Energy, Oil & Gas

Energy, Oil & Gas in South Texas

With oil plays throughout the state causing an increase of legal issues involving the ownership, exploration, production, gathering and distribution of oil and gas, Langley & Banack’s energy attorneys are uniquely positioned to assist with all aspects of oil, gas, and energy matters.

Our attorneys’ energy, oil and gas experience, combined with the firm’s varied practice areas, create a distinctive resource base to assist our clients. These practice areas include general business, real estate, regulatory, financing, taxation, litigation and environmental expertise. Our attorneys routinely negotiate and effectively draft a broad variety of contracts, agreements and leases, and handle all related litigation and disputes. Our clients include landowners, operators and producers, as well as entities and individuals involved in exploration, production, refining, marketing, and distribution as well as oil-field services.

PROVIDING LOCAL LEGAL SOLUTIONS FOR TEXAS OIL & GAS ISSUES

The oil and gas industry in Texas is constantly evolving. As a true South Texas law firm, with decades of extensive experience, our oil and gas attorneys manage all aspects of transaction and litigation based oil and gas matters. With offices situated within and close to the Eagle Ford Shale play activity, Langley & Banack is uniquely positioned to provide local and effective legal solutions to oil and gas businesses and landowners throughout South Texas and beyond.

WHO WE ARE AND HOW WE CAN ASSIST

Langley & Banack, Inc. is a full service law firm with more than sixty attorneys. Our offices are located in San Antonio, Karnes City, Eagle Pass, New Braunfels and Castroville and are staffed with long-time residents of each respective city. Consequently our clients receive the benefits of both high quality legal services and local knowledge provided by our attorneys. Langley & Banack is committed to establishing long-term relationships with our clients by finding creative and cost-effective common sense solutions to their problems.

Our attorneys’ oil and gas experience, combined with the firm’s varied practice areas, create a distinctive resource base to assist our clients. These practice areas include general business, real estate, regulatory, financing, taxation, litigation and environmental expertise. Our attorneys routinely negotiate and effectively draft a broad variety of contracts, agreements and leases, and handle all related litigation and disputes. Our clients include landowners, operators and producers, as well as entities and individuals involved in exploration, production, refining, marketing, and distribution as well as oil-field services.

OIL & GAS BUSINESS NEEDS AND SOLUTIONS

Langley & Banack’s oil & gas lawyers represent clients in all types of transactions commonly encountered across the broad spectrum of the oil and gas industry including:

LITIGATION AND ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION (ADR)

Given the cost of litigation, Langley & Banack attorneys help businesses and individuals resolve legal claims utilizing cost-effective methods. Our attorneys regularly represent clients in arbitrations, mediations and other forms of ADR. We are very frequently requested to advise clients on the appropriateness, timing and advantages and disadvantages of the use of various ADR methods and procedures to advance a case toward resolution. Due to several members of the firm having additional experience in serving as arbitrators and/or mediators in legal disputes, we have a unique perspective on how to most effectively present cases in an ADR setting.

The firm’s trial lawyers serve as dedicated advocates for clients in the courtroom when litigation and judicial proceedings are the only means by which a disagreement between parties may be resolved. Langley & Banack attorneys represent oil & gas companies and individuals in various energy related matters, including cases which relate to the following disputes or claims:

Additionally, our attorneys are often called upon to handle crucial time-intensive litigation matters, such as “emergency” actions seeking to enjoin or avoid injunctions concerning business activities.

RISK MANAGEMENT, INSURANCE AND INDEMNITY

The opportunities arising from the development of the Eagle Ford Shale are unparalleled in the history of Texas oil and gas exploration. As with most ventures, oil and gas opportunities come with some potential risks. When accidents happen, as they sometimes do, it is important to be prepared. Businesses typically will purchase insurance to protect their assets. For businesses in the oil and gas industry, insurance can be more specialized and complicated than for other types of ventures. Similarly, businesses endeavor to protect their investments though indemnity agreements in their contracts. These agreements are often designed to shift the costs of a loss, and/or the costs of insuring against that loss, from one business to another.

Attorneys at Langley & Banack assist clients in dealing with the uncertainties of conducting business in the oil and gas industry. Our attorneys have considerable experience in the fields of insurance, indemnity, and asset/investment protection. They are equipped to provide advice concerning insurance contracts related to risk management needs and indemnity agreements, and how these legal instruments may or may not affect each other. Specifically, the firm’s insurance law specialists have in depth experience in the following:

Our attorneys handle disputes between policyholders and insurance carriers, between primary and excess carriers, and claims involving other parties to insurance transactions, including insurance agents, brokers, and other intermediaries.

Langley & Banack’s energy attorneys have brought and defended cases in numerous counties throughout Central and South Texas and beyond including:

Introducing Clinton Butler

Clinton Butler is a leading energy attorney who heads up the firm’s Energy, Oil & Gas practice group, and works in both our San Antonio and Karnes City offices. Clinton is known for his hands-on approach to energy, oil & gas and his practice primarily centers around representing landowners in transactional and litigation matters. Over the coming weeks, we will hear from Clinton as he hosts the Oil, Gas & Energy Podcast series with guests Elizabeth Kopecki, Stephen Ahl, Allen DeBard, his father Richard Butler, and his wife Patricia Butler.

(830) 780-2700

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Introducing Elizabeth Kopecki

Elizabeth Kopecki is an attorney in our Karnes City office. Since joining the firm in 2013, Elizabeth’s practice has focused on landowner representation in a broad range of litigation, transactional, and appellate matters involving oil, gas, and energy, title disputes, and questions regarding deed interpretation. This landowner-oriented practice has provided Elizabeth with extensive experience negotiating agreements on behalf of surface and mineral owners, including pipeline and road easements, oil and gas leases, and surface use agreements related to the development of the Eagle Ford Shale.

(830) 780-2700

See Full Bio

Introducing Stephen Ahl

Stephen Ahl is an attorney in Langley & Banack’s Carrizo Springs and San Antonio offices. Stephen’s practice is focused primarily on representing Texas land and business owners in both litigation and transactional matters. He began his career at the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office in the White Collar division where he was responsible for the investigation and prosecution of fraud cases involving complex business transactions as well the prosecution of public corruption cases. Stephen’s extensive litigation background helped him quickly transition into handling complex energy, oil and gas matters.

(830) 780-2700

See Full Bio

Led by Clinton Butler, our Energy, Oil & Gas podcast series includes topics covering a broad range of energy and mineral issues from ground lease and water issues to oil and gas-related bankruptcy matters. Each episode has new content designed to give you a glimpse into how L&B’s energy, oil and gas attorneys can help you.

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