Practice Committees
The Advisory Board and its committees meet for business and social activities each February in connection with the Annual Oil and Gas Law Conference. Other committee activities occur throughout the year. The current practice committees are:
Oil and Gas
The largest of the practice committees, Oil and Gas provides a community for those involved in the practice of oil and gas law. Its leaders are Chair William Buck (General Counsel - Upstream Companies, Exxon Mobil Corporation) and Vice Chair J.J. McAnelly III (Bracewell & Giuliani LLP). The committee’s priorities for 2013 include:
- developing and presenting appropriate events and programs for members with focus on providing practical advice and education regarding contemporary issues affecting the energy industry;
- target two educational events plus one networking event per year (can combine with other IEL committees or energy related organizations);
- looking for opportunities to co-sponsor events with other Practice Committees;
- identifying webinar topics and dates;
- expanding of event locations to places outside of Houston, Texas;
- identifying and capitalizing on opportunities to expand membership in IEL, the Oil and Gas Practice Committee and the Young Energy Professionals Practice Committee;
- expanding the IEL and Oil and Gas Practice Committee presence both inside and outside of Houston, Texas;
- considering specific focus on expansion into Western US/Canada as well as the Midwestern/Northeastern States (Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia);
- expanding outreach efforts to various law schools (both in geographic regions with emerging oil and gas development and elsewhere);
- appointing liaison to the IEL Membership Committee;
- encouraging contributions to Energy Law Advisor and other IEL publications;
- appointing liaison to the IEL Editorial Board.
Chair, Oil and Gas Practice Committee, Institute for Energy Law
Vice Chair, Oil and Gas Practice Committee, Institute for Energy Law
International
The International practice committee focuses on lawyers working internationally and issues transcending national boundaries. Its leaders are Chair Andrew Haynes (Associate General Counsel, Global Corporate, BP p.l.c., London) and Vice Chair Alex MacWilliam (Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP, Calgary) and the committee's plans, goals and priorities include:
- supporting the preparations for the following planned international conferences in 2013 and 2014:
- IEL-SEERIL International Oil & Gas Conference in London;
- potential Canadian energy conference in Calgary;
- IEL-ANADE Conference in Mexico;
- holding a social event (breakfast or drinks) for international delegates at each IEL international conference;
- recruiting new members for the International Practice Committee, including international energy regulators and representatives from NOCs;
- developing a strategic plan for international membership expansion by geographical region, then prioritizing and implementing the plan;
- producing one or two web-based educational events for IEL international members in 2013;
- helping develop the IEL website and forum and supporting IEL publications.
Chair, International Practice Committee, Institute for Energy Law
Vice Chair, International Practice Committee, Institute for Energy Law
Power and Alternative Energy
Led by Chair Scott Deatherage (Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP, Dallas) and Vice Chair Bob Goldberg (Mayer Brown LLP, Houston), the Power and Alternative Energy committee concentrates on law and policy affecting alternative and renewable energy. Its plans, goals and priorities include:
- expanding the number and types of members by offering a free one-year membership to in-house counsel from companies in the power and alternative energy industry;
- developing a subcommittee of several of those new members and surveying the other members of the Committee to assist in developing a P&AE law conference in early 2014 that meets the needs of, and that is tailored for, the in-house counsel of power and alternative energy companies;
- planning one or two shorter CLE events over lunch in Houston and another city to focus on a particular legal issue of important to P&AE members;
- evaluating the content, timing, and marketing of the 2014 P&AE Law Conference.
- assisting in the planning for and participation at the 2014 P&AE Law Conference.
- evaluating the potential for one webcast topic and speaker(s) for the Institute to broadcast this year.
Chair, Power and Alternative Energy Practice Committee, Institute for Energy Law
Vice Chair, Power and Alternative Energy Practice Committee, Institute for Energy Law
Oilfield Services
Only a few years old, the Oilfield Services committee aims to create a community for lawyers working in house and in private practice on matters affecting oilfield services companies. Led by Chair Billy Jacobson (Senior Vice President, Co-General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, Weatherford International, Ltd., Houston) and Vice Chair Alex Cestero (Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary & Chief Compliance Officer Lufkin Industries, Inc., Lufkin), the committee’s plans, goals and priorities are:
- working to improve upon our already-successful annual Oilfield Services Law Conference to be held in October 2013;
- focusing on having periodic meetings of the committee to discuss timely issues and developments in the law impacting oilfield service companies.
- committee meetings: conducting quarterly committee meetings live or by conference call;
- publications and social media:
- supporting Energy Law Advisor by designating one person to serve on the editorial board, and by encouraging committee members to submit articles;
- supporting the Advisory Board forum on LinkedIn by designating one person to monitor the forum and to post occasional submissions, and by encouraging committee members to participate;
- supporting the IEL website by keeping the committee’s page up to date;
- membership: supporting the Membership Committee by designating one representative and by encouraging committee members to recruit new members in the committee’s field of practice.
Chair, Oilfield Services Practice Committee, Institute for Energy Law
Vice Chair, Oilfield Services Practice Committee, Institute for Energy Law
Litigation and Dispute Resolution
Formed in 2012, the newest of the practice committees is led by Chair Larry Simon (Liskow and Lewis, Lafayette) and Vice Chair Bill Knull (Mayer Brown LLP, Houston), and provides a specialist community for those engaged in energy litigation and arbitration. Its plans, goals and priorities include:
- complete the compilation of a list of arbitrators;
- reach the decision regarding a list of expert witnesses, and if affirmative, undertake and complete this year;
- have a planning lunch in Houston for giving input on the February 2014 annual conference’s Litigation Module;
- organize, prepare and present a webinar on a litigation topic; and
- appoint a small group of lawyers to keep alert for significant oil and gas cases in the producing states and report on them in the newsletter or on the IEL website.
Chair, Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice Committee, Institute for Energy Law
Vice Chair, Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice Committee, Institute for Energy Law
Young Energy Professionals
Reaching across all the other practice committees, this committee forms a community for younger energy lawyers and other professionals. Now in its sixth year, the YEPs have an established record of providing quality programs and events to members. Consistent with the needs of its membership, the YEPs focus on providing opportunities for career advancement, long-term relationships within the energy industry, and a forum to explore current issues in the energy industry through:
- programs for career and professional development;
- education in oil and gas “basics”; and
- networking with other YEPs and young professionals, as well as with more senior members of the IEL and other industry leaders.
Led by Chair David Sweeney (Vice President, Legal and General Counsel, Van Dyke Energy Company, Houston) and Vice Chair Patrick Dunn (Deputy General Counsel, ZaZa Energy Corporation, Houston), its plans, goals and priorities include:
- continue to attract new YEP members, including through exploring the possibility of events specific to the northeastern United States;
- further integrate existing YEP members;
- increase participation of all YEPs in programming and leadership;
- continue to develop and expand the YEP contact database, internally among Advisory Board members and externally for potential new members;
- conduct at least one YEP leadership team meeting per quarter to screen events, allocate responsibility for approved events, and report on past events;
- hold at least one event per quarter, including:
- 1Q2013 – Networking event during oil and gas conference;
- 2Q2013 - Joint breakfast with AIPN YN covering service agreements;
- 3Q2013 – (i) “branch out” event in northeast United States, (ii) webinar event; (iii) General Counsel Forum; and
- 4Q1013 – Social event;
- improve on “signature events” and institute new events, including:
- webinar;
- pure networking/social event; and
- revisions to General Counsel Forum to include businesspeople;
- encourage use of Training Modules as they are published by IEL, including through introduction events. Participate on Training Module task force;
- continue to develop strategic partnerships, and plan new events and programming, with (i) other IEL Committees and (ii) third party industry groups (including the AIPN Young Negotiators group);
- continuously reevaluate the focus areas for YEP, through meetings, written polls and interaction with the Committee members.
Chair, Young Energy Professionals Practice Committee, Institute for Energy Law
Vice Chair, Young Energy Professionals Practice Committee, Institute for Energy Law