Energy & Natural Resources

For 100 years, since our founding in 1920, Bowles Rice has provided a wide range of legal services to clients, large and small, in the energy industry.  The region’s rich natural resources include oil, natural gas, coal, coalbed methane, timber and other minerals.  Our clients include investors and developers, producers, processors, refiners and transporters of those resources, as well as other alternative energy sources.

Bowles Rice is recognized by the leading peer-review organizations at the state, regional and national level for our experience and depth in Energy Law.  They include:  U.S. News & World Report’s Best Law Firms, Chambers USA’s  “Leading Lawyers for Business,” Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers.

And, over a span of more than 40 consecutive years, three Bowles Rice lawyers created the text and taught the “Coal, Oil & Gas Law” class at the West Virginia University College of Law.  For thousands of lawyers throughout our region, Bowles Rice literally “wrote the book” on Energy Law.

Our clients in the energy industry are able to call upon a deep bench of experienced Bowles Rice lawyers throughout our region to provide advice, counsel and cost-effective, efficient solutions on a wide variety of legal issues, including:

Litigation

• Curative title actions, partitions and quiet title
• Workplace safety issues, nuisance and trespass
• Disputes over royalty, exploration, development and production obligation
• Environmental, regulatory & permitting
• Water, air and waste issues
• Environmental enforcement and pollution liability claims

Real Estate and Mineral Title Examination

• One of the largest, dedicated and skilled title teams in the Appalachian Basin

Commercial Transactions / Mergers, Sales & Acquisitions

• Purchase and sale transactions and financing arrangements
• Negotiating and drafting documents and agreements
• Due diligence projects

Environmental, Regulatory and Permitting

• Regulatory filings and permitting

Tax Issues

• Minimization and compliance at the federal, state and local levels

Labor and Employment

• Providing HR counsel and employment litigation services
• Employee benefits and executive compensation
• Employee safety – regulations, compliance and training (MSHA, OSHA, workers’ compensation)

Government Relations

• Significant experience in dealing with government officials at the local, state and federal levels
• Consultation and introductions, local representation
• Ability to monitor and summarize legislative initiatives and policy trends