Our attorneys represent clients in a wide variety of energy sector corporate and transactional matters, including:
- Acquisitions and sales
- Contract negotiation and review
- Due Diligence
- Joint ventures and JOAs
- Lease negotiation
- Letters of intent
- Mortgage opinions
- Pooling and unitization matters
- Production sharing agreements
- Purchase and sale agreements
We represent clients in all phases of oil, gas and mineral transactions, from entity formation, to structuring operating agreements, to ongoing governance and transactional matters relating to exploration, pre-feasibility and operations. Our advice and representation in all oil and gas matters is predicated upon understanding client objectives, and seeking to obtain these objectives through the necessary legal documents and agreements.
In many transactions an element of risk is involved. Consistent with client objectives, we seek to minimize risk through indemnification, escrow and other contractual provisions (such as representations and warranties). We understand the high risk profile inherent in oil and gas exploration, and seek to reduce the transactional component of risk.
We also understand the budgetary constraints of our clients with respect to transaction costs. At the outset, we seek to identify for clients the likely nature of costs that may be associated with a transaction so that our clients can budget appropriately for such matters.
Our oil and gas contracts practice is devoted to providing clients with advice, representation, negotiation, and drafting concerning a wide variety of agreements for oil and gas exploration, acquisition, and production. We are available to assist clients with virtually any type of agreement relating to oil and gas matters.
Client Objectives, Risk Allocation and Contract Drafting
A key part of oil and gas contracts is identifying the matters that are of the most significance to our clients so that we can seek to achieve the agreement goals of our clients. In addition to price issues, often there are many critical matters that must be understood, such as on-time performance and allocation of risk for unknown matters. Before drafting or negotiating an agreement, we identify with clients the aspects that are the most important to them, so that we can draft contracts accordingly.
Contract Negotiation
We are frequently retained to negotiate many of the significant legal contract terms on behalf of our clients. Typically, these terms concern risk allocation, defining the rights and obligations of parties to ongoing contractual matters (such as joint ventures), identifying special rights that may arise in certain circumstances (such as a failure to make capital contributions or achieving earn-in), and matters that require precise definition (such as the acceptable deductions in a net profits interest calculation).
Addressing Likely Scenarios in Ongoing Contractual Relationships
Many oil and gas contracts include ongoing relationships between parties, such as joint ventures, earn-in agreements, and master service agreements. Our role as oil and gas contract attorneys is to identify with our clients the types of matters and conditions that may arise.
While neither we nor any other lawyers can foresee all circumstances that may arise, situations that frequently occur (such as the inability of a partner to make a required capital contribution) can be contemplated in an agreement. Our goal in ongoing contractual relationships is to identify the likely events that could arise and to provide clear contractual mechanisms for resolving or handling such matters if, in fact, they do arise.