think are some of the best resources out there for updates on the energy and project finance industry. The link is https://www.projectfinance.law.

What is the most challenging aspect of practicing in this area?

Andrew: The very nature of my practice is adversarial. That’s the system we have to resolve legal disputes. The truth is going to come out before the judge or the jury because both sides have fierce advocates. Even when dealing with good friends or pleasant counsel on the other side, both sides are trying to win. I must be careful about getting the idea that I did a good job for my client based on winning or losing. It can be disorienting to not have total control over the outcome for Type A personalities. Additionally, a trial is all-consuming, both leading up to trial and in trial.

Dylan: Project finance deals involve a lot of money and pose a lot of risk for developers and banks. You have to get things right, and you must be comfortable taking responsibility for this and for the work of the other people on your deals, especially the people you supervise. There are tight timelines for closings and a lot of active matters to work on at any time, so it is often difficult to devote time to things other than work. Although this is a hard job, it helps to know that our practice has a positive impact.

What is unique about your practice area at your firm?

Andrew: We have a long history of outstanding advocacy and accomplished advocates at the firm. I take this legacy of great trial and disputes lawyers seriously. There’s an immense amount of training at the firm, with senior lawyers putting a lot of time and effort into training you. I focus on getting young advocates experience early in their careers. The firm is committed to train the next generation of trial and disputes advocates.

For example, summer associates at Norton Rose Fulbright are given real opportunities to see what the day-to-day looks like. They’ll shadow junior and senior associates and partners, seeing what it’s like to be a lawyer in various stages of your career: substantive motions and research memos, attending client meetings, depos, mediations—anything that’s going on in the practice group.

Dylan: We have a deep bench of lawyers who cover the full life cycle of energy projects, including early-stage development through financing, construction, and operations. While I mostly work as a finance associate, the team includes dedicated real estate lawyers and an M&A team as well as development and procurement specialists. This coverage and knowledge are invaluable because the typical project life cycle phases are interconnected. This is a good place to be an associate: We are encouraged to make decisions and resolve issues on our own initiative but are never prevented from asking for help. The firm’s projects team has a collegial and supportive atmosphere. Everyone on the team, in my experience, is just a nice person.

How do you see this practice area evolving in the future?

Andrew: AI is going to undoubtedly impact this practice area. It will help lawyers do their research better, quicker, and more efficiently. It will serve as an aid to junior lawyers, helping with tasks such as document review, compiling deposition summaries, timelines, witness binders, and outlines. However, I don’t see AI replacing junior lawyers standing up in front of a judge and key decision-makers. This set of skills is not going anywhere; I can argue that this will actually be in higher demand.

For those considering corporate work, why would you advise them to specialize in Energy, Oil, & Gas?

Dylan: Working in renewables is interesting and exciting. You get to learn a lot about diverse areas of the law. If you specialize in renewable energy work at the firm, you will benefit by being on a great team and learning from the best in the field.

Additionally, the energy projects we help finance and develop last a long time, and the power they generate is a resource that people depend on. It’s cool to be a part of something where the impact of what you do is discernible, long-lasting, and a net good for people in the real world and not just a good financial investment. Recently, I was invited to a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a solar project for which we represented the tax equity investor in the financing. It was cool to see firsthand the tangible impact of our efforts.

Dylan Gera’s practice focuses on representing project developers, lenders, tax equity investors, and government agencies in connection with debt financing, tax equity investment, and the development of energy projects, with a particular emphasis on solar and wind energy.

Andrew Price has spent his entire career helping clients successfully resolve their business disputes. Whether it is before a state court jury or an arbitration tribunal, Andrew has a proven track record of achieving superior results for his clients. He has handled numerous cases involving contracts, intellectual property, securities, business torts, and professional liability. He is well-versed in dealing with the unique aspects of cases involving governance of partnerships, joint ventures, LLCs, and corporations. Andrew also has significant experience in handling disputes involving cross-border transactions or foreign law issues.

Andrew is a past recipient of the American Marshall Memorial Fellowship, awarded by the German Marshall Fund to Americans identified as emerging leaders. During his fellowship, Andrew spent six weeks traveling across Europe, where he met with leaders and discussed pressing business and political issues.

Andrew currently serves as U.S. Co-head of commercial litigation and on the firm’s Management Committee. He previously served as the U.S. Hiring Partner responsible for attorney employment.

Describe your practice area and what it entails.

I am a transactional lawyer focused on the traditional oil and gas sector, representing a variety of parties in matters spanning upstream oil and gas M&A, midstream projects, ancillary marketing transactions, financings, and disputes. It is a dynamic and ever-evolving practice, yet everything ties back in one way or another to the fundamental energy industry that continues to power the world. This work requires a strong understanding of the energy business, both where it currently stands and where it is headed next.

What types of clients do you represent?

I represent a broad range of both public and private companies and investment funds, including developers, E&P companies, midstream companies, private equity funds, purchasers, and sellers. In summary, if a company or investor is involved or interested in the energy space, it is a potential client for this practice.

What types of cases/deals do you work on?

Some of the recent and ongoing deals that I work on include the acquisition of a midstream natural gas company in the Gulf of Mexico/America, the sale of upstream oil and gas assets in the Permian Basin, and the negotiation of a long-term natural gas supply agreement relating to a new liquified natural gas (LNG) facility.

How did you choose this practice area?

Growing up in Texas, my interest in the oil and gas industry came naturally. My curiosity evolved into a career focus on transactional law in this sector. Prior to law school, I worked with a seismic crew in south Texas chasing the Eagle Ford Shale and later with a prominent engineering, procurement, and construction firm on petrochemical projects. Even during law school, my interest continued. I spent my 1L summer working at one of the nation’s oldest and most prominent oil refineries outside Chicago. Once I decided to concentrate on transactional work rather than litigation, focusing on the domestic oil and gas industry felt like a natural fit.

What is a “typical” day like and/or what are some common tasks you perform?

As a father of five young children, I don’t necessarily keep a “typical” schedule in the traditional sense. I usually wake up obnoxiously early to exercise and get in an hour or two (or more) of work before the rest of the house starts moving. This helps me to catch up on documents and correspondence that may have come in overnight. It’s the only way I have found to be attentive to client needs and the demands of an active transactional practice while still prioritizing family time and maintaining our morning routine. This is also typically the easiest and longest stretch of uninterrupted time throughout the day to sit down and focus without the clutter of constant emails and phone calls.

Once the kids are all at school, I then typically start my second block of work from my desk downtown. While I enjoy the flexibility of working from home, nothing beats the training, mentorship, and camaraderie available through face-to-face interactions with other associates, counsel, and partners. From there, the rest of the day is generally a blur of meetings, phone calls, and frantic email exchanges.

I usually leave work at a reasonable hour to tend to another round of kid and family commitments. After things have quieted down at home, I typically dive into my final block of work and my second window of uninterrupted time, focusing on documents and transactions.

What training, classes, experience, or skills development would you recommend to someone who wishes to enter your practice area?

In my practice, there is absolutely no substitute for a genuine interest in and understanding of the industry itself. If you want to excel in traditional oil and gas or other energy areas, you must understand the underlying business on a deeper level than a typical corporate lawyer. Energy isn’t simply another widget to be built, bought, or sold like any other manufactured good. There are a variety of features and ancillary issues that make this industry very unique, such as the real property component of oil and gas development, political implications, environmental concerns, the global nature of the commodity, the highly technical nature of development, the magnitude of risk associated with mistakes, and the connection between the industry and the communities in which it exists.

What misconceptions exist about your practice area?

There are a number of misconceptions about the traditional oil and gas industry and the legal practitioners who work in it, but a few misconceptions are that the industry doesn’t care about the environment, that the world no longer needs oil and gas, and that the sector is populated by archaic people and technologies. For various reasons, these are all entirely untrue.

While there have been and will continue to be significant advances around renewable energy technologies, oil and gas remain essential energy sources across the globe, especially in regions that are still growing and developing. The United States is one of the leading producers of both oil and gas, and it develops these valuable resources in one of the most highly regulated and transparent economies, which is a good thing for everyone.

Finally, I have found, as have many others, the industry to be filled with some of the most enlightened and technically gifted minds around, and new and innovated technological advancements are always right around the corner.

What is unique about your practice area at your firm?

At Sidley, my practice sits at the intersection of traditional domestic energy work and the firm’s world-class corporate and investment platform in many ways. I tend to get involved in deals where some of the most sophisticated and successful companies and firms are looking to establish, expand, or divest their energy investments. It is a very exciting and rewarding time to be working in this area.

How do you see this practice area evolving in the future?

From AI and data centers to LNG, there are a number of interesting developments reshaping the global economy, creating unprecedented demand for secure and consistent energy sources on a massive scale. My practice continues to track the progress and development of the broader industry. As companies and firms look to invest in the traditional energy sources that sustain the global economy, my practice will continue to evolve alongside them.

What kinds of experiences can summer associates gain in this practice area at your firm?

Summer associates gain true hands-on experience across the types of transactions I handle, from development projects to M&A in the energy space. Every little task, whether listening in on phone calls, drafting checklists, or proofing exhibits and schedules to larger agreements, serves as one of the small building blocks upon which a sophisticated transactional practice, particularly one in the energy space, must be built.

Stephen Boone advises clients on oil and gas-related transactions, including M&A, joint ventures, financings, and project development, across the entire energy value chain. He represents public and private companies and investment funds, such as developers, exploration and production (E&P) companies, midstream companies, private equity funds, purchasers, and sellers on all aspects of energy transactions and agreements. His experience includes upstream and midstream asset acquisitions and divestitures, asset construction, development, operational and commercial matters, M&A, farmouts, farmins, and joint ventures and investments, as well as oil and gas marketing arrangements, financings, and related disputes.

Stephen has been acknowledged in The Legal 500 United States for Energy Transactions: Oil and Gas (2023, 2025) and by The Best Lawyers in America for Oil and Gas Law (2026). He was listed in Euromoney Expert Guides: Rising Stars for United States—Energy and Natural Resources (2020) and named a Texas Rising Star in Super Lawyers (2017–2020). Stephen is board certified in oil, gas, and mineral law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Prior to entering the legal profession, Stephen worked for a major engineering and construction firm in its petrochemical projects area, including on-site work at one of the largest oil refineries in the United States.

Describe your practice area and what it entails.

Alex: I represent clients on a broad range of energy transactions, specializing in upstream and midstream industry including mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures; this includes advising clients regarding the structuring of potential transactions, drafting and negotiating transaction documents, and working with the client to support successful signing and closing of the transaction. In addition, we assist clients in long-term development projects not only in oil and gas but also in the carbon capture, mineral, and geothermal industries.

Garrett: My practice focuses on the energy industry and entails representing clients on a broad array of transactional matters in various sectors of the energy industry, including oil
and gas, renewables, and the energy transition. My primary focus is on energy transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures and on commercial arrangements related to upstream and midstream oil and gas assets and development of CCUS projects. This entails due diligence with respect to the underlying assets/contracts, negotiating and drafting key agreements for these transactions/arrangements, and advising clients on the interpretation of these agreements and how they impact their businesses.

What types of clients do you represent?

Alex: We represent supermajors to independent exploration and production companies. In the midstream space, we represent private equity portfolio companies as well as Fortune 100 companies. We also represent private equity funds and financial institutions in various energy transactional matters.

Garrett: I represent a diverse group of clients of all sizes, including individuals, family offices, financial institutions and lenders, renewable energy/energy transition developers, mining companies, pipeline companies, and upstream exploration and production companies.

What types of cases/deals do you work on?

Alex: Much of my work involves M&A and divestitures involving upstream or midstream at the asset level. I also advise clients in connection with joint ventures, as well as other energy transactional matters, such as leasing, surface use, transportation agreements, and offtake agreements. Recently, we assisted a private equity portfolio company in acquiring a large midstream company. In addition, we have recently closed multiple transactions involving upstream assets representing both buyers and sellers.

Garrett: Most of my practice and the deals I am involved in relate to the acquisition and divestiture of upstream and midstream oil and gas assets and commercial arrangements
between companies operating in the upstream and midstream oil and gas industries. Many oil and gas attorneys like me have become heavily involved in the CCUS industry because of the
synergies the industry shares with oil and gas. Given many of these CCUS projects are still in their early stages, my involvement has focused on the acquisition of pore space and other real property rights necessary for projects.

How did you choose this practice area?

Alex: Prior to law school, I was a CPA working in the oil and gas industry. When I attended law school, I had every intention of practicing in the energy industry. It was, of course, very helpful to be in Houston where the energy M&A market is very robust.

Garrett: I became interested in the oil and gas industry while pursuing my undergraduate degree. Being new to Texas, I quickly became aware of the impact the industry had on
the state. I became fascinated with the science and history behind the industry and decided this was an area where I could focus my future legal studies.

What is a “typical” day like and/or what are some common tasks you perform?

Alex: There really is no typical day in our industry. While we may have tasks that we want to accomplish for that day, clients may have new matters that may need to be resolved quickly. Most days involve drafting documentation and coordinating with junior associates on various items while working with opposing counsel on finalizing a transaction.

Garrett: I would not say there is a “typical” day in the life of a transactional attorney. There are many factors that impact what your day, week, month, quarter, or even year will look
like, such as the market/economy, client needs, legislative and judicial developments, experience level, etc. However, currently, the tasks that I commonly perform include responding to client/partner requests; drafting and negotiation transaction agreements; communicating with clients, counterparties, and colleagues who are working on the deal; and general managerial tasks with respect to the deal.

What training, classes, experience, or skills development would you recommend to someone who wishes to enter your practice area?

Alex: Transaction-related classes will be helpful, especially those who focus on contract drafting and secured transactions. I recommend taking a course in oil and gas along with advanced property classes, if available, to gain a foundation in the basics of property law.

Garrett: If you are a student, I recommend taking as many law school courses tailored to the practice area as possible. These courses are tailored to give you an introduction and base of information that you can use to build off. For students and lawyers, I recommend staying abreast of current events and legal developments and trends relevant to the energy industry. Another good way to develop as a lawyer and a professional is to attend industry group and bar events tailored to the energy industry. These events are great opportunities to learn more about the area and network with and get to know individuals and companies that are active in the space. Lastly, and most importantly, seek out positions that offer the experience for which you are looking. Real world, substantive experience is the best way to develop and hone skills as a lawyer.

What do you like best about your practice area?

Garrett: The aspect of my practice area that I like best is that no two deals are the same. There are many considerations that determine how a deal is negotiated and the final terms
that are agreed upon such as the type of assets, whether your client is buying or selling, who the counterparty is, who is counsel for the counterparty, the leverage of the respective
parties, market conditions, etc.

What are some typical tasks that a junior lawyer would perform in this practice area?

Garrett: When a junior energy lawyer is staffed on a deal, they should expect to perform due diligence on the assets and underlying agreements for the transaction, prepare and maintain the closing checklist, manage the transaction documents and versions thereof, perform quality control on documents (i.e., check grammar and spelling, section references, defined terms, etc.), prepare and maintain signature packets necessary for the closing of the deal, and possibly, draft specific provisions or ancillary agreements.

What kinds of experience can summer associates gain at this practice area at your firm?

Alex: Summer associates in our group will have the opportunity to see a transaction through from start to finish. Our summer associates will have the opportunity to participate meaningfully in most aspects of the transaction and get the experience of a junior associate.

What are some typical career paths for lawyers in this practice area?

Alex: Typical career paths in the energy field are varied. Working in oil and gas is a specialty; as such, many oil and gas lawyers were previously land professionals or engineers or were involved in the energy industry prior to going to law school. However, that is not a requirement; working at a law firm such as Akin provides great training and opportunities
to work with industry leaders and quickly gain insight on the energy sector.

Garrett: There are three main career paths in the energy/oil and gas space that come to mind. The first is the law firm route, which is where many lawyers start their careers. The
second is the in-house legal route. Although it is possible to start your career as an in-house lawyer, oftentimes after working for a law firm, lawyers decide that the law firm career
path is no longer for them. They will then go work for one of their clients or will find another company in need of their skill set. The last main career path for lawyers in the energy space is the government. The government has many departments and agencies operating in this space that are tasked with promulgating legislation/regulation for the industry and ensuring compliance with such legislation/regulation, all of which requires the work of lawyers.

For those considering corporate work, why would you advise them to specialize in Energy, Oil, & Gas?

Garrett: As mentioned above, no two deals are the same, which makes life as a lawyer interesting. But, in addition to no two deals being the same, the energy space is always
evolving, which opens doors for work in other sectors of the energy space. Many of your clients will not just be involved in oil and gas but will also be involved in many different facets
of the energy industry. For example, many of the oil majors have joint ventures, subsidiaries, and other involvement in the renewable energy sector and the energy transition sector. As
an energy lawyer, it is very possible that, during your career, you will have the opportunity to see the emergence of a new technology or development within the industry that significantly impacts the way people live and will live their lives for generations to come.

Garrett Korbitz advises clients on a wide range of energy transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures related to project developments involving upstream and midstream oil and gas assets, renewable energy projects, and rare earth mineral deposits.

Garrett has significant experience representing exploration and production companies and financial partners with respect to operations, acquisitions, and divestitures in major U.S. conventional and unconventional onshore oil and gas basins. He regularly advises midstream clients on pipeline development and associated agreements, including gathering, transportation, and processing agreements.

In addition, Garrett is well-versed in real property and oil, gas, and mineral law, and he regularly assists clients with energy project development, operations, lease negotiations, mineral, and royalty transactions. Further, Garrett is heavily involved in the development of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) projects, as well as the development, operation, acquisition, and divestiture of renewable energy projects.

Alex Miron offers strategic counsel to clients on a wide range of domestic transactions in the oil and gas industry, focusing on corporate matters. He routinely advises on oil and gas matters, including asset acquisitions and divestitures, mergers, supply arrangements, project development, and joint ventures. He also represents clients in connection with the development, operation, acquisition, and divestiture of energy transition projects. Alex is currently representing multiple clients in the development of CCUS projects across the United States.

Prior to law school, Alex worked as a CPA in the oil and gas section for PwC and Carrizo Oil and Gas. His experience at PwC included auditing large independent oil and gas exploration and production companies. During law school, Alex clerked at Motiva Enterprises LLC.

Describe your practice area and what it entails.

I advise oil and gas pipeline, storage, and LNG clients across the United States on traditional and renewable energy, transportation, and safety-related legal matters at federal, state, and local levels. My work focuses on complex regulatory compliance and enforcement defense matters—including at the appellate level—which encompass construction, operations, maintenance and inspection, incident response, and security issues. I also regularly counsel clients on litigation strategy, policy, legislative and rulemaking developments and frequently manage compliance audits and confidential internal and governmental investigations.

What types of clients do you represent? 

My clients generally comprise primarily owners and/or operators of large interstate oil and gas pipeline, storage, and LNG facilities. Many of them operate the largest and most complex systems in the United States.

What types of cases/deals do you work on? 

Generally, I oversee complex regulatory compliance and enforcement defense matters—ranging from construction, operations, maintenance, and inspection to incident response and security issues—arising out of the laws and regulations administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and its state partners. 

How did you choose this practice area?

This practice area chose me in many respects. I was initially an environmental lawyer, and I was involved in a number of environmental matters for several interstate oil pipeline companies. Those representations evolved to encompass pipeline safety matters. Out of those initial representations, the practice expanded to include gas pipelines and LNG facilities and grew into the national practice it is today.

What is a “typical” day like and/or what are some common tasks you perform?

A “typical” day involves developing strategies for a client’s enforcement matter, which can include preparing for meetings with PHMSA, planning for a hearing, and identifying necessary research. This process often involves internal coordination calls with my team as well as external communications with the client. I also spend time analyzing new rules proposed by the agency and considering their potential impact on our client base. My day might include calls with clients to discuss new matters and provide counsel on managing compliance issues, as well as drafting written communications to address client requests for strategic and legal advice.

What training, classes, experience, or skills development would you recommend to someone who wishes to enter your practice area?

For an administrative practice, Administrative Law is the essential foundation, but beyond that, I recommend being curious (listening and asking questions), reading (trade press and recent cases or decisions), offering to prepare alerts on new developments, and approaching assignments in such a way that allows you to take the time to understand background and context so that you can build your knowledge and retention. 

What is the most challenging aspect of practicing in this area?

The pipeline and LNG industry is dynamic: It is constantly changing and innovating (look at the energy evolution!). In some respects, the government and its laws and regulations do not always keep pace; in others, the government seeks to go beyond what is achievable with new laws and regulations. Navigating these issues for proposed or existing pipeline and LNG facilities can be complex from a litigation, regulatory, policy, legislative, or rulemaking perspective. 

What do you like best about your practice area?

I love that this practice is challenging—for the reasons set forth above! Developing successful strategies for our clients’ success is incredibly rewarding. 

What is unique about your practice area at your firm?

Bracewell is steeped in work for the energy industry, and as a result, our pipeline safety work crosses over with and is relevant to many other specialties within the firm: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission oil and gas regulatory work, environmental, litigation, project finance, M&A, insurance defense, etc. The ability to work alongside our colleagues in different capacities allows us to better represent our clients in a more holistic and efficient manner, which is beneficial to clients and rewarding for us. 

How do you see this practice area evolving in the future?

Pipeline and LNG safety will remain relevant, given our country’s continuing need for energy and the fact that pipelines remain the safest way to deliver that energy—safer than truck, rail, or barge. While oil and, especially, gas will continue to be the cornerstones of the strategy to meet energy needs in the United States, the energy evolution to capture and transport alternative fuels and thus work toward reductions in greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen, will result in additional growth in the industry.

For more than 30 years, Catherine D. Little has counseled oil and gas pipeline, storage, and LNG clients across the United States on traditional and renewable energy, transportation, and safety-related legal matters at federal, state, and local levels. At the forefront of cutting-edge legal issues for this industry, including with respect to energy transition—carbon dioxide and hydrogen in particular—Catherine and her team regularly assist clients in navigating complex regulatory compliance and enforcement defense matters, which encompass construction, operations, maintenance and inspection, incident response, and security issues. 

Catherine also routinely advises clients on litigation strategy, policy, legislative, and rulemaking developments and frequently manages compliance audits and confidential internal and governmental investigations. As to the latter, Catherine and her team have favorably resolved criminal investigation matters led by the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General and DOJ, and they have successfully challenged administrative agency actions at the federal appellate level.

In addition, Catherine regularly serves as a moderator and speaker at legal and industry conferences and seminars across the United States. She has also written several articles, chapters, and editorials on compliance and regulatory issues.

Describe your practice area and what it entails.

My practice focuses on strategic transactions in the energy industry. From a practice perspective, I handle mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and commercial arrangements for my clients. My clients span the energy industry, and most of my work has been on transactions in the oil and gas upstream, midstream, downstream, and services sectors, as well as in energy transition, which includes renewable natural gas, carbon capture, and hydrogen.

What types of clients do you represent?

My clients have included national oil companies, oil and gas majors and supermajors, publicly traded independent oil companies, power and utilities companies, private equity funds, onshore and offshore exploration and production operators, owners of pipelines and infrastructure, and entrepreneurs across the energy spectrum.

What types of cases/deals do you work on?

I help clients raise capital for their businesses; acquire and develop their assets; and structure, negotiate, and execute their major projects. This work involves drafting and negotiating limited liability company agreements and shareholder agreements to govern investments between parties—often capital providers and entrepreneurs; purchase and sale agreements for the acquisition of entities and assets; joint venture agreements for long-term development of energy assets; and transportation, processing, and storage agreements for oil, gas, carbon dioxide, and other commodities.

How did you choose this practice area?

I began my career as a private equity and general M&A lawyer in Houston, handling transactions across all sectors (including energy) in the United States and Latin America. As my career developed, I handled more and more transactions in oil, gas, mining, and other energy-related fields. In the middle of my career, I went in-house as the first transactional lawyer at a large European oil company that was investing heavily in U.S. shale. That experience led me deeper into traditional oil and gas as I led large transactions for that company, including the $4.7 billion acquisition of a public U.S. company that owned significant shale assets in North Dakota and Montana. When I returned to private practice, I combined my private equity and M&A background with my experience handling asset-level transactions to form the basis of my current practice. The skills you develop as an oil and gas lawyer are transferable to many energy transition projects, including carbon capture and hydrogen. When the energy transition transactions became more active, I was fortunate to have several clients that needed representation in these matters, and that part of my practice has grown rapidly.

What is a “typical” day like and/or what are some common tasks you perform?

A typical day would involve handling client calls or negotiations with counterparties throughout the day. These matters can range from an acquisition of a company engaged in offshore exploration and production to structuring an energy transition project like carbon capture. On the Hunton side, the calls would involve, in addition to myself, any necessary specialists, like tax or environmental specialists, and one or two associates. Revisions of documentation may follow—usually by a senior associate—which I would then review. We usually have one or two business development or thought leadership projects in process as well, so I will work on those too.

What training, classes, experience, or skills development would you recommend to someone who wishes to enter your practice area?

I recommend learning basic legal skills and gaining an understanding of the industry. By basic legal skills I mean learning to write well and concisely, learning how the key transactional documents work, and gaining an understanding of the various bodies of law that affect oil and gas transactions—including not just oil and gas but also M&A, secured lending, and commercial contracting. There are great CLE courses that cover these areas, and of course, a new lawyer should seek out a skilled practitioner at his or her firm and find ways to get staffed on relevant deals. To help associates understand the industry, I recommend reading the major publications and following news about what oil and gas companies are doing and also attending as many conferences and CLE events as possible in person. There is no substitute for face-to-face contact with industry experts.

What do you like best about your practice area?

There is a lot to like about energy, oil, and gas. First, I like the industry itself and the people in it. It is a dynamic industry with lots of ups and downs, and the people who gravitate toward it tend to be dynamic, smart, friendly, and ambitious. Second, the energy industry is very broad from a practice perspective, and the legal challenges you have to solve require a correspondingly broad understanding of many areas, including oil and gas, real property, contracts, M&A, banking and finance, and bankruptcy.

What misconceptions exist about your practice area?

Many people think energy, oil, and gas lawyers spend most of their time addressing highly focused questions relating to title, commercial contracts, joint operating agreements, and commodities issues. In reality, we are deal lawyers who handle many of the same types of agreements and issues as corporate and M&A lawyers but within the context of oil and gas.

What is unique about your practice area at your firm?

The energy, oil, and gas practice at my firm benefited greatly from the merger a few years ago of Hunton & Williams LLP and Andrews Kurth Kenyon LLP. The Hunton side had long been a major player in power and renewables and had a nationally recognized practice in those areas, as well as in environmental law. Similarly, Andrews Kurth had a national reputation in oil and gas transactions and, in particular, capital markets and M&A. Putting these two practices together created a firm that is a market leader across the entire span of the energy industry, from traditional oil and gas to carbon capture and hydrogen and wind and solar.

What are some typical tasks that a junior lawyer would perform in this practice area?

A junior lawyer can expect to handle a variety of tasks. On an acquisition, a junior lawyer will perform due diligence on an acquisition target’s agreements and will help draft portions of the purchase and sale agreement as well as ancillary documents like assignments, corporate resolutions, and similar closing documents. A junior lawyer will also run a closing, keeping the closing checklist up to date and following up with the client on open matters. For first-of-a-kind transactions, as we have been seeing in energy transition projects, junior lawyers might pull analogous precedent from other transactions, review any industry articles on the type of project we are working on, and perform some basic research on new issues that may arise in the transaction. Junior lawyers will join client calls and negotiations and will take notes, which is great training to understand how the transactions work and eventually run the calls themselves.

Carl von Merz is head of the firm’s U.S. oil and gas practice. Carl has over 20 years of experience advising on large-scale energy industry transactions. He focuses his practice principally on counseling public and private companies, private equity funds, entrepreneurs, and management teams in connection with their equity investments, joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures in the energy and energy transition sectors.

Carl has deep experience spanning the energy industry, including the upstream oil and gas sector (onshore, offshore, conventional, and unconventional), midstream sector (natural gas, crude oil, liquids and other pipelines, processing facilities, and storage assets), and oilfield services. Carl has provided clients with critical guidance in their investments in energy transition, including advice on structuring commercial agreements, joint ventures, and carbon storage acquisitions for their carbon capture, use, and sequestration projects.

A fluent Spanish speaker, Carl has represented clients in cross-border transactions in Latin America. Earlier in his career, Carl was lead in-house M&A counsel for an international energy company with substantial U.S. onshore and offshore oil and gas operations.