J. Robert Beatty has over 35 years of experience in commercial dispute resolution, primarily in the energy and oil and gas industries. He has substantial experience in complex commercial dispute resolution in federal and state courts and federal and state administrative agencies, arbitration, and mediation, primarily in the energy and oil and gas industries.
He has represented clients in matters involving federal False Claims Act qui tam royalty claims; oil and gas operations, working interest owner disputes; crude oil and natural gas contract disputes, “take-or-pay”; price redeterminations; energy taxation; lease and title disputes; and surface damages claims. He occasionally serves as an arbitrator in energy-related matters.
Representative Experience :
- Obtained an multi-million dollar arbitration award for a publicly traded exploration and production company in a dispute with a co-working interest owner over the development of a non-conventional resource play (2013 – 2014)
- Obtained a unanimous jury verdict and corresponding final judgment for one of the largest privately-owned oil and gas companies in the U.S. in a dispute with another operating company over the interpretation of an assignment and bill of sale arising out of an auction sale of oil and gas properties. (2012)
- Obtained a multi-million dollar arbitration award for a large private exploration & production company in private arbitration over title defect in federal oil & gas unit in Wyoming (2010)
- Represented publicly traded energy company in lease disputes with Native American Tribe in purported tribal court, federal district court, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and U.S. Supreme Court
- Represented publicly traded energy company in private arbitration over continued applicability an validity of 5-cent cap on valuation of natural gas for computation of overriding royalty under a 1940 farmout agreement
- Represented publicly traded energy company in multiple disputes over title to mineral rights arising out of alleged conflicts between 1835 land surveys
- Represented non-operating working interest owners in arbitration proceedings to remove and replace the operator
- Represented former owner-operator of producing oil and gas properties in arbitration with publicly traded new owner-operator over unpaid operating expenses and overhead charges
Professional Affiliations :
- Member, Institute for Energy Law, Center for American and International Law (formerly the Southwestern Legal Foundation)
- Member, Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation
- Member, State Bar of Texas Oil, Gas and Energy Resources Law Section
- Member, Dallas Bar Association, Energy Law Section
Education :
- J.D., The University of Texas School of Law, 1979
- B.S., magna cum laude, Southern Methodist University, 1976
Admissions :
- Texas, 1979
- Massachusetts, 2015
Cost
Rate : $$$