This year we’re scheduling a series of regional meetings to generate topics for the Annual Institute, June 1-3 at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

If you have topics you would like to see addressed, bring your ideas to a planning meeting in your area and take advantage of the opportunity to brainstorm with other lawyers.  Following each meeting, the hosts will submit the topics to EMLF so they can be considered by the Executive Committee next month, which selects the topics and speakers for the Annual Institute.

Just find the regional meeting you would like to attend, and send an email to the host so there will be a head count.  Probably these meetings will take less than 2 hours.  We’re generating topic ideas and speaker proposals at these meetings, with the final selection of topics and speakers to be made in February by the Executive Committee and Program Chair, David Morrison, Steptoe & Johnson, Bridgeport, WV; Coal Chair Eric Waller at Patriot Coal, Charleston, WV; and Oil and Gas Chair Joe Tarantelli, Chesapeake Energy, Oklahoma City, OK.

Again, if you would like to attend a meeting, just contact the individual host via email.  All meeting times are Eastern Standard Time unless otherwise noted.

• January 24, Columbus, OH at Steptoe & Johnson at 10:00 a.m., (natural gas liquids, midstream issues, and natural gas) hosted by Kevin West, email; kevin.west@steptoe-johnson.com
• January 27, Washington, D.C. at Crowell & Moring at 10:00 a.m., (alternative energy, environmental, renewables) hosted by Kirsten Nathanson, email: knathanson@crowell.com
• January 28, Evansville, IN at Jackson Kelly (Illinois Basin oil and gas) at 10:00 a.m. Central Time, hosted by Brandon Renner and Chad Sullivan, email: bsrenner@jacksonkelly.com and cjsullivan@jacksonkelly.com
• January 29, Evansville, IN at Rhine Ernest (Illinois Basin coal) at 10:00 a.m. Central Time, hosted by John Rhine, email: jrhine@rhine-ernest.com
• January 30, Charleston, WV at Jackson Kelly (coal) at 2:00 p.m. hosted by Erin Magee, email: emagee@jacksonkelly.com
• January 30, Charleston, WV at Robinson & McElwee (oil and gas) at 10:00 a.m., hosted by Tim Miller, email: tmm@ramlaw.com
• February 3, Denver, CO at Jackson Kelly (coal) at 10:00 a.m. Mountain Time, hosted by Laura Beverage, email: lbeverage@jacksonkelly.com
• February 3, Houston, TX at Natural Resource Partners (oil and gas) at 2:00 p.m. Central Time, hosted by Wyatt Hogan, email whogan@nrplp.com
• February 4, Canonsburg, PA at Range Resources (oil and gas) at 10:00 a.m., hosted by Barry Osborne, email: bosborne@rangeresources.com
• February 5, Lexington, KY at Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs (coal, oil and gas) at 10:00 a.m., hosted by Brian Wells, email bwells@wyattfirm.com
• February 5, Canton, OH at Krugliak Wilkins Griffiths & Dougherty at 2:00 p.m., hosted by Bill Williams, email: bwilliams @kwgd.com

If you have any questions or need any additional information, contact Sharon Daniels at sharon@emlf.org.   If you can’t attend a regional meeting, please send your topics via email to Sharon Daniels at sharon@emlf.org, by February 14.

Many thanks to our many members who have agreed to host regional planning meetings. We look forward to seeing everyone at the 35th Annual Institute in White Sulphur Springs, WV, June 1-3, 2014.