72nd Annual Oil and Gas Law Conference
-
Live Online Conference
Registrar: +1.972.244.3403
IEL: +1.972.244.3421
Fax: +1.972.244.3401
E-Mail: iel@cailaw.org
Overview
The 72nd edition of the Institute for Energy Law’s Annual Oil & Gas Law Conference will take place virtually from April 21-23, 2021. This outstanding program brings together legal leaders in the oil and gas industry for excellent educational programming and multiple social and networking opportunities with a diverse audience.
Conference Co-Chairs
Sharon O. Flanery
Steptoe & Johnson PLLC
Charleston, West Virginia
Kristi McCarthy
General Counsel and Vice President Land
Chevron North America Exploration and Production Company
Houston, Texas
Deans of Oil and Gas Practice Lecture

Reagan W. Simpson
Yetter Coleman LLP
Houston, Texas
Tuition
Early registration pricing is available through April 12, 2021.
- $395 - Non-Member Registration Fee (Regular Price: $425)
- $0.00 - IEL Advisory Board Member
- $315 - IEL Supporting or Sustaining Member Employee (Regular Price: $340)
- $315 - Individual Advisory Board Members who have a Non-Annual Conference Membership (Regular Price: $340)
- $315 - IEL Young Energy Professional Member (Regular Price: $340)
- $75 - Full-time Law Student (Regular Price: $75)
- $75 - Full-time Law Professor (Regular Price: $75)
- $100 - Materials Only - I will not be attending the conference.
Schedule and Faculty
Wednesday, April 21
8:50 a.m. (CDT)
Welcome and Overview
9:00 a.m. (CDT)
Keynote Presentation - Shaping America’s Energy Policy
- U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, West Virginia
9:35 a.m. (CDT)
BREAK
9:45 a.m. (CDT)
Recent Developments in Oil and Gas Law
This session will feature a review of important cases and other developments in oil and gas law over the last year.
- Keith B. Hall, Director of Mineral Law Institute and Campanile Charities Professor of Energy Law, Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
10:45 a.m. (CDT)
BREAK
11:00 a.m. (CDT)
The Inside Perspective: Legal Issues and Needs of Industry Counsel
This panel of senior industry lawyers will address the concerns of general counsel in operating legal departments in the energy industry and provide advice and guidance regarding new and reliable legal strategies, and the professional challenges they face.
Moderator: Daniella D. Landers, Reed Smith LLP, Houston, Texas
Panelists:
- Meghan N. Eilers, Vice President – Legal Operations, Ovintiv, Houston, Texas
- Aurélien Hamelle, General Counsel, Total, Paris, France
- William E. Jordan, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, EQT Corporation, Houston, Texas
12:00 p.m. (CDT)
BREAK
1:30 p.m. (CDT)
ESG Considerations for the Energy Industry
Stakeholders at every level increasingly expect oil and gas companies to demonstrate a strong commitment to ESG through their business practices. Responsibility for drafting and updating dynamic ESG-related policies, as well as overseeing implementation and compliance of mandatory disclosure and voluntary reporting is a small, but important, facet of counsel’s role. This discussion offers some principles for good ESG practices from the legal and business perspectives.
Moderator: Stacey H. Mitchell, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Washington, D.C.
Panelists:
- David S. Ferris, Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer, Laredo Petroleum, Inc., Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Monica Karuturi, Senior Vice President & General Counsel, CenterPoint Energy, Houston, Texas
- Kevin Kwok, Vice President, MSCI ESG Research, New York, New York
2:30 p.m.
Break
4:00 p.m. (CDT)
Deans of Oil and Gas Practice Lecture
Every year, a distinguished legal practitioner or academic is selected to present the Deans of Oil and Gas Lecture at the Annual Oil & Gas Conference. A lawyer’s lecture for lawyers, the deans lecture is an opportunity for reflection and comment on a career in oil and gas law.
2021 Lecturer: Reagan W. Simpson, Yetter Coleman LLP, Houston, Texas
4:30 p.m. (CDT)
Social Event
Although we can’t get together in-person (always a big part of the Annual Conference), we can still visit together virtually. The social event will be conducted via Remo, which allows individuals to move around to different tables of individuals to visit with their friends, contacts and people they wish they knew.
5:30 p.m. (CDT)
Adjourn for Day
Thursday, April 22
Transactional Module
- Jonathan Ayre, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, Houston, Texas
- Paige Goodwin, Total American Services, Inc., Houston, Texas
8:40 a.m. (CDT)
Welcome and Overview
8:45 a.m. (CDT)
What’s Old is (Sometimes) New Again: Decommissioning and Repurposing of Aging Assets
This session will discuss possibilities for repurposing oil and gas assets for new energy projects, and the key associated considerations.
- Amanda G. Halter, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, Houston & Austin, Texas
- Alicia M. McKnight, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, San Francisco, CA and New York, NY
9:30 a.m. (CDT)
BREAK
9:35 a.m. (CDT)
Distressed Debt Exchanges
This session will analyze the recent proliferation of out-of-court restructurings of upstream company debt, where the market is, and where the market is going.
Moderator: Trevor Lavelle, Latham & Watkins LLP, Houston, Texas
- Steven Karpel, Managing Director, BlackRock, New York, New York
- B. J. Rosen, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, New York, New York
- Lucy Schlauch Stark, Holland & Hart LLP, Denver, Colorado
10:20 a.m. (CDT)
BREAK
10:35 a.m. (CDT)
Managing Antitrust Risk in Mergers and Joint Ventures in Transitioning Energy Markets
This session will consider how to manage antitrust considerations in transactions occurring in markets facing significant contraction or expansion in output. As the energy transition occurs, some market segments are left with the prospects of reduced output while others are seeing dramatic growth. Mergers or collaborations are frequent responses to try to match supply and demand in a particular geography, but antitrust considerations, if not addressed early, can pose significant hurdles to either reducing capacity to match reduced demand or sharing capacity in rapidly expanding markets. We will consider strategies to best position transactions in light of such concerns.
- James R. Dean Jr., Covington & Burling LLP, Washington, D.C.
11:20 a.m. (CDT)
BREAK
11:25 a.m. (CDT)
Applying Oil and Gas Skill Sets to Renewable Power Transactions
The session will take a comparative perspective addressing similarities and differences between oil and gas and renewables in three discreet practice areas with three different speakers. The three topics will be: (1) purchase and sale agreements, contrasting the sale of wind & solar projects (including tax equity considerations) with the sale of oil & gas assets; (2) construction agreements, discussing similarities and differences between these agreements as used for oil and gas and renewables projects; and (3) real property agreements, comparing oil and gas and renewables lease instruments. This high-level survey of cross-over skills will assist traditional energy practitioners in applying their skill sets to new energy matters.
- Jeffrey L. Allen, Wetsel, Carmichael, Allen & Lederle, L.L.P., Sweetwater, Texas
- Becky H. Diffen, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP, Austin, Texas
- Ingrid A. Myers, King & Spalding LLP, Houston, Texas
12:20 p.m. (CDT)
BREAK
Litigation Module
- Suzana Blades, ConocoPhillips, Houston, Texas
- Laranda Walker, Susman Godfrey, Houston, Texas
1:00 p.m. (CDT)
Climate Change Litigation Around the World
This session will provide an overview of the different climate change lawsuits being brought by government entities and environmental groups in different countries, including the U.S., Canada, the Netherlands, Norway and The Philippines. This session will also give practical advice to corporations on how to create an effective ESG policy that mitigates environmental risk.
Moderator: Erica Harris, Susman Godfrey L.L.P., Houston, Texas
Panelists:
- E. Joshua Rosenkranz, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, New York, New York
- Paul A. Davies, Latham & Watkins LLP, London, United Kingdom
- Andres R. Romero-Delmastro, Managing Counsel, Special Litigation, Chevron Corporation, San Ramon California
1:45 p.m. (CDT)
BREAK
1:50 p.m. (CDT)
Reasonable Prudent Operator – The Continuously Evolving Standard
As companies continue to adapt their business models as part of their energy transition efforts, oil & gas operators will require increasing flexibility in the way they develop their oil & gas assets. This session will discuss how courts in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Colorado will interpret the continuously evolving Reasonable Prudent Operator standard.
Moderator: Michelle Scheffler, Haynes and Boone, LLP, Houston, Texas
Panelists:
- Barry Barnett, Susman Godfrey L.L.P., Houston, Texas
- Terry D. Ragsdale, GableGotwals, Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Robert Sutphin, Jr., Holland & Hart LLP, Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Laney Vazquez, Supervising Counsel, Rockies Business Unit, Chevron, Denver, Colorado
2:50 p.m. (CDT)
BREAK
3:00 p.m. (CDT)
Energy Disputes on the Rise – Employment, IP and Antitrust
Energy transition will bring new litigation challenges as a result of additional technology investments, changes in the work force, and antitrust concerns arising from market consolidation. This session will discuss the types of disputes that are on the rise in the energy transition era.
Moderator: Prof. David E. Adelman, Harry Reasoner Regents Chair in Law, The University of Texas School of Law, Austin, Texas
Panelists:
- Susan Llewellyn Deniker, Steptoe & Johnson PLLC, Bridgeport, West Virginia
- Cristina Espinosa Rodriguez, Hogan Lovells, Houston, Texas
- Linda R. Stahl, Carter Arnett PLLC, Dallas, Texas
3:45 p.m. (CDT)
BREAK
3:50 p.m. (CDT)
Government Investigations and Securities Litigation – You Better Watch Out!
The Biden Administration’s focus on climate change and social justice will inevitably increase the number of government investigations and securities litigation targeting the oil & gas industry. This session will discuss how to protect your company or clients against this increased risk.
Moderator: Whitney Cox, Lead Counsel, Corporate Securities, ConocoPhillips, Houston, Texas
Panelists:
- Michael J. Biles, King & Spalding LLP, Austin, Texas
- Ashlee McFarlane, Gerger Hennessy & McFarlane LLP, Houston, Texas
- Bridget Moore, Baker Botts L.L.P., Washington, D.C.
4:35 p.m. (CDT)
Adjourn for Day
Friday, April 23
8:30 a.m. (CDT)
Navigating Washington’s Shoals: Cross-Currents Affecting the Energy Industry (Non-MCLE)
One of Washington’s leading lawyers surveys the Biden Administration and the new Congress, to help us navigate the legal, regulatory and policy currents affecting us –upstream, midstream and downstream.
- Jamie Gorelick, WilmerHale, Washington, D.C.
9:15 a.m.
BREAK
9:30 a.m. (CDT)
Lower Carbon Innovation & Legal Issues
The panel will discuss technological and regulatory challenges associated with the low carbon world, from both the commercial and legal perspectives, with a focus on Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Sequestration.
Moderator: Elizabeth L. McGinley, Bracewell LLP, New York, New York
Panelists:
- Jeffrey R. Holmstead, Bracewell LLP, Washington, D.C.
- Derek Willis, Vice President Legal – U.S. Onshore Resources and Carbon Management, Occidental Petroleum Corporation, Houston, Texas
- Elise N. Zoli, Jones Day, Boston, Massachusetts
10:30 a.m. (CDT)
BREAK
10:45 a.m. (CDT)
Ethical Hazards of Text Messaging and Other Electronic Communications: Lessons to be Learned
The modern world of client representation has become a world of almost instantaneous communications via emails and text messages. Today, our clients expect instant availability 24/7/365 and lawyers that are technology-savvy and equipped with the latest instant communication technology. These expectations impose obligations on attorneys and their clients and demand attention and sensitivity to matters of confidentiality, file retention, and waiver of various privileges.
- Anthony Marino, Liskow & Lewis, New Orleans, Louisiana
11:45 a.m. (CDT)
Interactive Forums and Networking (Breakout Rooms by Topics)
This session will feature interactive discussions regarding various aspects of an energy practice, with each topic in a breakout room having a leader to facilitate a discussion on that topic and to visit. Participants will be able move between breakout rooms.
Breakout Rooms
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Room
- ESG Practice Room
- International Practice Room
- Litigation & Dispute Resolution Practice Room
- Transactions Practice Room
- Young Energy Professionals Room
- I Just Want to Talk to Someone Room
12:45 p.m. (CDT)
Adjourn
Sponsorship Opportunities
Premier Conference Sponsor (Limited to 12) - $5,000 each
- 6 complimentary registrants at the Conference. Registrants may attend in-person or remotely.
- Company/firm logo prominently displayed in all conference marketing material and programs.
- Single page company/firm advertisement in online material.
- Company/firm logo on the Conference website, with link to company/firm website.
- Recognition as a sponsor on conference break slides and orally.
- Oral recognition as a sponsor at Dean’s Lecture.
Deans of Oil and Gas Practice Lecture - $3,000 each
April 21, 2021
Lecture presented by Reagan W. Simpson, Yetter Coleman LLP
- 3 complimentary registrants at the Conference. Registrants may attend in-person or remotely.
- Company/firm logo prominently displayed in all conference marketing material and programs.
- Company/firm logo on the Conference website, with link to company/firm website.
- Recognition as a sponsor on conference break slides and orally.
- Oral and visual recognition at the lecture.
Silver Conference Sponsor - $2,000 each
- 2 complimentary registrant at the Conference. Registrants may attend in-person or remotely.
- Company/firm logo prominently displayed in all conference marketing material and programs.
- Company/firm logo on the Conference website, with link to company/firm website.
- Recognition as a sponsor on conference break slides and orally.
For more information about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Licia Maria (Lilly) Hogarth, CAIL Sponsorship Coordinator, at 972.244.3424 or lhogarth@cailaw.org.
CE Credits
CLE Credit
This program is approved by the State Bar of Texas for a total of 11.25 hours, including 1.0 credit hours for ethics. Course ID Number: 174118582. Credit hours for other states will vary and are subject to each state’s approval and credit rounding rules.
For this conference, IEL will also apply for course accreditation in the following states: California, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Some of these states may not approve a program for credit hours before the program occurs.
Attorneys may be eligible to receive CLE credit through reciprocity or attorney self-submission in other states. Attorneys filing by self-submission in certain states may be required to pay an additional fee. IEL conferences are typically accredited by all mandatory CLE states, but more stringent requirements and restrictions are sometimes applied to online programs. Please review your jurisdiction’s MCLE regulations for more information on the ability to obtain credit for this program.
AAPL Credit
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.
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.