Winstead's Energy Team includes a strong core team of experienced energy lawyers who understand every aspect of the energy business.

Firm clients include both independents and several of the world's largest oil, gas and energy companies. We also represent marketers, processors, refiners, transporters, oilfield service companies, pipeline companies and energy lenders.

Energy Strengths
Energy Litigation Experience
Energy Transaction Experience
Energy Regulatory Experience

Energy Strengths

Winstead's Energy Team members are actively involved in all aspects of the oil, gas and energy practice. Our energy litigators regularly try contested cases in state and federal courts and before arbitration tribunals, regulatory agencies and administrative judges.

Our lawyers have a proven record in achieving favorable outcomes for the firm's energy clients in class action and other large, multiparty disputes.

Many of Winstead's Energy Team members have accumulated years of practical experience working in the energy industry before moving into private practice. We understand our role as counsel in helping clients to assess risks and resolve problems so that they can move ahead with their business plans and meet expected goals.

By combining their practical industry backgrounds with extensive litigation skills and experience, Winstead's energy litigators are able to provide clients with a decided advantage in achieving client-focused results in trial, arbitration, contested case proceedings, mediations and negotiations.

Winstead also has a preeminent Appellate Practice Group. Our appellate lawyers are skilled at protecting good verdicts on appeal and overturning unfavorable ones. We ensure that Winstead's clients receive a fair, impartial resolution of their disputes before a court or tribunal that follows the law.

Energy Litigation Experience

Trial attorneys on Winstead's Energy Team have a vast amount of experience in a wide variety of oil, gas and energy disputes. Our achievements include resolving disputes involving: 

• Attorney advisor/crisis management 
• Antitrust claims in the energy field 
• COPAS accounting procedures and other energy accounting issues 
• Development rights and obligations 
• Drainage issues 
• Energy-related environmental issues including contamination/remediation issues 
• Indemnity claims 
• Joint venture/partnership issues 
• Land, boundary and mineral ownership issues 
• Offshore marine construction and transportation issues 
• Patent infringement – oil and gas equipment 
• Personal injury defense 
• Plant construction and maintenance issues 
• Plugging and abandonment obligations 
• Produce liability claims 
• Qui tam cases 
• Reserve issues 
• Royalty and overriding royalty claims
• Seismic and trade secret matters 
• Working interest/surface owner disagreements

Energy Transaction Experience

Our attorneys have experience in a wide variety of oil, gas and energy transactions including: 

• Oil, gas and mineral leases 
• Purchase and sale agreements
• Joint Operating Agreements (JOAs)
• Area of Mutual Interest agreements (AMIs) 
• Pooling and unitization agreements 
• Gas gathering, processing, transportation and marketing agreements
• Gas purchase contracts 
• Drilling services contracts (a.k.a. vendor participation)
• Farm-in and farm-out agreements 
• Offshore and overseas concessions and leases
• Crude oil purchase, sale and exchange agreements
• Renewable Energy Project Development

Energy Regulatory Experience

Our attorneys have experience in navigating a wide variety of federal and state regulatory programs that impact energy industries. Regulatory compliance is critical, and assisting clients with maintaining compliance is a top priority. Among Winstead's Team are former state and federal regulators with experience in all relevant regulatory programs including: 

• Office of Hazardous Materials Safety (OHMS) 
• Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) 
• Pipeline Integrity Management Program Compliance 
• Minerals Management Service (MMS) Issues 
• Oil and Gas Pipeline Tariffs and Economic Regulation 
• Texas Railroad Commission regulatory and enforcement issues