New Committee Created for Young Energy Professionals!

The Institute for Energy Law (IEL) values the involvement of its younger members and wants to encourage more to join and participate. The IEL recently created the Young Energy Professionals (YEP) Committee, which has a seat on IEL's Executive Committee. Jennifer Hardin, Sr. Counsel - E&P International with ConocoPhillips is the YEP Committee Chair and David Sweeney with Bracewell & Giuliani, is Vice Chair. "Young" energy professionals are attorneys, landmen, engineers and other industry participants who are under the age of 40.

The YEP Committee is currently planning programs and events and would appreciate your input. Activities being considered are happy hours, sporting events, wine-tastings, dinners and a mentoring program. We're also looking to co-host events with other area organizations.

If you're interested in becoming involved with the YEP Committee and IEL, please contact Jennifer or David.

If you are not already a a member of IEL, join today!

	Committee Chair: Jennifer Hardin jennifer.d.hardin@conocophillips.com (281) 293-5276
	Committee Vice Chair: David Sweeney david.sweeney@bgllp.com (713) 221-1288

4th Annual YEP General Counsel Forum
December 1, 2011
Alden Hotel
Houston, Texas

This popular evening event, now in its fourth year, is of great interest to in-house counsel who want to hear more about the careers of some of the most senior lawyers in industry, and to attorneys in private practice who want to improve their ability to address the needs of their clients as effectively as possible. The evening will begin with a reception, followed by a panel discussion, after which each General Counsel will join a smaller group of young attorneys for dinner and a more intimate conversation.

The YEP Committee gratefully acknowledge our event sponsors

:

If you're interested in helping organize an event with the YEP Committee and IEL, please contact Jennifer or David.

IEL's Young Energy Professionals and AIPN Young Negotiators Breakfast Speaker Series: "Farmouts and Other Entry Points"

On June 15, the YEP Committee held another of its joint breakfasts with AIPN Young Negotiators at which Marie Wagner, Senior Counsel with Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, discussed farmouts, letters of intent, joint study and bidding agreements, and related topics.  The event was one of the most successful breakfasts, with over sixty total registrants, an excellent presentation, and informative materials.  Many thanks to Marie for agreeing to talk to our young professionals and making the drive down from the Woodlands and to our sponsors, Tim West and Vinson & Elkins for hosting us and providing breakfast.

IEL's Young Energy Professionals and AIPN Young Negotiators Breakfast Speaker Series - Unitization

Wednesday, December 15, 2010
8:00 am - 9:30 am
Coronado Club | 919 Milam Street, Suite 500 | Houston, Texas

Speaker: Richard Aguirre, Counsel, Exxon Mobil Corporation

The joining of two to make one can be a beautiful thing. With realistic expectations and a keen eye for detail, competitive development and physical and economic waste can be mitigated or avoided altogether. But even the best relationships have problems. From pre-unit agreements to tract redeterminations to separate property to decision making and the power of the purse, the complexities of oil and gas units can be a maze. Come hear Richard Aguirre of ExxonMobil guide you through a framework for unitization and common issues in units and unit-related agreements so that what you join together, no man (or country) will put asunder.

The YEP Committee and AIPN gratefully acknowledge our event sponsor:

3rd Annual YEP General Counsel Forum
December 6, 2010
Magnolia Hotel - Houston, Texas

On December 6 at 6:30pm, the IEL's Young Energy Professionals (YEP) Committee hosted the third annual General Counsel Forum.

Young Energy Professionls received career advice from some of the industry's most successful attorneys:

The evening began with a reception, followed by a general counsel panel discussion where the general counsel answered questions. Each general counsel joined an individual table for a more intimate discussion over dinner.

The YEP Committee gratefully acknowledges our event sponsors:

Click here for event photos!

61st Annual Oil and Gas Law Conference
Wine Tasting Reception
February 18-19, 2010
Hilton Post Oak - Houston, Texas

IEL’s Young Energy Professionals Committee (YEP) hosted a successful wine tasting event at the 61st Annual Oil & Gas Law Conference on February 19, 2010 at the Hilton Post Oak in Houston. The promise of wine and great conversation kept around 40 conference-goers after the conference on Friday afternoon.

The event began with a tasting presentation by three sommeliers - Manuel Cuevas, John Yeager and Ashley Bobbett - and was followed by a blind wine tasting. We tasted six wines, two each from three varietals: Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot/Bordeaux. Attendees used a voting card to guess the wine’s varietal and geographic origin (whether “old” or “new” world). A prize was awarded to the taster who got all the correct answers—congratulations to Andrew Torrant of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.; he will receive a free bottle of wine!

We also announced a winner from last year’s contest. At the 2009 tasting, we asked attendees to guess what the price of oil per barrel would be the day of the 2010 YEP wine tasting. Kathy Silver of Jackson Walker L.L.P. was the successful soothsayer. She will be receiving a bottle of wine.

Best of luck to all who registered predictions for a February 2011 price; we’ll announce the winner at next year’s Annual Conference YEP Event. (FYI – it seems the YEPs are a bullish group; the average of the predictions submitted is $86/bbl.)

The YEP Committee gratefully acknowledges our event sponsor: Greenburg Traurig LLP.

Click here for event photos!