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Oil & Gas Projects
Over the last 30 years, we have designed Bracewell to be an oil and gas projects law firm. We handle a wide variety of large and small clients involved in the oil and gas value chain, including upstream exploration and development companies; oilfield service businesses; pipeline, storage and terminals companies; refining and chemicals companies; commercial banks, trading houses, investors and private equity investors involved in oil and gas; and investment banks, other intermediaries and strategic advisors to oil and gas companies and investors. Bracewell has developed targeted practices, such as regulatory, environment, tax, intellectual property, and strategic communications, to serve the oil and gas industry. Our industry focus enables us to maintain cutting-edge experience and in-depth knowledge of the commercial, legal and regulatory challenges faced by our clients, so that we can provide the most effective legal solutions to facilitate transactions and resolve disputes.
Representing clients in the upstream oil and gas industry in jurisdictions across the globe is at the core of what we do. Our integrated team, which is one of the largest in the world, covers every aspect of the upstream sector, including transactions; financings; project development and commercial arrangements; environmental and other regulatory permitting, compliance, enforcement and defense; governmental relations; and disputes. Our clients include independent upstream businesses, major integrated oil companies, private investment funds and financial institutions.
The oil and gas midstream business is a primary focus at Bracewell. We are unique in our depth and breadth of experience in all aspects of the midstream sector. As a result, we are able to efficiently provide comprehensive legal advice to midstream businesses and investors. Our large midstream team includes practitioners with experience in the U.S. and across the globe in the development, regulation, ownership, operation, acquisition and disposition of gas and liquids pipelines, gathering systems, storage and processing facilities, terminals, and LNG facilities. We cover the complete midstream life-cycle, from project development, permitting, financing and construction through operations, sales and purchases of midstream assets and companies, and ultimately through the abandonment and satisfaction of the related regulatory requirements. Our experience includes environmental permitting, compliance and incident management and defense; precedent agreements and other storage, processing, gathering and throughput agreements; tariffs and ongoing regulatory compliance; antitrust analysis and compliance; and government relations to influence policy and facilitate regulatory approvals. In addition, in the U.S., we routinely support clients before Congress, FERC, PHMSA, EPA, OSHA and other federal and state regulatory agencies.
Bracewell is among the leading law firms in standardized and structured transactions involving physical and financial power, oil, gas and other commodities. We bring a unique perspective with several lawyers on our team who have had in-house experience working for commodity trading businesses as well as experience with federal energy commodity regulators. Our lawyers are intimately familiar with agreements promulgated by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association and the North American Energy Standards Board and have significant experience with structured commodity transactions, acquisitions and divestitures involving trading portfolios and compliance with related regulations.
Bracewell has experience in all aspects of downstream oil and gas operations, including refining, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution businesses. We act for some of the largest refining and petrochemical companies in the world, as well as financial institutions and other lenders to the industry. Our lawyers represent clients in connection acquisitions and disposals, project and portfolio financing, operational arrangements (including feedstock and offtake contracts), environmental and compliance issues, permitting and other regulatory matters, intellectual property issues, and defending and prosecuting litigation.
