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MELVIN W. COCKRELL, Jr.
Attorney
AREAS OF PRACTICE
DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AND RELATED INDUSTRY PRACTICE - Arbitration of
Oil and Gas/Energy Disputes; Expert Witness and Expert Consulting Counsel: Energy/Oil
and Gas Litigation; Upstream and Downstream Energy Transactions and Disputes, including
Mergers, Acquisitions and Divestitures; Financing; Ventures; Participation Agreements;
Production Sharing, Lifting/Offtake, Concession Agreements and related ancillary
agreements; Unit, Operating and Lease Agreements; Co-Owner and Operational Matters;
Royalty Issues; Regulatory, Marketing and Transportation Matters; Gas Processing,
Exchange, and Handling; Offshore; Title Issues and Title Opinions; Surface-Mineral
Conflicts; Coal and Hard Minerals; Drilling and Service Contracts; Energy Deregulation
and Related Matters; Mediation; Environmental; Trade Secrets. Corporate and Business
Advice to Energy and Related Service Companies.
PROFESSIONAL SPECIALIZATION AND RECOGNITION
- A-V Rating, listed in Martindale-Hubbell's Registry of Preeminent Lawyers 1995 to current
- Certified Specialist — Oil, Gas and Mineral Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization (Charter-1986)
- Fellow of the College of the State Bar of Texas
- Mediator Certification: Dallas Bar Association; Completion of Prescribed Courses for Mediator Training and Advanced Mediation Practice
- Significant Representation: Represented Producing Industry in lead Amicus brief before Supreme Court in Rogers v. Ricane II. (Texas Supreme Court, D-3826. 1994)
- Arbitration — order quoted favorably: Genecov Group, Inc. v. Roosth Production Co., 144 S.W.3d 546 (Tex. App.)
FACULTY INVITATION
Visiting Professor of Law 1982-1983, Texas Tech University School of Law
- Oil and Gas
- Energy Law
- Corporation Law (including Securities)
- Student Award - Outstanding Law Professor
Adjunct Professor of Oil and Gas Law
- Southern Methodist University School of Law
- University of Houston, Bates College of Law
PROFESSIONAL AND HONORARY ASSOCIATIONS
- State Bar of Texas (admitted 1970)
- United States Courts of Appeal, District of Columbia, Fifth and Eleventh Circuits
- State Bar Council on Oil and Gas (Term 1986-1989)
- Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN)
- College of the State Bar of Texas
- Frequent Speaker at professional and industry institutes
- Former Committeeman, State Bar Committee on Liaison with Federal Judiciary
JUDICIAL CLERKSHIP
- Judicial Law Clerk to: Honorable Warren L. Jones, Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (1970-1971)
LEGAL EDUCATION
- Law School
Doctor of Jurisprudence, Cum Laude, May 1970, University of Houston; Class Standing – No. 4 in class of approximately 135 as of spring 1970
- Law Review
Managing Editor (Editorial Board)
Published Works: Vol. 6, No. 2, HousLRev. 393; 7 HousLRev. 35
- Law School Honors
- Wall Street Journal Award (Graduate Level), excellence in Corporate Law and Finance
- American Jurisprudence Awards (4 awards)
- Garwood Awards (Scholastic Achievement) (4 awards)
- Member of the Order of Coif – Honorary society recognizing scholastic achievement; Order of Barons, academic recognition
- Selected by Faculty as instructor of Legal Research and Writing to first year law students
UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION
- Texas A&M University, 1967; Degree: BBA; Major: Finance-Accounting
- Undergraduate Awards and Activities:
- Distinguished Student (Dean's List) four semesters
- Wall Street Journal Award (undergraduate level)
- Humble Oil & Refining Company Scholarship
- Distinguished Military Student
- Distinguished Military Graduate
- Battalion Commander, Texas A&M Corps
- President - Society of Finance
- Member: Accounting and Marketing Societies
Member: Ross Volunteers Honor Company
Member: Varsity Rifle Team
- Outstanding Sophomore Awards (2)
POST GRADUATE EDUCATION
- Advanced Accounting Courses (University of Houston)
- Dallas Theological Seminary
PRIOR PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
- Law, Snakard & Gambill, Ft. Worth, Texas, Energy and Oil & Gas Partner (1998-2000)
- Cockrell & Weed (and predecessors), Partner (1993-1998)
Domestic and international energy and commercial practice.
- Baker & McKenzie, Partner, Head of Energy Section of 1500 lawyer international law firm, with offices in approximately 55 cities worldwide. (1989-1992)
- Shank, Irwin, Conant, Lipshy & Casterline, Partner (1987-1989)
Broad-based energy and commercial practice
- Lear Petroleum Exploration, Inc., Vice President and General Counsel (1983 to 1987)
- Manage and administer Law Department
- Responsible for all legal services and advice to NYSE corporate client, minimizing use of outside counsel (over 60% reduction in outside counsel fees first year)
- Active coordination with outside counsel and litigation management
- Acquisition and sales of producing and investment properties
- Employment law, environmental law, anti-trust and intellectual property law
- Exxon Corporation and affiliates (including foreign) - Various assignments of progressing responsibility in all phases of corporate energy practice:
- Exxon Company, U.S.A., Chief Counsel to Exxon Coal Resources, Inc. (1980-1982)
- Develop and implement policy for aggressive acquisition and maintenance of minerals in an era of title uncertainty
- Responsible for legal advice and policy on East Texas Coal-Gasification Project, including means of acquisition of plant site and base assets
- Legal stewardship of Exxon's nationwide coal resources
- Environmental and Employment Law
- Responsible for all legal services and advice to corporate client
- Exxon Company, U.S.A., Counsel (1978-80), Headquarters-Natural Gas.
Responsible for all advice and legal services incidental to the marketing and transportation of Exxon's natural gas in an extremely dynamic legal and regulatory environment.
- Saved approximately $200 Million to corporate client by implementation of suggested procedure for handling Louisiana First Use Tax
- Over $1 Billion of assets value increase was booked as a result of implementation of suggested program of gas contract modifications and innovative application of new gas law
- Served as Chief Counsel to intrastate gas transmission affiliate, Exxon Gas Systems, Inc.
- Exxon Company, U.S.A., Counsel, Headquarters. Special Assignment:
Respond to Federal Trade Commission's Oil Industry Divestiture Investigation
- Esso Standard Libya, Inc., Tripoli, Libya, Counsel (1974-76), Private International Law; responsible for all legal services and advice on matters affecting corporate client, including matters involving foreign governments and private firms, production, marketing and off take matters, employment law, anti-trust and intellectual property
- Exxon Company, U.S.A., Counsel/Attorney, Various assignments
- Humble Pipeline Company, Attorney (1971-1972), General Corporate and Regulatory, Environmental and Employment Law; responsible for services and advice on all matters affecting corporate client
MILITARY STATUS
- Major, U.S. Army Reserve, Judge Advocate General's Corps. (Inactive)
- Completion Advanced Officers Course and Basic Infantry Officer's Court (Ft. Benning, GA)
MEMBERSHIP
- Corps Development Council - Texas A&M University
- Houston World Affairs Council
OTHER
- Co-Author: Texas Practice Guide (Callaghan Publishing Company)
REFERENCES
- Available on request for all prior professional associations
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