Upstream Operational Issues and M&A Trends Conference
Houston, Texas, USA
Norris Conference Centers - Houston/CityCentre
816 Town & Country Blvd., Suite 210
Houston, Texas 77024
Registrar: +1.972.244.3403
IEL: +1.972.244.3421
E-Mail: iel@cailaw.org
Overview
Conference Co-Chairs
Deputy General Counsel – Commercial and JV
TotalEnergies
Houston, TX
Vice President and Associate General Counsel
Presidio Production Company
Fort Worth, TX
Clifford Chance
Houston, TX
Registration Options
Early registration pricing is available through September 18, 2026.
- $415 / $475 - Regular Registration Fee
- $325 / $380 - IEL Advisory Board Member
- $325 / $380 - IEL Supporting or Sustaining Member Employee
- $325 / $380 - IEL Young Energy Professional Member
- $325 / $380 - In-House and Governmental Professionals
- $75 - Full-time Professor
- $50 - Law Student
Schedule and Faculty
8:45 a.m. - Registration
9:20 – 9:30 a.m. - Welcome, Overview and Introductions
9:30 – 10:15 a.m. - You Bought the Wells. But What Else Did You Buy? (45 min)
Acquiring assets on state lands often involves much more than wells and leasehold interests. This session will examine traditional transaction risks, state-land specific obligations and compliance issues, and emerging opportunities involving surface assets, water, infrastructure, power, and transmission.
- Kate Champion, Senior Vice President & Chief Legal Officer, University Lands, Houston, TX
10:15 – 11:00 a.m. - English (Muffins), Texas (Toast), and other Choice-of-Law Considerations (45 min)
- Mike Myers, Assistant General Counsel, Talos Energy, Houston, TX
- David H. Sweeney, Clifford Chance, Houston, TX
11:00 – 11:30 a.m. - BREAK
11:30 – 12:30 p.m. - New Country Entry—Establishing the Proper Legal and Contractual Framework (60 min)
There has been much in the news lately regarding renewed interest in investing in Venezuela’s petroleum sector. Likewise, we are seeing increased interest in investing in Argentina’s oil and gas industry. Other countries are drawing renewed or increased interest as well. With this increased industry interest, it would be timely to review the fundamental legal considerations of investing in international petroleum operations. This session will address basic steps to establish or confirm the proper legal and contractual framework for foreign investment in the petroleum sector.
- Michael P. Darden, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Houston, TX
12:30 – 1:15 p.m. - NETWORKING LUNCH
1:15 – 1:30 p.m. - BREAK
1:30 – 2:15 p.m. - Looking Ahead: Opportunities and Challenges from an In-House Perspective (45 min)
Moderator: William Rothwell, Assistant General Counsel, Occidental Petroleum, Houston, TX
Panelists:
- Joseph Adams, Managing Counsel, ConocoPhillips, Houston, TX
- Cole DeLancey, Assistant General Counsel, Devon Energy Corporation, Houston, TX
- Lauren Spence, Senior Legal Counsel, TotalEnergies, Houston, TX
2:15 – 3:00 p.m. - Emerging Trends in Offtake Acquisition Financing (45 min)
- Matthew Jones, Clifford Chance, Houston, TX
- Carter L. Olson, Clifford Chance, Houston, TX
- Shelley Park, Associate General Counsel, Vitol Inc., Houston, TX
3:00 – 3:15 p.m. - BREAK
3:15 – 4:00 p.m. - Deep Rights Transactions: Structuring the Next Frontier (45 min)
As the shale industry exhausts its highest-quality core inventory and enters a new phase of inventory expansion, deep high-pressure, high-temperature reservoirs are rapidly emerging as a competitive class of upstream investment. This session will examine the transactional structures used to acquire, develop, and monetize deep rights and the practical challenges unique to multi-bench development.
- Michael R. King, Latham & Watkins LLP, Houston, TX
- John Stavinoha, Latham & Watkins LLP, Houston, TX
4:00 p.m. - ADJOURN
CLE Credit
Texas Course Number 174336522. This course is approved for Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit by the State Bar of Texas Committee on MCLE in the amount of 4.75 credit hours, of which no credit hours will apply to ethics/professional responsibility credit.
IEL as registrar for the conference will directly apply for course accreditation in the following additional states: California, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. Some of these states may not approve a program for credit hours before the program occurs. The program Approved credit hours will vary by jurisdiction and are subject to each jurisdiction’s approval and credit rounding rules.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Morning Refreshment Sponsor - $4,000 (exclusive)
- Recognition on website and in program-specific emails, which will be sent to several thousand interested counsel and business leaders
- Company/firm logo prominently displayed in the Conference brochure, final program and conference break slides
- Recognition at the event
- 3 complimentary registrants at the Conference
- A table for display of company/firm materials at the conference
Lanyard Sponsor - $4,000 (Exclusive)
- Name on lanyards distributed at Conference (Sponsor must provide lanyards)
- Recognition on website and in program-specific emails, which will be sent to several thousand interested counsel and business leaders
- Company/firm logo prominently displayed in the Conference brochure, final program and conference break slides
- Recognition at the event
- 3 complimentary registrants at the Conference
- A table for display of company/firm materials at the conference
Afternoon Conference Break Sponsor - $3,500 (Exclusive) - SOLD
- Recognition on website and in program-specific emails, which will be sent to several thousand interested counsel and business leaders
- Company/firm logo prominently displayed in the Conference brochure, final program and conference break slides
- Recognition at the event
- 3 complimentary registrants at the Conference
- A table for display of company/firm materials at the conference
Luncheon Sponsor - $3,000
- Recognition on website and in program-specific emails, which will be sent to several thousand interested counsel and business leaders
- Company/firm logo prominently displayed in the Conference brochure, final program and conference break slides
- Recognition at the event
- 3 complimentary registrants at the Conference
- A table for display of company/firm materials at the conference
Conference Supporter - $2,500
- Recognition on website and in program-specific emails, which will be sent to several thousand interested counsel and business leaders
- Company/firm logo prominently displayed in the Conference brochure, final program and conference break slides
- Recognition at the event
- Does not include an exhibitor table
- 2 complimentary registrants at the Conference
Exhibitor (Non-law Firms Only) - $2,250 (Limited to 2)
- Space to display company/firm materials at the conference.
- Name/logo on Conference website with link to company page
- Recognition on website and in program-specific emails, which will be sent to several thousand interested counsel and business leaders
Overnight Accommodations
IEL has not arranged a hotel block for this conference, but there are numerous hotel options near the Norris Conference Center. A partial list of potential hotels or motels is included by clicking on the button below. (Note that descriptions and services may have changed for the hotels).
Other Information
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.
Photo/Audio/Video Release
Registration for or attendance at this event acknowledges consent to be recorded or photographed. We reserve the right to use any photograph/video taken at our events, without the expressed written permission of those included within the photograph/video. We may use the photograph/video in publications or other media material produced, used or contracted including but not limited to: brochures, invitations, books, newspapers, magazines, television, websites, annual reports, newsletters, etc. To ensure the privacy of individuals, images will not be identified using full names or personal identifying information without written approval from the photographed subject
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.
