Education

The University of Oklahoma

B.A. in Sociology/Criminology, 2005

The University of Oklahoma College of Law

J.D. 2008

Admissions

Texas, 2008

Oklahoma, 2011

North Dakota, 2011

U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit

U.S. District Courts

Northern District of Texas

Southern District of Texas

Eastern District of Oklahoma

Western District of Oklahoma

Eastern District of Colorado

Western District of Colorado

Memberships & Activities

State Bar of Texas

State Bar of Oklahoma

American Bar Association

Houston Bar Association

Association of International Petroleum Negotiators

Awards

Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Peer-Reviewed

Scott’s practice focuses on property – whether the property be real estate, oil & gas, or personal property. Scott has experience dealing with property issues in both real estate transaction and litigation involving property including ancillary probate litigation. He has represented clients in both state and federal courts for over a decade. Scott’s experience includes:

• • • Representing parties in ancillary probate litigation involving various disputes including, but not limited to will contests, informal/common law marriages, and heirship disputes
    • Disputes regarding the validity of non-probate transfers such as transfer on death and “ladybird” deeds.
    • Litigating oil and gas disputes, condemnation, environmental contamination, and general commercial litigation matters
    • Preparing transactional documents for both commercial and residential real estate matters
    • Negotiating and drafting purchase and sales agreements, asset purchase agreements, joint operating agreements, and assignments in connection with oil and gas acquisitions and divestitures
    • Negotiating surface use agreements, easements, and other contracts as well as providing review and analysis of existing agreements
    • Preparing deeds, leases, notes, deeds of trust, liens, UCC filings, surface use waivers, stipulations, and personal guarantees
    • Advising clients on environmental issues and land use restrictions and preparing agreements to mitigate or minimize risks associated therewith encountered in the course of acquisition or divestment

Representative Matters

• • • Successfully prosecuted a claim for a common law marriage in an heirship dispute involving substantial assets
    • Defended a nuclear family’s inheritance from the claims of a remote “laughing” heir
    • Represented oil and gas investors in business disputes against former partners
    • Defended a small oil and gas company against a multi-million dollar indemnity demand stemming from a prior operator’s environmental contamination
    • Represented the purchaser of an off-shore production platform in a dispute with the seller
    • Represented the owner and producer of mineral salt in two issues of first impression under Texas law: the obligations of a self-developing mineral owner in its satisfaction of royalty obligations and the ownership of the subsurface storage rights in artificially created salt caverns
    • Prosecuted environmental contamination claims on behalf of landowners against oil and gas operators
    • Negotiated with various state and federal agencies, private landowners, and other companies regarding upstream oil and gas issues including abandonment liability and well-site cleanup, production reporting, surface use restrictions, royalty disputes, negotiated and drafted joint operating agreements, leases, assignments, and other operational agreements
    • Advised clients on various issues related to transacting business in Indian Country
    • Prepared brokers’ liens on behalf of commercial real estate agents
    • Served as lead counsel in litigation to recover brokers’ unpaid commissions
    • Assisted residential and commercial property owners with the removal of historical encumbrances on properties