Overview
Oil and gas companies need tools to prevent and manage risk in a climate of economic volatility and increasing government regulation, investigation and enforcement. We understand the regulatory and enforcement complexities of the oil and gas industry, as well as the way that the industry is changing as technology evolves.
Our team includes transactional, private equity and special situations attorneys, as well as former federal prosecutors and enforcement officers at U.S. Attorneys' offices, the U.S. Department of Justice and the SEC, along with other litigators and corporate and intellectual property attorneys. Many members of our team possess advanced degrees in disciplines critical to this industry, such as chemistry, mechanical engineering and electrical engineering.
We have more than 20 years of industry experience and can advise oil and gas clients on a wide range of issues, including:
- Corporate transactions, including investments, divestitures, and mergers and acquisitions
- Energy restructuring matters, including bankruptcies and debt-for-equity swaps
- Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) matters
- SEC investigations
- Creation and implementation of compliance standards, risk-based protocols, training and monitoring programs and other best practices
- Conducting third-party diligence on potential consultants, business partners and joint venture partners
- Trading in equities, futures and commodities markets
- Patent protection for technologies relating to the exploration, drilling, extraction and transportation of oil and natural gas
We help clients abide by an array of domestic and international regulatory requirements and defend them against any criminal and civil claims that may arise. We meet our clients' specific needs by drawing on our resources and experience in a broad spectrum of practice areas, including:
Experience
Ropes & Gray represents major oil and gas and chemical companies along with private equity investors in the energy field. Our experience includes:
- Outside counsel to Thunderbird Resources Equity Inc., an exploration and production company operating in Texas, North Dakota and Oklahoma, including in its investments in Gulf LNG, an unloading, storage and re-gasification facility in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
- Representing the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Sabine Oil & Gas Corporation in a case that is among the largest in the wave of bankruptcy cases affecting the oil and gas industry.
- Representing the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Magnum Hunter Resource Corporation in pending cases before the United States Bankruptcy Court.
- Working with a global energy company to conduct a global anti-corruption risk assessment/diagnostic to develop a best in class compliance program and develop interim risk-based protocols as well as conduct third party diligence on potential consultants and business partners.
- Developing and implementing anti-corruption policies, procedures, training, and monitoring programs for a shallow water drilling services provider as well as assisting with market entry into new regions and developing business structure and operations.
- Representing a former BP PLC drilling engineer and the first individual to be indicted in connection with the April 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
- Acting on behalf of a major oil and gas services corporation before the DOJ as a result of a deferred prosecution agreement entered into at the conclusion of a three year industry-wide FCPA investigation focusing on the freight forwarding industry.
- Handling consumer class action and antitrust litigation along with commercial arbitrations for a major company in the diesel and gasoline retail business.
- Representing one of the world’s largest chemical companies in patent interference regarding high solids processes for the polymerization of ethylene.
- Representing a major multinational chemical company in an action for patent infringement on clear plastic filer made from metallocene-catalyzed polyethylene polymers.
- Advising BV Investment Partners, a middle-market private equity firm, in its investment in geoLOGIC systems, a Canadian creator and supplier of data and integrated software solutions to North American exploration and production companies.