Energy Transactions Conference
Responding to Unprecedented Global Change
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Live Online Conference
Registrar: +1.972.244.3403
IEL: +1.972.244.3422
Fax: +1.972.244.3401
E-Mail: iel@cailaw.org
Overview
Conference Co-Chairs
Shearman & Sterling LLP
Houston, Texas
Supervising Counsel, Mid-Continent Business Unit
Chevron
Houston, Texas
Tuition
- $190.00 - Regular Registration Fee
- $150.00 - IEL Advisory Board Member
- $150.00 - IEL Young Energy Professional Member
- $150.00 - IEL Supporting or Sustaining Member Employee
- $150.00 - Government Employee
- $40.00 - Law Student
- $40.00 - Full-time Professor
Schedule and Faculty
Wednesday, October 7
8:20 am (Central)
Welcome, Overview and Introductions
8:30 am (Central)
Hydrogen, Hydrogen Everywhere, but Not a Speck to Spark Realities and Revolts in the Energy Transition (non-CLE)
- Colin P. Fenton, Chairman, TPH Commodities, Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co., Houston, Texas
9:30 am (Central)
BREAK
9:35 am (Central)
Considerations in Curtailment: Consequences from a Mass Shut-Down of the Oil and Gas Industry
This session features in-house lawyers and commercial managers from different facets of the oil and gas world discussing lessons learned from the major curtailment events that roiled the industry during the initial months of the coronavirus pandemic – from field shut-ins, to refinery slow-downs, to broken pricing.
Moderator: Peter Hays, King & Spalding LLP, Houston, Texas
Panelist:
- James Arnold, President, JAA Energy Development, Houston, Texas
- Andrew Gratz, Associate General Counsel, LyondellBasell, Houston, Texas
- Rachel Le, Assistant General Counsel, Occidental Petroleum Corporation, Houston, Texas
10:20 am (Central)
Bridging the Valuation Divide
This session will analyze the use of earnouts, contingent payments, and other creative tools to get deals done in a challenging environment.
- Matt Savage, Assistant General Counsel, Carnelian Energy Capital, Houston, Texas
- Atman Shukla, Sidley Austin LLP, Houston, Texas
- Justin T. Stolte, Latham & Watkins LLP, Houston, Texas
- Douglas Taylor, Chief Legal Officer, Phoenix Park Global Energy Holdings LLC, Houston, Texas
11:10 am (Central)
BREAK
11:25 am(Central)
When to Sweat the Small Stuff: A Litigation Perspective on Standard Contract Terms
The presenters will provide their litigation perspective, including lessons learned, on some basic energy transaction provisions that often do not command the attention of the parties when deals are negotiated. Provisions will include force majeure, reliance disclaimers, damage waivers, forum/venue, attorneys’ fees, and alternate dispute resolution.
- Susan Hellinger, Senior Counsel, Upstream North America Litigation Management, Chevron U.S.A. Inc., Houston, Texas
- Jason Newman, Baker Botts L.L.P., Houston, Texas
12:10 pm
Limit the Downside: Hedging Commodity Prices in a Volatile Market
After unprecedented industry disruption, producers and lenders need to be flexible and pragmatic in managing price risk going forward. This session will discuss how producers and lenders assess commodity price risk in a volatile market, how they balance competing interests, and strategies that can be used to manage the risk.
Moderator: Jorge I. Gutierrez, Reed Smith LLP, Dallas, Texas
Panelists:
- William Pacilio, Senior Vice President – Head of Energy Commodity Derivatives, East West Bank, Dallas, Texas
- Laith Sando, Vice President – Investor Relations, Range Resources Corporation, Fort Worth, Texas
- Steve Sinos, Vice President, Mercatus Energy Advisors, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
1:00 pm (Central)
BREAK
3:30 pm (Central)
“You’re on Mute” – Being Social in 2020
Join us for an interactive social event with breakout rooms that allow you to meet and visit with other conference attendees in a small group setting. This event will feature small groups and periodic shuffling of rooms to ensure you have an opportunity to visit with more individuals.
Thursday, October 8
8:30 am (Central)
The Ethics of Listening: How Becoming Better Listeners Makes Us Better Lawyers (and Clients)
This session will explore the importance of listening, and how having better listening skills can improve our communications with clients, business partners, outside counsel, and co-workers, both practically and ethically speaking. It will cover topics that arise under ABA Model Rule 1.2, Scope of Representation (Texas Disciplinary Rule 1.02); Model Rule 1.4, Communications (Texas Rule 1.03); and Rule 2.1, Advisor (Texas Rule 2.01), among others.
- Allison Standish Miller, Beck Redden LLP, Houston, Texas
9:30 am (Central)
BREAK
9:40 am (Central)
Tomorrow’s Just a Day Away: Oil & Gas Considerations in the Current Economic Environment
This session will discuss important considerations in preparing for the future in the current oil and gas environment, including rights under JOAs, protections when your counterparty is financially struggling, abandonment liability and other concerns.
Moderator:
- Marcella Burke, King & Spalding LLP, Houston, Texas
Panelists:
- Jeremy Kennedy, Shearman & Sterling LLP, Houston, Texas
- Chris Moore, Executive Vice President - Business Development & Land, PO&G Resources, LP, Houston, Texas
- Benjamin M. Sullivan, Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, Diversified Gas & Oil PLC, Charleston, West Virginia
10:25 am (Central)
Buying (or Selling) a Sinking Ship
This session will provide a deep dive into distressed M&A, including 363 sale mechanics and bidding strategies.
- Luckey McDowell, Shearman & Sterling LLP, Dallas, Texas
11:25 am (Central)
BREAK
11:40 am (Central)
Alternative (Energy) No More— How Renewable Energy Deals have Mainstreamed and How They Work
Once consigned to a corner of the California electricity market, renewable energy in the form of wind, solar and energy storage projects have become the dominant form of new build electricity over the past decade. Renewable energy has upended traditional relationships between customers and their local electric utilities, with many large industrial customers doing an end run to directly acquire electricity from suppliers. And given its intermittent nature, renewable energy creates a risk profile for suppliers, buyers and electric markets generally that creates the need for advanced metrics and risk mitigation. This session will explore these issues through the lens of industrials’ procurement of renewable energy: discussing the commercial underpinnings and legal issues around power purchase agreements, as well as delving into other newer arrangements including joint venture agreements between suppliers and customers.
Moderator: Giji John, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, Houston, Texas
Panelists:
- Shalini Ramanathan, Director of Origination, Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, Houston, Texas
- Jared Johnson, Senior Counsel, Downstream, Chemicals & Midstream Law, Chevron, Houston, Texas
12:25 pm (Central)
Deals Know No Boundaries: Pitfalls and Nuances in International Energy M&A Transactions
This session will analyze the challenges likely to be experienced in international M&A energy transactions. Topics to be considered include treaty protections in a host country, the impact of the pandemic on international energy transactions, the impact of local idiosyncrasies and practices, and common deal-killers in cross-border M&A transactions.
Moderator: Rodrigo Dominguez, White & Case LLP, Houston, Texas
Panelists:
- Fernando Avila-Bavaresco, Senior Legal Counsel, ConocoPhillips Company, Houston, Texas
- Juan R. Dominguez, General Manager Mergers and Acquisitions, ArcelorMittal, London, United Kingdom
- Jorge Pruneda, Senior Counsel, Occidental Petroleum Corporation, Houston, Texas
- Gabriel Salinas, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Avant Energy, Houston, Texas
1:10 pm (Central)
BREAK
1:25 pm (Central)
IEL Virtual Forum – An Interactive Discussion with In-House Counsel and Attendees
Similar to the Forum at IEL’s Annual Oil and Gas Conference, this event will feature an interactive discussion between designated speakers and conference attendees regarding topics of interest. Rather than a scripted presentation, this session will allow attendees not only to ask questions, but also to answer them and share opinions with other attendees.
Facilitators:
- Angela Heywood Bible, Shearman & Sterling LLP, Houston, Texas
- Paige Sparkman Goodwin, Assistant General Counsel – U.S. Refining & Chemicals, Total American Services, Houston, Texas
- Kristi McCarthy, General Counsel and Vice President Land, Chevron North America Exploration and Production Company, Houston, Texas
- Ryan J. Morgan, Steptoe & Johnson PLLC, Charleston, West Virginia
- Brian Salazar, Senior Counsel, Halliburton, Houston, Texas
- Charlton Wimberly, Assistant General Counsel, Marathon Oil Company, Houston, Texas
2:50 pm (Central)
Adjourn
CLE Credit
Texas Course Number 174097298. This course has been approved for Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit by the State Bar of Texas Committee on MCLE in the amount of 7.25 credit hours, including 1.0 hour of ethics/professional responsibility credit.
This online program has not been approved for MCLE credit in any other jurisdictions at this time. Credit is pending in California, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. If requested by attendees, CAIL will also request accreditation in Virginia. Some of these states may not approve a program for credit hours before the program occurs and the amount of credit granted may differ.
MCLE credit will not be requested in any other jurisdiction, but attendees may be able to obtain credit in other jurisdictions by self-applying for credit or through reciprocity rules. IEL in-person conferences are typically accredited by all mandatory CLE states, but MCLE rules, including rules governing online programs, vary in each jurisdiction. Certain programs, subjects, and formats may not receive credit in certain jurisdictions and there may be specific rules regarding who may earn credit or the maximum number of credit hours that may be earned with specific formats. Please review the MCLE regulations and rules of your jurisdiction and contact your regulatory entity if you have specific questions about the jurisdiction’s MCLE rules.
Sponsorship Opportunities
In-House Counsel Virtual Forum Sponsor - $3,500 (Limited to Two)
- One Individual (subject to approval by IEL) to coordinate planning and hosting of virtual forum featuring in-house counsel.
- Single page company/firm advertisement in online material.
- Recognition in all marketing communications, which will be emailed to thousands.
- Company/firm logo prominently displayed in the Conference final program.
- Recognition on the Conference website.
- Oral and visual recognition as sponsor during Conference.
- 6 complimentary registrants at Conference in addition to individual selected to host Virtual Forum.
- Ability to make one pop-up offer during webinar (i.e., free access to firm publication or webinar for example). Offer is subject to approval by IEL. Timing selected by IEL.
Premier IEL Conference Supporter - $2,000 (Limited to Eight)
- Single page company/firm advertisement in online material.
- Recognition in all marketing communications, which will be emailed to thousands.
- Company/firm logo prominently displayed in the Conference final program.
- Recognition on the Conference website.
- Oral and visual recognition as sponsor during Conference.
- 4 complimentary registrants at Conference.
- Ability to make one pop-up offer during webinar (i.e., free access to firm publication or webinar for example). Offer is subject to approval by IEL. Timing selected by IEL.
IEL Conference Supporter - $1,000
- Recognition in all marketing communications, which will be emailed to several thousand interested counsel.
- Company/firm logo prominently displayed in the Conference final program.
- Recognition on the Conference website.
- Oral and visual recognition as sponsor during conference.
- 2 complimentary registrants at the Conference.
For more information about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Licia Maria Hogarth, Sponsorship Coordinator, at 972.244.3424 or lhogarth@cailaw.org.
Other Information
We will be using a third party platform to host the webinar/event. By registering for this event, your email address and personal information will be used by the webinar organizer to communicate with you about this event and other services.
Press Policy
All IEL conferences are held under the Chatham House Rule. Participants, including journalists, are free to use any information received, but comments may not be attributed to any speaker identifi ed by name or affiliation.
Visa Information
If you require a letter of invitation to obtain a visa for this conference, payment of the registration fee must first be made. If you apply and do not receive a visa, please send us a copy of the rejection letter from the consulate, and we will cancel your registration and issue a refund. Please email iel@cailaw.org for more details.
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, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected status in educational activities, scholarship programs or admissions.
Privacy Policy
We do not sell or rent information to any outside parties. By providing your information, you will receive postal and electronic communications from the Institute for Energy Law (IEL) of The Center for American and International Law (CAIL) in accordance with CAIL's Privacy Policy. If we co-sponsor a program with another organization, information may be shared between the parties. All such co-sponsors will be identified on the event details and registration page. At any point, you can opt-out or unsubscribe by selecting either link at the bottom of each email or call us at 972.244.3400.
