Brian Joseph Shelton

BRIAN SHELTON

PARTNER

After serving with the U.S. Navy, where he was awarded both the Armed Services Expeditionary Medal and the Southwest Asia Service Medal, Brian Shelton graduated in 1999 from the Texas Wesleyan School of Law.  He's knowledgeable in numerous areas of business law, including litigation, transactions and agreements for energy/oil & gas matters.

Oilfield Agreements and Insurance Matters

  • Drafts, reviews, and negotiates offshore and onshore agreements with a keen eye on risk allocation issues, helping clients minimize conflicts resulting from the interaction of contracts and various jurisdictions
  • Has drafted and negotiated hundreds of master service agreements, along with indemnity and release agreements, transportation and disposal agreements, bid package terms and conditions, and terms and conditions pertaining to the energy industry
  • Experience with insurance litigation, including developing and monitoring insurance requirements and certificates, coverage disputes and maritime and energy related insurance matters

Energy Litigation

  • Handles disputes between landowners/royalty owners and mineral leasees, with expertise in lease-termination litigation and implied obligations under mineral leases including lease maintenance through drilling, reworking and production in paying quantities
  • Experience with litigation and arbitrations between operators and non-operators under joint operating agreements, along with other claims between companies involved in joint participation and development efforts
  • Resolves a variety of oil and gas marketing disputes

Business Law

  • Transactions—Drafts and negotiates non-competition agreements, confidentiality agreements, intellectual property agreements, software licenses, outsourcing agreements, maintenance and support contracts and distribution contracts
  • Litigation—handles cases involving business torts, non-competition and confidentiality disputes, intellectual property litigation, and employment litigation

Bankruptcy

  • Litigation—represents in cases involving preferential transfers, fraudulent transfers, equitable subordination, substantive consolidation, re-characterization
  • Creditor Representation—advises secured and unsecured creditors in business reorganizations under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code, including complex reorganizations

Professional Activities

  • Member of the Texas, Houston, and American Bar Associations
  • Member of the United States Supreme Court, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Federal District Court, Southern District of Texas and Federal District Court, Western District of Texas
  • Member of the Texas Independent Producers Organization
  • Member of the Risk and Insurance Management Society

Education/Experience

  • Indiana University (B.A., 1996)
  • Texas Wesleyan School of Law (J.D., 1999)
  • Veteran, United States Navy (1987-1991); awarded Armed Services Expeditionary Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal