Career Paths for Young Attorneys in the Energy Sector
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Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
The University of Tulsa College of Law
Price & Turpen Court Room, John Rogers Hall
3120 East 4th Place
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74101
Registrar: +1.972.244.3405
IEL: +1.972.244.3424
Fax: +1.972.244.3401
E-Mail: iel@cailaw.org
Overview
Presented by the Institute for Energy Law and The University of Tulsa College of Law
The conference will begin with a field trip to a pipeline facility and a refinery, followed by an evening reception. The focus the next day will be on careers in energy for lawyers, with experts from company legal departments and other disciplines discussing the varied career paths open to law graduates and young attorneys in the energy sector.
The conference will be of particular interest to law students, recent graduates, young lawyers in private practice and industry, and law school careers advisors.
Download the Brochure (pdf)
For more details, download the online brochure.
Conference Co-Chairs

Prof. Gary D. Allison
Director, Sustainable Energy & Resources Law Program
University of Tulsa College of Law
Tulsa, Oklahoma

Curtis R. Frasier
Vice Chair, Institute for Energy Law
Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Upstream Americas & Head of Legal USA
Shell Oil Company
Houston, Texas
Tuition
Registration includes the Friday field trip and reception and the Saturday program.
- $0 - Student / Law Professor
- $25 - Lawyers licensed less than 6 years
- $75 - All Others
[Note: Seats on the Friday field trip are limited. In the event it is oversubscribed, law students will be given preference.]
Schedule and Faculty
Friday, March 1, 2013
The Field Trip will include lunch, a tour of the Explorer Pipeline’s Tulsa facilities, and a tour of Holly Frontier Corporation’s Tulsa Refinery. (limited participation: 30)(priority will be given to law students)
11:00 am
Board field trip bus at The University of Tulsa College of Law
11:30 am
Arrive at Explorer Pipeline’s Headquarters for lunch, overview of Explorer’s operations, and a tour of its control room
1:00 pm
Arrive at Explorer’s Glenpool Breakout Tank Farm
3:00 pm
Arrive at Holly Frontier Corporation’s Tulsa Refinery
5:30 pm
Arrive back at the law school
6:30 pm
Welcome Reception at the Gilcrease Museum
Honoring
Joseph W. Morris
Gable Gotwals, Tulsa and formerly, inter alia:
Dean of the University of Tulsa College of Law
Chair of the Institute for Energy Law
Vice President and General Counsel of Shell Oil Company
United States District Judge
Hosted by
Institute for Energy Law and its Young Energy Professionals Committee and
University of Tulsa College of Law
Saturday, March 2, 2013
8:30 am
Registration and Light Breakfast
9:00 am
Welcome
- Janet K. Levit, Dean and Dean John Rogers Endowed Chair Professor of Law
The University of Tulsa College of Law, Tulsa, Oklahoma - Wendy F. Daboval, Senior Vice Chair, Institute for Energy Law
Vice President and General Counsel, Land, Chevron North America Exploration & Production Co., Houston, Texas
9:10 am
21st Century Outlook for Oil & Gas Careers
Curtis R. Frasier, Vice Chair, Institute for Energy Law
Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Upstream Americas & Head of Legal USA, Shell Oil Company, Houston, Texas
9:25 am
Video: Beyond Law School - Careers in Energy
9:30 am
The Oil & Gas Attorney
This session will cover careers in a range of oil & gas law work, including oil & gas title examination and upstream, midstream and downstream transactions.
Panel Moderator
Curtis R. Frasier, Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Upstream Americas & Head of Legal USA, Shell Oil Company, Houston, Texas
Panelists
- Richard C. Vint, Chief Attorney, Exxon Mobil Corporation, Houston, Texas
- David H. Sweeney, Vice President Legal and General Counsel, Van Dyke Energy Company, Houston, Texas
- Louis J. Davis, Baker & McKenzie, Houston, Texas
- Richard Hathcoat, Caldwell Hathcoat LLC, Boulder, Colorado
Audience Q&A
10:15 am
Break
10:30 am
The Land Professional
Panel Moderator
Bob Costello, Senior Division Counsel, Chesapeake Energy Corporation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Panelists
- Kyle Gallman, Land Representative, Chevron North American Land, Lafayette, Louisiana
- Joyce Trew, EQT Production, Washington, D.C.
- Rebecca Mickey, T. S. Dudley Land Company, Inc., Denver, Colorado
Audience Q&A
11:15 am
Break
11:30 am
Networking Luncheon
Grand Room A
Allen Chapman Activity Center
1:15 pm
Presentation of the 2013 Hartrick Scholar
1:20 pm
International Petroleum: Transactions and Negotiations
Have laptop, will travel. This panel will provide an in-depth analysis of the ins and outs of working on international energy transactions. While there is not always a need to be on location, the complexities of international and cross border projects require additional skill sets and flexibility to deal with multiple legal systems, languages and cultures. Our panelists will discuss how they came into their international careers, and the major challenges that face them in their day to day work. Delegates will also learn what attributes are most beneficial to help a young energy professional pursue and develop an international career.
Panel Moderator
Steven P. Otillar, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Houston, Texas
Panelists
- Justin T. Stolte, Sr. Commercial Advisor, Apache Corporation, Houston , Texas
- Tim T. West, Former Associate General Counsel - International, Devon Energy Corp., and Of Counsel, Vinson & Elkins LLP, Houston, Texas
Audience Q&A
2:10 pm
Regulatory Attorneys
The energy sector is pervasively regulated. This regulation spawns many energy and environmental law careers. Regulatory careers covered by this panel include natural gas regulation, state conservation practice, and environmental regulation of oil and gas operations.
Panel Moderator
Prof. Gary Allison, Director, Sustainable Energy & Resources Law Program, University of Tulsa College of Law, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Panelists
- Gabriel Sterling, Office of Enforcement, Division of Investigations,Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C.
- John McCaffrey, Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP, Washington, D.C.
- Sally Shipley, Deputy General Counsel for Oil and Gas Conservation, Oklahoma Corporation Commission, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Ron Barnes, Crutchmer & Barnes, P.L.L.C., Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Soniya Ziegler, Counsel, Chevron Law Department, San Ramon, California
Audience Q&A
3:00 pm
Break
3:15 pm
Compliance Professionals
This panel will address careers in important compliance functions within major oil and gas companies. Four compliance professionals will cover three distinct compliance functions: Legal/Regulatory Compliance, Health, Safety & Environmental Compliance, and Contract Compliance.
Panel Moderator
John Sardar, Chief Compliance Officer, Noble Energy, Inc., Houston, Texas
Panelists
- Jay G. Martin, Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer & Sr. Deputy General Counsel, Baker Hughes Incorporated, Houston, Texas (Legal/Regulatory Compliance)
- Mike Csizmadia, Legal Counsel, Technip USA, Houston, Texas (Contract Compliance)
- Soniya Ziegler, Counsel, Chevron Law Department, San Ramon, California (Health, Safety & Environmental Compliance)
Audience Q&A
4:00 pm
Employers Perspectives
Panel Moderator
Susan Pye, President, Pye Legal Group, Houston, Texas
Panelists
- Rebecca Wagstaff, General Manager Land, Chevron North America Exploration and Production Company, Houston, Texas
- Kirk Moore, Associate General Counsel, Noble Energy, Houston, Texas
- Jana Grauberger, Liskow & Lewis, Houston, Texas
- Richard Burleson, Burleson, LLP, Houston, Texas
- Eric C. Camp, DeckerJones, Fort Worth, Texas
Audience Q&A
4:45 pm
Concluding Remarks
Wendy F. Daboval, Senior Vice Chair, Institute for Energy Law
Vice President and General Counsel, Land, Chevron North America Exploration & Production Co., Houston, Texas
4:50 pm
Adjourn
Overnight Accommodations
The cost of housing is not included in the seminar registration. However, rooms (in limited number) have been reserved at The Campbell Hotel, 2636 East 11th Street, Tulsa, 918-744-5500 (near the campus) and the Hyatt Regency Marriott Hotel, 100 East Second Street, Tulsa, 918-582-9000 (downtown). To receive the reduced room rate of $99 +tax at either hotel, registrants should advise the hotel that they are attending the Careers Symposium at the University of Tulsa and request the “TU rate”.
Cancellation Policy
Written notice must be received two working days prior to the event (email cburkel@cailaw.org) to receive a full refund. Substitution of attendees for this event will also be permitted. Please call Cindie Burkel at +1.972.244.3405 to make substitutions.
Other Information
Nondiscriminatory Policy
The Center for American and International Law does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other protected status in educational activities, scholarship programs or admissions.
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