This conference has become a must-attend event for energy litigators, in particular oil and gas attorneys. The 17th edition of the Energy Litigation Conference will bring together some of the top in-house and private practice energy litigators to discuss new trends in energy litigation, recent case law of importance to energy litigators, and ways to improve an energy litigation practice.

Conference Co-Chairs

Marsha L. Montgomery
Managing Counsel, Litigation
BP America Inc.
Houston, Texas

Jonathan Baughman
McGinnis Lochridge
Houston, Texas

Lifetime Achievement in Energy Litigation Award Recipient

Jack Lewis
Managing Counsel, Litigation
Chevron Upstream
Houston, TX

Download the Brochure (pdf)
For more details, download the online brochure.

Tuition

Note: Early registration pricing is available through October 19, 2018.

$495.00 - Regular Registration Fee
$395.00 - IEL Advisory Board Member
$395.00 - IEL Supporting or Sustaining Member Employee
$395.00 - IEL Young Energy Professional Member
$395.00 - CAIL Member or Member Employee
$395.00 - ABA Section of Litigation Member
$395.00 - Government Employee
$125.00 - Law Student
$125.00 - Full-time Professor
$150.00 - I cannot attend, but would like to order the materials.

Schedule and Faculty

7:30 am

Registration

8:20 am

Welcome, Overview and Introductions

8:30 am

Energy Litigation Update 2018

A review of recent lawsuits and case outcomes of special interest to energy litigators.

Mark D. Christiansen, McAfee & Taft, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

9:15 am

Juror Decision-Making in Oil and Gas Litigation: A View from the Box

How do today’s jurors decide liability and damages? What drives jurors to punish? What do jurors actually think of oil and gas companies? Are there particular “types” of jurors who are difficult for oil and gas companies to persuade? This presentation is designed to answer practical questions about today’s jurors - the issues they care about and the strategies that persuade them — to help litigators and inside counsel accurately assess case risk and effectively prepare for trial.

Dan Jacks, Ph.D., EDGE Litigation Consulting LLC, Kingwood, Texas
Mark S. Sobus, Ph.D., J.D., EDGE Litigation Consulting LLC, Kingwood, Texas

10:00 am

Break

10:30 am

The Royalty Class Action Trial—Lessons Learned

A discussion of the strategic considerations at play when facing a virtually unprecedented trial of a royalty class action from both an in-house and courtroom perspective.

R. Paul Yetter, Yetter Coleman LLP, Houston, Texas
Chris Lacy, Assistant General Counsel and Assistant Secretary, Southwestern Energy Company, Houston, Texas
Robert D. Woods, Yetter Coleman LLP, Houston, Texas

11:30 am

Drilling into Litigation Finance: Common Questions and Ethical Issues Attorneys Should Understand about this Emerging Resource

This presentation provides an overview of the ethical and practical questions that frequently arise when lawyers and their clients consider litigation finance. Among other things, it will familiarize lawyers with the issues they need to understand before engaging in discussions with a commercial litigation funder. The presentation will answer common questions from attorneys and their clients, including how to maintain privilege in communications with a litigation funder and avoid potential ethical pitfalls.

Eric Chenoweth, Investment Manager, Legal Counsel, Bentham IMF, Houston, Texas

12:00 pm

Lunch – Lifetime Achievement in Energy Litigation Award Presentation and Speech

Award Recipient

Jack Lewis
Managing Counsel, Litigation
Chevron Upstream

1:15 pm

Break

1:30 pm

In-House Counsel Panel – Litigation Managers

This panel will discuss the current trends and hot issues in litigation facing in-house counsel in the oil and gas industry and how outside counsel can help them.

Moderator: Matthew T. Regan, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Chicago, IL

Panelists:

Reid G. Gettys, Managing Counsel - Litigation, Exxon Mobil Corporation, Spring, Texas
Tara Kelly – Counsel – Litigation, BP America, Houston, Texas
Amira Love, Deputy Managing Counsel, Litigation, Chevron Upstream, Houston, Texas

2:30 pm

Hot Topics in Energy Litigation in Oklahoma and the Permian

This session will look at important, unique or novel energy litigation and issues in Oklahoma and the Permian Basin and their potential application in other parts of the country.

John A. “Jad” Davis, Davis, Gerald & Cremer, P.C., Midland, Texas
John J. Griffin Jr., Crowe & Dunlevy, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

3:15 pm

Break

3:30 pm

The Changing Face of Climate Litigation

Local governments across the country have begun a new wave of climate litigation against energy companies. Coupled with “public trust” suits and even some environmental citizen suits alleging climate harms, these climate tort cases have spurred a growing debate over whether and how the courts should address climate matters. This session will explore these cases and the legal issues that they pose.

Scott Janoe, Baker Botts L.L.P., Houston, Texas

4:30 pm

From Complaint to Closing, Ethical Issues from the Ely v. Cabot Case (Ethics)

Ethical considerations arise throughout all aspects of a litigation, from the filing of a complaint to closing arguments. During this session, we will address some of the myriad ethical issues that arose during the highly-publicized litigation involving residents in Dimock, Pennsylvania against Cabot Oil & Gas, which has been ongoing since November 2009, and how those issues were addressed by the Court or impacted the litigation.

Amy L. Barrette, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Jeremy A. Mercer, Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

5:30 pm

Adjourn

5:30-6:30 pm

Networking Reception

CLE Credit

This program is approved by the State Bar of Texas for a total of 7.0 hours, including 1.0 hour of ethics. Course ID Number: 174027248. Credit hours for other states will vary and are subject to each state’s approval and credit rounding rules.

For this conference, IEL will directly apply (if requested) for course accreditation in the following states: California, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and 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.

Hotel Information

The cost of housing is not included in tuition. However, rooms (in limited number) have been reserved at the JW Marriott Hotel, 5150 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77056. Registrants should call 1.888.236.2427 and advise them they are attending the "IEL – Energy Litigation" to receive a reduced room rate of $199 ++ per night. The last day to obtain this special rate is October 16, 2018.

BOOK HOTEL ONLINE

Sponsorship

Breakfast Sponsor (Only 1 Allowed) - $3,500 - SOLD OUT

Recognition in the Conference brochure, which will be mailed and/or emailed to several thousand interested counsel and business leaders and will reach many thousands more through email and web announcements.
Company/firm logo prominently displayed in the Conference brochure and final program.
Recognition on the Conference website.
Recognition at the breakfast.
2 complimentary registrants at the Conference.
An opportunity to display company/firm materials at the event or at the conference.

Morning Break Sponsor (Only 1 Allowed) - $3,250 - SOLD OUT

Recognition in the Conference brochure, which will be mailed and/or emailed to several thousand interested counsel and business leaders and will reach many thousands more through email and web announcements.
Company/firm logo prominently displayed in the Conference brochure and final program.
Recognition on the Conference website.
Recognition at the break, including from podium immediately before break.
2 complimentary registrants at the Conference.
An opportunity to display company/firm materials at the event or at the conference.

Afternoon Break Sponsor (Only 1 Allowed) - $3,250

Recognition in the Conference brochure, which will be mailed and/or emailed to several thousand interested counsel and business leaders and will reach many thousands more through email and web announcements.
Company/firm logo prominently displayed in the Conference brochure and final program.
Recognition on the Conference website.
Recognition at the break, including from podium immediately before break.
2 complimentary registrants at the Conference.
An opportunity to display company/firm materials at the event or at the conference.

Hosted Luncheon and Presentation of the IEL Outstanding Achievement in Energy Litigation Award - $3,000 each

Recognition in the Conference brochure, which will be mailed and/or emailed to several thousand interested counsel and business leaders and will reach many thousands more through email and web announcements.
Company/firm logo prominently displayed in the Conference brochure and final program.
Recognition on the Conference website.
Recognition at the luncheon.
3 complimentary registrants at the Conference.
An opportunity to display company/firm materials at the event or at the conference.

Canvas Bag - (Only 3 Allowed) - $3,000 each - SOLD OUT

Name/Logo on one side of canvas bag
Recognition in the Conference brochure, which will be mailed and/or emailed to several thousand interested counsel and business leaders and will reach many thousands more through web announcements.
Company/firm logo prominently displayed in the Conference brochure and final program.
1 complimentary registrant at the Conference.
An opportunity to display company/firm materials at the event or at the conference.

Networking Reception - $2,500 each

Recognition in the Conference brochure, which will be mailed and/or emailed to several thousand interested counsel and business leaders and will reach many thousands more through email and web announcements.
Company/firm logo prominently displayed in the Conference brochure and final program.
Recognition on the Conference website.
Recognition at the Reception.
1 complimentary registrant at the Conference.
2 complimentary guests at reception.
An opportunity to display company/firm materials at the event or at the conference.

Exhibitor (Non-law Firms only) - $1,500 each

Space to display company/firm materials at the conference.
Name/logo on Conference website with link to company page

For more information about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Lilly Hogarth, CAIL Sponsorship Coordinator at lhogarth@cailaw.org or +1.972.244.3424.

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.

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.

Privacy Policy

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 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.

17th Annual Energy Litigation Conference