EMLF held its Annual Fall Symposium October 10-12, 2023, in Lexington, Kentucky. More than 130 individuals participated, including numerous corporate counsel, attorneys from law firms, government, and academia, and law students from Appalachian School of Law,...
Current association: Steptoe & Johnson Law School: Duquesne University School of Law, JD Undergraduate: Ithaca College, BFA Musical Theatre Spouse: Denise Freund Children: Shay Freund and Brayden Freund Hometown: Wichita, KS Favorite restaurant: The Cheesecake...
Register Today! EMLF wades into the field of carbon capture, utilization, sequestration, and storage with its first ever Special Institute on Carbon Capture, which will be held entirely virtually on November 16. Generated from the work of the Alternative Energy Task...
By Keith HallLSU Law School In Douglas Equipment Inc. v. EQT Production Co., 2023 WL 5239153 (Pa. Super.), the “Holts and Lee” defendants own an approximately 321-acre tract (the “Property”) in Greene County, Pennsylvania. A predecessor-in-title to Holts and Lee...
A super lineup of CEOs, CAOs, and GCs are slated to speak at EMLF’s Fall Symposium, October 10-12, 2023, at the new Central Bank Convention Center in Lexington, Kentucky. One highlight will be presentations and panel discussions by notable CEOs, CAOS, and General...
Originally appeared as a Steptoe & Johnson Legal Insight on August 4, 2023. By: Mark G. Jeffries, John R. Merinar Jr. On August 2, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or the Board) decided a case called Stericycle, Inc. This case is the latest in what...
The Energy & Mineral Law Foundation is preparing to welcome you to our beautiful town for the Fall Symposium, October 10-12. Fall is when Kentucky is at its finest, and October is a particularly great time to visit Lexington. From immersive bourbon tours to horse...
Current law firm or association: I am a Shareholder in Litigation at Babst, Calland, Clements & Zomnir, P.C., a great law firm, with excellent lawyers who are also just nice people to work with. Past associations: I spent the first half of my career at Dinsmore...
Meredith Waugh, Appalachian School of Law – $1500 James H. Davis Scholarship + $3500 General Fund Scholarship I come from Eastern Kentucky in the heart of Appalachia, and energy and mineral law has always seemed like a natural fit. My father and his family were all...
Colin Dunn West Virginia University $4000 Cabot Scholarship + $1000 General Fund Scholarship I am a 2L at WVU College of Law. As an undergrad, I studied environmental and natural resource economics, taking the HAZWOPER training course, along with soil and water...
Taylor Ours West Virginia University – $1000 Sharon Daniels Scholarship + $2000 General Fund Scholarship Growing up in West Virginia, I developed a deep appreciation for the natural beauty and resources of the Appalachian region. However, this appreciation was...
Tyler Compston West Virginia University – $5000 General Fund Scholarship After a year of internships and energy related classes, I can say with certainty that I am right where I belong. In the summer of 2022, I had the opportunity to work with the energy group...
Amy Stephens, Texas Tech $2000 Mary Sue Schulberg Scholarship + $1000 General Fund Scholarship I initially became interested in natural resource law by working as a contract landman whereby I researched both surface and mineral owners for various solar companies...
Mollie Naegeli Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law – $2000 Mary Sue Schulberg Scholarship + $3000 General Fund Scholarship Growing up in Houston, the energy capital of the world, the oil and gas, renewables, and energy industries have always been...
Braxton Iden, Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, $3,000 General Fund Scholarship Growing up in Big Spring, TX, resting on the eastern edge of the Midland Basin, constant exposure at a young age cultivated an interest in energy and eventually motivated...
Lauren Stewart, Appalachian School of Law, $1,500 General Fund Scholarship Living and studying in the heart of Appalachia and being surrounded by the mineral industry have significantly influenced my coursework and career trajectory. Pursuing my school’s Natural...
By Mark Heath As the Fall Symposium — f/k/a the Kentucky Mineral Law Conference — approaches its 50th year in 2025, the conference, to be hosted at Lexington’s all-new Central Bank Center, has become one of the longest running continuous programs on...
EMLF asked members who have been to Charleston, SC some favorite things they plan to do when they visit Charleston for the Annual Institute, June 18-20. LSU professor Keith Hall, a member of the newsletter committee, has been encouraging his students to take advantage...
Only a few weeks remain before the 44th Annual Institute and this year’s program chairs are continuing a tradition nearly fifty years in the making, working hard with the planning committee to put together an excellent agenda. Click here for the full agenda and...
EMLF traveled to Pittsburgh on April 18 and Charleston, West Virginia on April 25 on to present regional legal energy updates for CLEs over lunch. The Pittsburgh workshop was held at the Union Trust Building downtown, and Charleston’s was held in the offices of...
Originally appeared as a K&L Gates US Environment, Land, and Natural Resources Alert on May 8, 2023 By: Brian S. Montag, Gail H. Conenello and Malory M. Pascarella On Monday 17 April 2023, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (the Department)...
Current law firm: Steptoe & Johnson PLLC Law School: Washington & Lee University School of Law Undergraduate: Glenville State University Spouse: Ryan King Children: 1 stepdaughter, Scarlett (8 years old) Current hometown: Lewisburg, WV Favorite bar or...
Current association: Louisiana State University Law School Past associations: Stone Pigman Walther Wittman L.L.C. Law School: Loyola University New Orleans College of Law Undergraduate: Louisiana State University (B.S., Chemical Engineering) Spouse: Machelle Hall...
Charming Charleston, SC, site of EMLF’s 44th Annual Institute June 18-20, 2023, is known for its beaches, architecture, food, shopping and night life. Founded in 1670 as Charles Town to honor King Charles II, it quickly became a center of trade in rice, indigo and...
Current association: Member, Steptoe & Johnson; joined the firm in 2002 Past associations: West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, 1995-2002 Law School: University of Virginia Undergraduate: Washington & Lee, B.A. Spouse: Marcy Children: Bianca...
On November 16, EMLF hosted Considerations for EVs (Electric Vehicles): Charging Station Projects and Grid Impacts. Featured speakers were Stephen Campbell, Senior Attorney with Clark Hill in Detroit, and Tom Castle of East Kentucky Power Cooperative, (EKPC)....
Current association: Member, Frost Brown Todd Law School: Duquesne University, J.D., 1997; Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Masters of Laws (LL.M.), 2020. Undergraduate: Indiana University of Pennsylvania, B.A.,...
Register Today! 2 p.m. November 16, 2022 EST As the federal government incentivizes electric vehicle production and some states set transition goals, join EMLF for a webinar discussing charging station infrastructure, grid impacts, and other key considerations in the...
The EMLF Fall Symposium is right around the corner- October 11 through 13- and this year’s program chairs have been working hard with the planning committees to put together an excellent agenda. Click here for the full agenda and registration. Fall Symposium...
Current law firm or association: Bowles Rice LLP Past associations: I’ve been with Bowles Rice since they took me in from law school. Law School: West Virginia University College of Law Undergraduate: West Virginia University – Political Science Spouse: Robert “JR”...
EMLF’s annual Fall Symposium will be held on Wednesday October 12 and Thursday October 13, 2022, in Lexington, Kentucky, with a one-day, optional Solar Institute on Tuesday, October 11. The Symposium provides excellent substantive programming on a variety of energy...
Signed into law on August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act (“IRA”) contains approximately $369 billion in climate provisions and is being hailed as the landmark piece of climate legislation in U.S. history. Among those provisions, the IRA includes significant...
Aaron Cromer, from Oklahoma City, is in his third year at University of Houston Law Center. He grew up near the oil fields, the son of hardworking parents who “imbued in me their tough work ethic in order to get where I’m going,” Cromer said. At Oklahoma...
Emma Duncan, from Cumberland, Md., is in her third year at West Virginia University College of Law. She planned her courses in anticipation of a career related to energy, natural resources, or environmental law. “With every new course, I have consistently been...
Jacob Snuffer, from Beckley, W.Va., is in his third year at Appalachian School of Law. He’s a descendant of Appalachian blue-collar workers and coal miners. Snuffer says putting his all into his studies stems from a desire to give back to his community,...
Tyler Compston, from Charleston, W.Va., is in his second year at the University of West Virginia School of Law. Compston said he always wanted to work in energy, knowing his home in Boone County was “mined and harvested to power and build the world.” Prospects from...
Jay Callahan, from Blacksburg, Va., is in his third year at Appalachian School of Law. Callahan grew up in the mountains of Kentucky and West Virginia. He says he’s studying law because he sees opportunity in how energy shapes communities, and has a three-point plan:...
Professor Keith B. HallLSU Law School Finite Resources, Ltd. and certain other companies (collectively, “Finite”) own both the surface estate and the coal in most of the area occupied by an abandoned coal mine in Franklin County, Illinois. Royal Talon Company...
Register Today The 13th Annual Appalachia Energy Law Conference—formerly known as the Shale Plays Conference—will be held Thursday, September 8, 2022, in Pittsburgh. The conference focuses on legal issues related to onshore energy production, primarily oil and gas...
For Agenda and Registration Click Here Registration is open for EMLF’s biennial Safety Seminar on September 20-21, 2022 in Washington, DC. The Safety Seminar is chaired by Margo Lopez, Co-Leader of the Mine Safety and Health Practice of Ogletree Deakins. The...
Avery Steen, of Odessa, Texas, is in her second year at Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Her hometown is known for two things: high school football and oil and gas production, which prompted her interest in natural resource law. As a...
James Anderson, from Monroe, La., is in his third year at Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University. His undergrad professor’s interest in the environment and sustainable energy prompted Anderson’s interest in energy and its effect on our...
Kendra Amick, from Richwood, W.Va., is in her third year at West Virginia University College of Law. Her hometown was devastated by flooding in the summer of 2016, a year before Kendra graduated. It’s something she can never forget, but it prompted her interest in...
EMLF is now accepting topic and speaker proposals for the 2022 Fall Symposium (f/k/a Kentucky Mineral Law Conference), to be held October 11-13, 2022, in Lexington, Kentucky. Topics should cover some aspect of energy production (including coal and other minerals, oil...
Current association: Jackson Kelly PLLCPast associations: At Jackson Kelly since law school! I was a summer student in 1979 as well.Law School: West Virginia University College of LawUndergraduate: West Virginia University (B.S., Business Administration)Home:...
Current law firm or association: Steptoe & Johnson PLLCLaw School: Wake Forest University School of LawUndergraduate: Transylvania UniversitySpouse: Candace Smith, who incidentally is also a member in Steptoe’s Lexington officeChildren: Wickliffe, 18 months. We...
Current law firm or association: Babst CallandLaw School: West Virginia University College of LawUndergraduate: Marshall UniversitySpouse: Cody BowersChildren: Jackson, age 2, and Julianna, due October 2022Current home town: Charleston, WVFavorite bar or restaurant in...
Sharon J. Daniels, EMLF’s second and longest serving Executive Director, passed away April 30, 2022, in Overland Park, Kansas, where she had relocated after her retirement in 2018. Sharon was born January 3, 1944, in Ransom, Kansas, and was the daughter of Maurice B....
Register Today! This program is sponsored by Reed Smith and will focus on selected ESG developments that impact natural resource and energy companies. Reed Smith attorneys Mary M. Balaster and Todd O. Maiden will discuss: 1. SEC Focus: Security Exchange Commission...
By Keith B. Hall, LSU Law Center The United States District Court for the District of Columbia issued a decision on January 27, 2022 vacating Lease Sale 257, the largest sale of federal offshore oil and gas leases in history. Friends of the Earth v. Haaland, 2022 WL...
Prior EMLF posts have noted some of the reasons to visit Amelia Island—the numerous historical sites, the great options for outdoor recreation, and the abundant options for wonderful food. But there is more! Amelia Island also offers several spa and wellness options....
We’re happy to introduce our 43rd Annual Institute Co-Chairs, Timothy B. McGranor, with Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease, and Martha A. Wiegand, with Consol Energy. The Annual Institute will be held June 12-14, 2022 at Omni Amelia Island Resort in Florida. Click...
Current law firm or association: K&L Gates Past associations: EQT Production Company Law School: University of Pittsburgh School of Law Undergraduate: University of Pittsburgh Spouse: Frank Posega Children: Hannah Lilly Posega (2 years old) and Frank...
Current association: Partner at Cassidy, Anderson & Kane Past associations: I started my career with Sean Cassidy. From there I went to Atlas Energy, Chevron, Tucker Arensburg, and back again to work with Sean Cassidy. Law School: Duquesne University School of...
Pictured: Historic Fort Clinch The Energy & Mineral Law Foundation will hold its 43rd Annual Institute in Amelia Island, Florida from June 12-14, 2022. As always, EMLF’s Annual Institute will provide two days of topical continuing legal education. As for the...
Current association: Babst Calland (2014-present) Past associations: Robinson & McElwee (1983-2014); Love, Wise, Robinson & Woodroe (1980-1983) Law School: West Virginia University College of Law, J. D. 1980...
Current law firm or association: Assistant General Counsel at EQT Corporation Past associations: I joined Vinson & Elkins in DC right after law school, and spent the majority of my career prior to EQT at Reed Smith’s...
The Energy & Mineral Law Foundation will hold its 43rd Annual Institute in a great destination for food lovers—Amelia Island, Florida—from June 12-14, 2022. As you would expect for a Florida beach resort, Amelia Island offers a variety of excellent options for...
Current association: Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs, LLP Law School: University of Kentucky, 1985 Undergraduate: University of Kentucky, 1976 Spouse: Mary Ann Hatton Children: Three cats and three dogs, including a 6-month-old Australian Shepherd puppy who is much more...
Current law firm or association: Frost Brown Todd LLC Law School: Duquesne University School of Law (2011) Undergraduate: The Ohio State University (2008) Spouse: Dr. Elviira Craig Children: Helen (3) and Oliver (2) Current home town: Pittsburgh, PA Favorite bar or...
by Gregory Russell, with Vorys, Sater, Seymour & Pease What is a “Specific Reference” Exception Under Ohio’s Marketable Title Act? In the spring of 2021, the Supreme Court of Ohio used its decision in Erickson v. Morrison to expand upon its prior decision...
Educational Event Set in Superb Location The Energy & Mineral Law Foundation will hold its 43rd Annual Institute in Amelia Island, Florida from June 12-14, 2022. As always, EMLF’s Annual Institute will provide two days of topical continuing legal education....
Current association: Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP (1992-present)Law School: Harvard Law SchoolUndergraduate: Washington and Lee UniversitySpouse: AnneChildren: Hannah (26), Joe (23)Home: Columbus, OhioFavorite restaurant in Columbus: Right now, it’s The Eagle...
EMLF Member Spotlight: Travis Brannon Current law firm or association: K&L Gates LLP Law School: West Virginia University College of Law Undergraduate: The University of Virginia’s College at Wise Spouse: Meagan Brannon Children: Robert Knox Brannon Current...
EMLF Member Spotlight: Kara Mundy Current law firm or association: Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLPLaw School: The Ohio State University Moritz College of LawUndergraduate: The Ohio State UniversitySpouse: ChristopherChildren: Felicity (4) Wallace (3)Current home...
EMLF Member Spotlight: Sharon Flanery Current association: Steptoe & Johnson PLLC (2004–present)Past associations:Columbia Natural Resources (2001–2003)Columbia Gas Transmission Corp. (1998–2001) CONSOL Energy Inc. (1993–1998)Thorp Reed & Armstrong...
Current law firm or association: Reed Smith LLPPast associations (if any): None!Law School: Georgetown University Law CenterUndergraduate: University of PittsburghSpouse (if any): Farren LibenChildren (if any): We have three boys: Avi (8), Levi (4), and Asher (almost...
Current association: Peacock KellerPast associations: EQT Production Co. (Vice President of Land & Title), Bowles Rice LP (Associate)Law School: West Virginia University College of LawUndergraduate: Fairmont State University (B.S., Finance)Spouse: AndyChildren:...
The Energy & Mineral Law Foundation (EMLF) is proud to announce it has presented its 2021 John L. McClaugherty Award to Erin E. Magee. Erin was nominated for this award by multiple EMLF members, including her colleagues at Jackson Kelly, where she has spent her...
Current association: Steptoe & Johnson PLLC in Bridgeport, West VirginiaPast associations: Dinsmore & Shohl LLP. Morgantown, West VirginiaLaw School: West Virginia University College of LawUndergraduate: West Virginia UniversitySpouse: Dr. Emily R....
Current association: Law Office of Kevin C. Abbott, University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Professor of PracticePast associations: Reed Smith LLP (2000-2019), Thorp Reed & Armstrong (1983-2000), clerkships at the U.S. Sixth Circuit and U.S. District Court for...
View the Webinar Confidentiality, Ethics, and Recognizing When Your Colleagues Need Help Email dawn@emlf.org to inquire about CLE accredited jurisdictions before viewing. Over the past few years, significant media attention has been given to the high levels of...
The 12th Law of Shale Plays Conference This event was rescheduled to a virtual format to be held September 15-16, 2021. Register for the 12th Law of Shale Plays virtual program here. The 12th Law of Shale Plays Conference, which is hosted by the Institute for Energy...
Petrochemicals Update Becomes Virtual Series Register here for the Virtual Petrochemicals Update Series. Following up to our popular 2018 Petrochemicals Special Institute, join us for the Energy & Mineral Law Foundation’s virtual program featuring business...
EMLF held its first ever program specifically devoted to carbon capture, storage, and sequestration technology and legal issues on November 16, 2023. The program was held virtually and consisted of eight excellent sessions covering a wide variety of topics. Co-chairs...
Current association: Adkins & Associates Land Services, LLC, Appalachian Mineral Ventures, LLC, Mountain V Oil & Gas, Inc. Past associations: The Keeton Group, BlackBurn Natural Resources, BlackBurn Exploration Education: University of Kentucky, BA Political...
Current association: Appalachian School of Law Past associations: Intern at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy Law School: Appalachian School of Law Undergraduate: Muskingum University Children: n/a unless you count my four fur babies (3 huskies – Kodiak, Kenai, and...
Join the Energy & Mineral Law Foundation for an in depth virtual discussion of carbon capture legal, financial, and technical issues. Click the buttons above to see the full agenda and speaker biographies. EMLF will apply for continuing legal education credit in...
EMLF’s Annual Fall Symposium will be held October 10-12, 2023, in Lexington. TheSymposium begins with a networking reception from 8 to 10 pm on the evening of Tuesday, October 10. The substantive portion of the program then begins Wednesday morning and extends through...
Current association: Senior Counsel at Robinson & McElwee PLLC Past associations: Executive Director of West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association and former shareholder at Babst, Calland, Clements, & Zomnir, PC Law School: Capital University Law School,...