5th IEL-SEERIL International Oil & Gas Law Conference

Overview

Presented by the Institute for Energy Law of The Center for American and International Law and the Oil and Gas Law Committee and the United Kingdom Energy Lawyers’ Group of the International Bar Association’s Section on Energy, Environment, Natural Resources and Infrastructure Law (SEERIL)

Supported by the Institute for Transnational Arbitration and IBA European Forum.

Since 2008, this conference has become a biennial event attracting attorneys from the United States, Northwest Europe and Africa, and discussing current legal topics from around the world of concern to oil and gas lawyers.

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For more details, download the online brochure.

Highlights:

• Regional updates from around the world
• Mastering parallel litigation, arbitration, regulatory and criminal proceedings
• Frontier shale opportunities
• Alternative forms of finance for oil & gas companies
• Mature basin legal challenges

Schedule and Faculty

June 3, 2015

7:00-8:30 pm

Opening Reception
Supreme Court of the United Kingdom 

Dress code: Casual
This social function is included in the delegate and guest registration fee. Please indicate on the registration form if you wish to attend.

June 4, 2015

9:00 am

Welcome, Overview and Introductions

• Danielle Beggs, Conference Co-Chair, Dentons, London, United Kingdom
• Stefan Ricketts, Conference Co-Chair, General Counsel & Company Secretary, EnQuest PLC, London, United Kingdom

REGIONAL UPDATE MODULE

Module Chair: Stephen Murray, Herbert Smith Freehills, London, United Kingdom

9:10 am

Europe, Asia and Africa

India:

• Sumanto Basu, J. Sagar Associates, New Delhi, India

Israel:

• Renelle Joffe, Meitar Liquornik Geva Leshem Tal, Tel Aviv, Israel

Nigeria:

• Oghogho Akpata, Templars, Lagos, Nigeria

Norway:

• Dag Erlend Henriksen, Arntzen de Besche Advokatfirma AS, Oslo, Norway

United Kingdom:

• Sam Dunkley, Oil & Gas UK, London, United Kingdom

11:00 am

Coffee/Tea Break

11:20 am

The Americas

Brazil:

• Giovani Ribeiro Loss, Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr.e Quiroga Advogados, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  

Canada:

• Christopher Nixon, Stikeman Elliot LLP, Calgary, Albert

Mexico:

• Santiago Sepulveda, Creel, García-Cuéllar, Aiza y Enriquez, S.C., Mexico City, Mexico

USA:

• David M. Bates, Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP, Houston, Texas

12:30 pm

Hosted Luncheon

• Simon Thomson, Chief Executive, Cairn Energy plc, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

DISPUTE RESOLUTION MODULE

Presented in cooperation with The Institute for Transnational Arbitration

Hot Topics and Recent Cases in Oil & Gas Arbitration

Module Chairs: Karl Hennessee, Vice President – Public Law & Technology, Halliburton Energy Services, Inc., Houston, Texas, and Kevin O’Gorman, Norton Rose Fulbright, Houston, Texas

2:00 pm

Introduction

• Kevin O’Gorman, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP, Houston, Texas

2:10 pm

Mastering Parallel Civil Litigation/Arbitration, Regulatory and Criminal Proceedings

When it rains, it pours, as the old adage goes. Our expert panel explores the questions of what skills and tactics are required when addressing a common corpus of facts in different simultaneous civil, regulatory and criminal proceedings.

• Karl Hennessee, Vice President – Public Law & Technology, ,Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. Houston, Texas
• Andrew Cannon, Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, Paris, France
• João Batista Lira Rodrigues Jr., Lira Rodrigues, Coutinho & Aragão, Advogados, Brazília, Brazil
• Leon Liu, MWE China Law Offices, Shanghai, China

3:00 pm

Issues in Arbitration Involving Re-opening of Gas Prices

Most, if not all, long-term gas supply contracts contain a price review clause, permitting the parties to adapt the base price and gas pricing formula in their contract through negotiation or, if necessary, by recourse to arbitration. Downward pressure on commodity prices is certain to raise the profile of disputes in this area, and one of the world’s leading arbitrators shares his thoughts on unique features of gas pricing arbitration.

• Alexis Mourre, Castaldi Mourre & Partners, Paris, France

3:30 pm

Coffee/Tea Break

3:45 pm

Arbitration 2015: The Best of Times or the Worst of Times? A Debate

Leading practitioners will debate recent developments and “innovations” in arbitration. The audience will have a chance to express its views on the arguments “pro” and “con” using personal mobile devices.

Judge:

• Jacomijn van Haersolte-van Hof, Director General, The London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), London, United Kingdom

Team 1:

• Sophie Lamb, Debevoise & Plimpton, London, United Kingdom
• Dr. Jan Kleinheisterkamp, London School of Economics, Department of Law, London, United Kingdom

Team 2:

• Vera van Houtte, Leuven, Belgium
• Christopher Newmark, Spenser Underhill Newmark LLP, London, United Kingdom

4:30 pm

Oil and Gas Technology Disputes

The business of energy is increasingly driven by the advance of technology. The impact on horizontal and vertical relationships in the industry inevitably increases the number and variety of disputes in this area. Our experienced panel will shed light on what makes technology disputes different and offer insight on how to approach them.

Moderator:

• Michael Goldberg, Baker Botts, Houston, Texas

Panelists:

• Klaas Bisschop, Hogan Lovells International LLP, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• Clyde W. Lea, Former Deputy General Counsel - Litigation & Arbitration, ConocoPhillips, Houston, Texas
• Sitesh Mukherjee, Trilegal Law Firm, New Delhi, India

5:15 pm

Adjourn

7:30 pm

Reception and Dinner
Whitehall Suite, Royal Horseguards Hotel 

Ticket price: [£100]
Dress code: Business

June 5, 2015

SHALE AND UNCONVENTIONAL/MATURE BASINS MODULE

Module Chairs: Jonathan Day, Senior Counsel, Perenco Holdings, London, United Kingdom, and Cyril Vock, Legal Affairs and E&P Agreements, Europe and Central Asia, Total S.A., Paris, France

9:00 am

Introduction

• Jonathan Day, Senior Counsel, Perenco Holdings, London, United Kingdom
• Cyril Vock, Legal Affairs and E&P Agreements, Europe and Central Asia, Total S.A., Paris, France

9:10 am

Lessons Learned and Risk Mitigation in the Local Planning, Environmental and Permitting Processes

The panel will debate the various experiences in selected countries in the challenges made by third parties in the different steps that are required to be followed in the planning process of a Unconventional Project. This will include: claims by interested third parties (land owners, NGOs), challenges to municipal planning rules, environmental impact assessment etc.

Panelists:

• Tomasz Chmal, White & Case LLP, Warsaw, Poland
• Barclay Nicholson, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP, Houston, Texas
• Elizabeth Shepherd, Eversheds, London, United Kingdom

10:00 am

An Example of a Frontier Country for Gas Shale Opportunities: South Africa

Our speaker will discuss Southern Africa hydraulic fracturing opportunities and the suitability of local governance structures for regulating and managing these opportunities. 

• Noor Kapdi, Dentons, Cape Town, South Africa

10:30 am

Coffee/Tea Break

10:45 am

Mature Basins: the Current Legal Challenges

Our panel will discuss some of the challenges of operating in Mature basins, including:

• concession expiry/renewal;
• change of law (including fiscal regimes) and stability provisions;
• access to infrastructure;
• decommissioning.

Moderator:

• Jonathan Day, Senior Counsel, Perenco Holdings, London, United Kingdom
  

Panelists:

• Humphrey Douglas, Dentons, London, United Kingdom
• Marc Hammerson, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, London, United Kingdom
• John Stockdale, JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation, London, United Kingdom
• Jeremy Sheldon, Stephenson Harwood LLP, London, United Kingdom

11:30 am

M&A Trends in Mature Basins

Like all good things, optimum production doesn’t last forever. Basins mature, production declines and economic models need to recalibrate accordingly. Basins across the world are beginning to mature and as production levels tail off and approach economic limits, challenges such as abandonment and decommissioning obligations become an important consideration for both buyers and sellers. M&A activity in mature basins differs from traditional E&P activity as counterparties seek to address the particular challenges and capitalise on the peculiar opportunities the sector has to offer. We discuss the M&A trends in this important sector of the market. 

• John Conlin, Andrews Kurth LLP, London, United Kingdom

12:15 pm

Networking Luncheon

CAPITAL STRUCTURE MODULE

Module Chair: Jason Fox, Senior Partner, Bracewell & Giuliani LLP, London, United Kingdom

2:00 pm

Introduction

• Jason Fox, Bracewell & Giuliani LLP, London, United Kingdom

2:10 pm

Public and Private Equity

Our session will begin with a presentation by Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. on the current state of and outlook for equity capital markets, and private and public equity for E&P companies in the US and internationally.

Moderator:

• Nick Rumsby, Linklaters LLP, London, United Kingdom

Panelists:

• Charles Berkeley, Partner, Oil & Gas Corporate Finance, Ernst & Young, London, United Kingdom
• Charlie Chipchase, Assistant General Counsel, Riverstone Europe LLP, London, United Kingdom
• Guido Funes Nova, Director, The Carlyle Group, London, United Kingdom
• Maynard Holt, Head of E&P Investment Banking, Tudor Pickering Holt and Co., Houston, Texas
• Dato Sandroshvili, Head of Corporate Finance and Portfolio, Ophir Energy plc, London, United Kingdom

2:50 pm

High Yield Bonds

Our Panel will look at the current state and outlook for E&P issuers from the US and EMEA and interface issues between high yield bonds and bank lending facilities.

Moderator:

• Jennifer Engelhardt, Latham & Watkins LLP, London, United Kingdom

Panelists:

• Pierre Maman, Managing Director, JP Morgan, London, United Kingdom
• Stephen Phillips, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, London, United Kingdom
• David Stone, Vinson & Elkins LLP, Houston, Texas
• Brian Williams, Vice President, Corporate Finance, Tullow Oil plc, London, United Kingdom

3:30 pm

Coffee/Tea Break

3:45 pm

Reserve Based Lending

This panel will discuss the state of the reserve based lending market in the US and EMEA, current trends and market convergences and divergences.

Moderator:

• Jason Fox, Bracewell & Giuliani LLP, London, United Kingdom

Panellists:

• Thomas Bethel, Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, London, United Kingdom
• Kofo Dosekun, Aluko & Oyebode, Lagos, Nigeria
• Dewey Gonsoulin, Bracewell & Giuliani LLP, Houston, Texas
• Laure Pironneau-Morris, Executive Partner, Cofarco, Paris, France

4:20 pm

Alternative Sources of Debt Finance

This panel will discuss the state of the Norwegian bond market for E&P companies and alternative non-bank sources of funding for E&P companies.

Moderator:

• Huw Thomas, Ashurst, London, United Kingdom

Panelists:

• Atle Gabrielsen, Artzen de Besche Advokatfirma AS, Oslo, Norway
• Jan Laubjerg, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, FlowStream Commodities, London, United Kingdom
• Jonathan Marsh, Head of Legal, Vitol Group, London, United Kingdom
• Kjetil Myklebust, ABG Sundal Collier, Oslo, Norway

5:00 pm

Adjourn

MCLE Credit / CPD Hours

Conference Certificates of Attendance will be provided to all registrants. The Certificate may be used to obtain accreditation in self-reporting MCLE credit states (US).

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