Concentration

Energy, commercial, personal injury and property damage litigation; regulatory disputes

Summary

Jason Newman represents corporate clients in a broad range of matters, including energy litigation, regulatory and administrative proceedings, commercial disputes and personal injury litigation.  He also handles a wide range of matters involving indemnity, insurance and contractual disputes.

In the area of energy litigation, Mr. Newman represents and routinely counsels clients on a variety of disputes arising from oil and gas leases, surface disputes, joint operating agreements, unit designations, preferential rights to purchase and crude oil pricing. Mr. Newman represents clients in state regulatory and administrative proceedings and before both state and federal courts.

Representative Engagements

• Large energy corporation - resolved multiple claims related to assignment provisions in oil and gas leases
• Large energy corporation - lawsuit over preferential right to purchase in joint exploration agreement
• Large energy corporation - resolved multiple surface and lease disputes with landowners
• Electric utility - multiple disputed rate cases before Texas PUC
• Refiner - dispute over pricing provision in crude oil contract
• Large energy corporation - various lawsuits involving preferential rights to purchase oil and gas properties
• Large independent oil and gas producer - lawsuit involving a top lease and challenge to the property description of a unit designation
• Major electric and gas utility - defense against personal injury and property damage claims
• Enstor, Inc. - various lawsuits and other matters in state court and before the Texas Railroad Commission regarding gas storage facilities
• Private independent energy company - litigation regarding a joint operating agreement and joint venture agreements
• Large energy corporation - title dispute over an oil and gas lease and joint operating agreement
• Large renewable energy company - representation before the Public Utility Commission involving transmission for wind power

Publications, Speeches and Presentations

• “Shale Play Top Leasing: The New Risk And What To Do About It,” Client In-House Presentation, Houston, April 2012 (Bill Kroger, Meghan Dawson, co-presenters)
• “Nuts and Bolts of Oil and Gas Lawsuits,” Baker Botts In-House Presentation, Houston, April 2011 (Mark Robeck, Mark Glasser, Mike Lennon, co-presenters)
• “Legislative and Judicial Update,” Client In-House Presentation, Houston, October 2011 (Meghan Dawson, co-presenter)
• “Recent Utility Case Law Review and Legislative Update,” Client Presentation, Houston, June 2009
• Products Liability Desk Reference: A Fifty State Compendium, Aspen Publishers, Inc., New York, 2007 and 2008
• “Drafting Enforceable Risk Shifting Provisions,” Baker Botts In-House Presentation, Houston, November 2008
• “Understanding Indemnity, Release, and Other Risk-Shifting Provisions,” Baker Botts In-House Presentation, Houston, April 2008
• “The Basics of Oil and Gas Leases,” Baker Botts In-House Presentation, Houston, January 2008