Legal Transactions in the Oil and Gas Industry

Cotton Bledsoe Tighe & Dawson, P.C., has one of the largest teams of oil and gas attorneys anywhere. More than half of our attorneys focus their practice on oil and gas transactions and/or oil and gas litigation, and many of our lawyers are certified in Oil, Gas, and Mineral Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

A number of our oil and gas attorneys are also licensed to practice in New Mexico, which allows us to more fully represent oil and gas companies at work in the energy centers of the Southwest.

Our clients include major oil companies, large and small independent operators, seismic and other service companies, and large and small land and mineral owners, all of whom recognize the advantage of our experience, reputation, and skill in this area.

Purchase and Sale of Producing Properties

Cotton Bledsoe handles all phases and all sizes of acquisitions and divestitures of oil- and gas-producing properties. Small transactions and acquisitions involving hundreds of millions of dollars are given the same quality of service.

Some of the different types of assistance we routinely provide include:

  • preliminary term sheet and initial letter of intent
  • negotiation of the purchase and sale agreement
  • closing of the transaction and preparation of record assignments and conveyances
  • preparation of transition agreements if the seller temporarily continues as the operator after closing
  • examination of title and the preparation of oil and gas title opinions

Operating Agreements

We represent operators as well as non-operators in preparing and interpreting operating agreements and, when necessary, the litigation of operating agreement disputes. A number of our attorneys have a great deal of experience in this area, and are often asked to speak or write to industry and legal groups on operating agreement issues.

Shared Risk Transactions Between Producers and Service Companies

Our oil and gas transactions attorneys represent seismic and other service companies as well as producers in transactions in which the service company takes a reduced cash consideration for its services in exchange for an interest in the oil company’s production, thereby sharing both the risk and the reward in the development of its customer’s prospects.

We have also structured transactions in which the service company acquires an equity position in a new company formed with its customer, rather than merely a property interest in production.

Other Types of Oil and Gas Transactions

We assist our clients with a variety of other oil and gas transactions, including negotiating and drafting exploration and production contracts; farmouts; banking issues; venture capital issues; entity creation and management; oil and gas taxation; joint venture agreements; area of mutual interest agreements; real estate and ranching issues; and state and federal securities issues.

Our well-rounded and highly experienced oil and gas transaction practice has served our clients well since 1974.

Contact us to discuss your oil and gas transactions with one of our knowledgeable attorneys.