Call for Topics – 2012 Annual Institute in Charleston, South Carolina
It’s time to start thinking about good topics for the EMLF’s 33rd Annual Institute, June 24-26 at the Charleston Place Hotel, 202 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC.
David Morrison at Steptoe & Johnson, Bridgeport, WV, is the Program Chair for the Annual Institute. The Coal Chair is Brian Wells, Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs, Lexington, KY, and the Oil and Gas Chair is Russell Schetroma, Steptoe & Johnson, Meadville and Canonsburg, PA.
Topic proposals should be submitted by email by Thursday, January 12, and contain a brief description of the subject matter and any suggested speaker for the topic – including yourself. The Annual Institute will have General Session topics and parallel tracks on Oil & Gas and Coal. General Session topics could include real property, contracts, ethics, power generation, land, workers comp, labor and employment – any aspect of an energy law practice that is not unique to one of the parallel tracks on coal or oil and gas.
In addition to the presentation at the Annual Institute, all speakers are required to write a law-review-quality chapter on their topic, to be published in Volume 33 of the Energy & Mineral Law Institute. If you would like to see what is expected of each author, you can preview chapters from previous volumes, available as “White Papers” on the EMLF website.
The Executive Committee meets January 17 to select the topics, so be sure to send in your suggestions by the January 12 deadline. Remember, this Annual Institute belongs to the Members, and we want to offer an educational program that will be timely and useful to you.
Winter Workshops on Energy Law – February 12-14, Fort Lauderdale
Online registration is now available for the EMLF Winter Workshops at the Lago Mar Beach Resort & Spa in Fort Lauderdale at www.emlf.org.
Along with changing to a Sunday through Tuesday format, the 2012 program is expanded to include international energy topics – coal export markets, investment opportunities in foreign coal projects, U.S. investment in overseas gas shale projects, and a session on the joint venture money pouring into the U.S. for domestic shale plays. The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the U.K. Bribery Act are covered, with tips on best practices to minimize risks in this evolving area.
The program opens on Sunday evening with a dinner featuring guest speaker Peter D. Robertson, Senior Vice President of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, America’s Natural Gas Alliance, Washington, DC. Monday’s speakers are Howard Gruenspecht, EIA; Michael Farina, GE Energy; Kurt Oehlberg, FBR Capital Markets; Bob Pusateri, CONSOL Energy; Jamie Heller, Hellerworx; Peter Diakov, Wyatt Tarrant & Combs; Paul Forward, Stifel Nicolaus and Co.; Jerry Eyster, GE Energy Financial Services; and Kirsten Nathanson, Crowell & Moring. Tuesday’s speakers are David Ries, Thorp Reed & Armstrong (ethics); Matt Bosher and Edward Fuhr, Hunton & Williams; Jim Crews, MarkWest Hydrocarbons; Jonathan Forde, Statoil Gulf Services; Russell Schetroma and Armando Benincasa, Steptoe & Johnson; Robin Frederickson and Jeff Munoz, Vinson & Elkins; and Norman Herrera, Chesapeake Energy.
There’s one hour of professional ethics, an update on project financing and some of the deals made during the past year; domestic coal production issues – higher coal mining costs, tighter air regulations, and the continuing battle over coal mining permits. You’ll hear an interesting presentation on a natural gas vehicle initiative to convert a fleet of 3,300 vehicles to run on natural gas, establishing pumps and refueling stations for public use that can ultimately lower emissions and decrease dependence on foreign oil. Approximately 13-16 hours of Continuing Legal Education credit is available.
The hotel room block will be released on January 4, so make your hotel reservations early by calling 954.523.6511 and asking for the EMLF rate of $225 for a one-bedroom suite. Direct flights to Fort Lauderdale are often offered over the winter months, so be sure to check smaller carriers for the best deals. The Lago Mar Resort is a family-owned resort on a private beach located just 15 minutes from the airport, and about 5 minutes from Port Everglades.
EMLF Holiday Hours
The Foundation office in Lexington, KY, will be closed December 26-30 and January 2 for the holidays. Best wishes and safe travel to everyone, and thanks for another great year for EMLF.