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Conference art

51st Annual Ernest E. Smith

Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Institute

Houston Apr 3-4, 2025 Royal Sonesta Hotel Houston

$625 Individual  |  $725 after Mar 19

$565 Group rate per person (5 registrants minimum)  |  $665 after Mar 19

$500 Group rate per person (10 registrants minimum)  |  $600 after Mar 19

Live Webcast Apr 3-4, 2025

$725 Individual

$655 Group rate per person (5 registrants minimum)

$580 Group rate per person (10 registrants minimum)

$75 Add-on rate for in-person registrants

Register
Related products: Materials
PRESENTED BY
The University of Texas School of Law
The Oil, Gas and Energy Resources Law Section of the State Bar of Texas (OGERL) 

Overview

Now in its 51st year the Institute continues to be the definitive course for attorneys, corporate lawyers, E&P operators, and landmen, and it brings together a distinguished faculty of academics and practitioners for presentations on the latest oil and gas developments.

  • Register now

Event Schedule

Program is subject to change.
All times are Central Time Zone.

  • Day 1 April 3, 2025
  • Day 2 April 4, 2025
  • Time
    Credit
    Subject
    Speaker
  • Thursday Morning, Apr. 3, 2025
  • 7:30 am
    Houston Only
    Registration Opens
    Includes continental breakfast.

  • 8:30 am
    Welcoming Remarks

  • 8:40 am
    0.75 hr
    0.25 hr ethics
    Case Law Update: Part One
    Review recent decisions dealing with oil and gas leases, royalties, mineral conveyances, joint operating agreements, state regulation, and related topics.

    Owen L. Anderson, The University of Texas School of Law - Austin, TX

  • 9:25 am
    0.50 hr
    The End of Chevron Deference: Implications for the Oil & Gas Industry
    After 40 years, the Chevron doctrine has been overruled, fundamentally changing how the oil and gas industry navigates federal regulations as federal courts stand ready to play a more active role in interpreting regulatory statutes. Explore the impacts of this shift in power on the industry as a whole. 

    M. Alejandra Salas, McGinnis Lochridge, LLP - Austin, TX

  • 9:55 am
    0.50 hr
    Pore Some More
    Discuss ownership rights in Texas of subsurface pore spaces.

    Peter Hosey, Jackson Walker LLP - San Antonio, TX

  • 10:25 am
    15-Minute Break

  • 10:40 am
    0.50 hr
    Carbon Capture and Sequestration Permitting and Contract Issues
    Address recent developments in state and federal regulation of the rapidly evolving carbon capture industry in Texas and recent trends in negotiating pore space agreements. 

    Thomas M. Weber, McElroy, Sullivan, Miller & Weber, LLP - Austin, TX

  • 11:10 am
    0.50 hr
    Case Law Update: Part Two
    Review recent decisions dealing with oil and gas leases, royalties, mineral conveyances, joint operating agreements, state regulation, and related topics.

    Owen L. Anderson, The University of Texas School of Law - Austin, TX

  • 11:40 am
    Houston Only
    Pick Up Lunch (in Houston)
    Included in registration.

  • Thursday Afternoon, Apr. 3, 2025
  • KEYNOTE LUNCHEON PRESENTATION
  • 12:00 pm
    0.50 hr
    Pulling the Brake on Predatory Litigation
    Our legal system is being exploited to generate unreasonable jury verdicts and unjust settlements that are inconsistent with fairness, efficiency, and the rule of law.  What are the root causes of this crisis and what strategies are available to counteract these abuses and promote fairness and predictability?

    Justin Anderson, ExxonMobil - Houston, TX

  • 12:30 pm
    15-Minute Break

  • 12:45 pm
    0.50 hr
    The Meaning of ‘Other Minerals’ and Other Incidents of Mineral Ownership
    A reexamination of the granting clause and the meaning of “other minerals” as they pertain to other incidents of the mineral estate, including produced water, lithium, and porous space.

    Monika U. Ehrman, SMU Dedman School of Law - Dallas, TX

  • 1:15 pm
    0.50 hr
    Recent Developments in Deed Interpretation Issues in Mineral Conveyancing
    Focus on recent developments in deed interpretation issues common to mineral conveyancing, including the “four corners” doctrine and “surrounding circumstances,” and examine recent case law implicating such interpretive issues.  

    Katy Wehmeyer, Santoyo Wehmeyer P.C. - San Antonio, TX

  • 1:45 pm
    0.50 hr
    Royalty Updates and Issues
    A summary of decisions and emerging issues in royalty-related disputes.

    David Drez III, Wick Phillips - Fort Worth, TX

  • 2:15 pm
    0.50 hr
    Adverse Possession of a Working Interest by a Non-Operator
    Courts and parties have long struggled with how to apply adverse possession to mineral interests. Discuss one area of this uncertainty that is rapidly evolving: adverse possession claims of working interest by non-operators, including the Amarillo Court of Appeals’ recent decision in PBEX II, LLC v. Dorchester Minerals, L.P.

    Samantha L. Thompson, Hogan Thompson Schuelke LLP - Houston, TX

  • 2:45 pm
    15-Minute Break

  • 3:00 pm
    0.50 hr
    Leasing and Development of State Lands and Minerals 
    Broad-ranging discussion regarding the leasing of approximately 13 million acres of state land in Texas managed by the General Land Office. Topics include oil and gas leasing, pooling, allocation wells, and lease audits, as well as brine mining, geothermal leasing, and leasing for carbon sequestration. 

    Nick Orman, Texas General Land Office - Austin, TX

  • 3:30 pm
    0.50 hr
    Navigating Lease Termination Claims in Active Development Plays
    Review some of the more common varieties of oil and gas lease termination claims, and discuss practical considerations for continued development of disputed properties in the midst of pending litigation.

    J. Derrick Price, McGinnis Lochridge - Austin, TX

  • 4:00 pm
    0.75 hr ethics
    Texas Business Courts: The First 6+ Months
    A view from the Business Court & Fifteenth Court of Appeals - Rules, Procedures, Cases & Know-How

    Hon. Sofia Adrogué, Eleventh Business Court Division - Houston, TX
    Hon. Scott A. Brister, Fifteenth Court of Appeals - Austin, TX

  • 4:45 pm
    Houston Only
    Adjourn to Reception

  • Time
    Credit
    Subject
    Speaker
  • Friday Morning, Apr. 4, 2025
  • 8:00 am
    Houston Only
    Conference Room Opens

  • 8:30 am
    0.50 hr
    Purchase and Sale Agreements: What's New

    Elizabeth "Liz" Felicidario, Haynes Boone, LLP - Houston, TX

  • 9:00 am
    0.50 hr ethics
    Updated Texas Disciplinary Rules: What You Should Know
    New and amended disciplinary rules took effect in October 2024, adding a number of clarifications and additional provisions. Hear a summary of rule changes relevant to an oil and gas practitioner.

    Olga Kobzar, Scott Douglass & McConnico LLP - Austin, TX

  • 9:30 am
    0.50 hr
    Accommodating Concurrent Real Estate and Mineral Development in Urban Areas and Beyond
    Revisiting surface use agreements and Chapter 92 of the Texas Natural Resources Code.

    Ross Sutherland, Scott Douglass & McConnico LLP - Austin, TX

  • 10:00 am
    0.50 hr
    Mineral Interest Pooling Act
    A short history of the MIPA and discussion of its current application and use.

    Robert G. Hargrove, Davis, Gerald & Cremer PC - Austin, TX

  • 10:30 am
    15-Minute Break

  • 10:45 am
    0.50 hr
    The Curious Case of the Modern Non-Participating Leasehold Co-Tenant
    Unlike traditional leasehold co-tenancy, modern leasehold co-tenancy in horizontal wells presents unique challenges. Following the holding in Apache v. Devon, where the court determined that an operator not in privity with another leasehold owner has no duty or obligation to pay the royalties on that leasehold owner’s leases, practical questions have emerged over the payment of royalty to the non-participating leasehold co-tenant’s lessors and mineral owners, which questions include: Who has the obligation to pay the royalty? When does the obligation to pay royalty accrue?  What happens if a well doesn’t pay out?  What is the statute of limitations and how is it measured? How are royalties calculated in absence of production and price information?

    Thomas M. “Mike” Murray, McMahon Surovik Suttle, PC - Abilene, TX

  • 11:15 am
    0.50 hr
    Water Use Rights in Oil and Gas Operations
    An overview of what you need to know for your next water deal supporting oil and gas operations. Specifically, we will explore water law in the oil patch, acquiring water rights or the right to drill water wells, and structuring water transactions for oil and gas operations. 

    Taylor Spalla, Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP - Fort Worth, TX

  • 11:45 am
    1.00 hr ethics
    Use of AI in Litigation

  • 12:45 pm
    Adjourn

  • Day 1 April 3, 2025
  • Day 2 April 4, 2025
Download Schedule

Conference Faculty

Hon. Sofia Adrogué

Eleventh Business Court Division
Houston, TX

Justin Anderson

ExxonMobil
Houston, TX

Owen L. Anderson

The University of Texas School of Law
Austin, TX

Hon. Scott A. Brister

Fifteenth Court of Appeals
Austin, TX

David Drez III

Wick Phillips
Fort Worth, TX

Monika U. Ehrman

SMU Dedman School of Law
Dallas, TX

Elizabeth "Liz" Felicidario

Haynes Boone, LLP
Houston, TX

Robert G. Hargrove

Davis, Gerald & Cremer PC
Austin, TX

Peter Hosey

Jackson Walker LLP
San Antonio, TX

Olga Kobzar

Scott Douglass & McConnico LLP
Austin, TX

Thomas M. “Mike” Murray

McMahon Surovik Suttle, PC
Abilene, TX

Nick Orman

Texas General Land Office
Austin, TX

J. Derrick Price

McGinnis Lochridge
Austin, TX

M. Alejandra Salas

McGinnis Lochridge, LLP
Austin, TX

Taylor Spalla

Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP
Fort Worth, TX

Ross Sutherland

Scott Douglass & McConnico LLP
Austin, TX

Samantha L. Thompson

Hogan Thompson Schuelke LLP
Houston, TX

Thomas M. Weber

McElroy, Sullivan, Miller & Weber, LLP
Austin, TX

Katy Wehmeyer

Santoyo Wehmeyer P.C.
San Antonio, TX

Planning Committee

Christopher S. Kulander—Co-Chair

South Texas College of Law - Houston
Houston, TX

Paul Santoyo—Co-Chair

Santoyo Wehmeyer P.C.
San Antonio, TX

S. Jack Balagia Jr.

The University of Texas School of Law
Austin, TX

J. Byron (Trace) Burton III

Uhl, Fitzsimons, Jewett, Burton, Wolff & Rangel, PLLC
San Antonio, TX

Gregory C. Cox

EOG Resources, Inc.
Houston, TX

Jacob M. Davidson

Davis Gerald & Cremer
Midland, TX

Brandon Durrett

Jackson Walker LLP
San Antonio, TX

Monika U. Ehrman

SMU Dedman School of Law
Dallas, TX

Robert G. Hargrove

Davis, Gerald & Cremer PC
Austin, TX

Christopher Michael Hogan

Hogan Thompson Schuelke LLP
Houston, TX

Norma Rosner Iacovo

Tenaska Power Services Co.
Irving, TX

Michael D. Jones

Jones Gill Porter Crawford & Crawford LLP
Houston, TX

Kelli Tieken Kenney

McElroy, Sullivan, Miller & Weber, LLP
Austin, TX

Olga Kobzar

Scott Douglass & McConnico LLP
Austin, TX

Carroll G. Martin

Scott Douglass & McConnico LLP
Austin, TX

David Michael Patton

Locke Lord LLP
Houston, TX

Michael P. Pearson

Jackson Walker LLP
Houston, TX

J. Derrick Price

McGinnis Lochridge
Austin, TX

Donato David Ramos Jr.

Law Offices of Donato D. Ramos P.L.L.C.
Laredo, TX

Jaime S. Rangel

Uhl, Fitzsimons, Burton, Wolff & Rangel, PLLC
San Antonio, TX

April Rogers

The University of Texas School of Law
Austin, TX

Ernest E. Smith

The University of Texas School of Law
Austin, TX

Katy Wehmeyer

Santoyo Wehmeyer P.C.
San Antonio, TX

Key Dates

Houston – Apr 3-4, 2025 – Royal Sonesta Hotel Houston
Live Webcast – Apr 3-4, 2025
Register now
  • Houston
  • Live Webcast
Individual
Last day for $625.00 Regular pricing: Mar 19, 2025

$725.00 for registrations received after this time

Group (5 registrants minimum)
Last day for $565.00 Regular pricing: Mar 19, 2025

$665.00 for registrations received after this time

Group (10 registrants minimum)
Last day for $500.00 Regular pricing: Mar 19, 2025

$600.00 for registrations received after this time

Individual
Last day for $725.00 Regular pricing: Mar 19, 2025

$725.00 for registrations received after this time

Group (5 registrants minimum)
Last day for $655.00 Regular pricing: Mar 19, 2025

$655.00 for registrations received after this time

Group (10 registrants minimum)
Last day for $580.00 Regular pricing: Mar 19, 2025

$580.00 for registrations received after this time

Add-on
Last day for $75.00 Regular pricing: Mar 19, 2025

$75.00 for registrations received after this time

Last day for cancellation (full refund): Mar 28, 2025

$50 processing fee applied after this date

Last day for cancellation: Mar 31, 2025

Venue

speaker

Royal Sonesta Hotel Houston

2222 West Loop South
Houston, TX 77027-3502
713.627.7600
Map

Accommodations

$189 room rate good through March 12, 2025(subject to availability). Call 855-463-3091 and reference "UT Law 2025 Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Institute" when you make your reservation or click here to book online. 

Parking Information

$12 daily self-parking; $24 overnight self-parking; $18 valet daily parking; $31.50 valet overnight 

Additional Information

The conference will take place in the Founders Ballroom on the main level of the hotel.

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