K&L Gates, with offices across the U.S. oil patch, offers extensive experience in domestic oil and gas litigation and international markets. The firm’s litigators work closely with maritime, offshore policy, and environmental lawyers, providing comprehensive counsel across a wide range of disputes. Known for its strong trial and appellate practice, the team represents lessees in complex upstream cases, including hydraulic fracturing litigation and right-of-way acquisitions. The practice is led by London-based Ben Holland, with Fort Worth-based Jeffrey King representing producers, gas marketing companies, and pipeline operators in court and arbitration. Fort Worth-based Elizabeth Tiblets focuses on high-stakes energy disputes, including royalty underpayment and class actions, while Pittsburgh-based Thomas Ryan is a recognized trial lawyer, representing upstream and midstream clients, particularly in the Marcellus and Utica shale plays.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
- Profile
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'They are reliable and efficient. They are smart lawyers whom you can trust to get the job done and think about the business implications along the way.'
- 'The team is knowledgable, personable, and appropriately assertive in protecting our interests.'
Key clients
- Continental Resources Inc.
- BCE-Mach III LLC
- Range Resources Corporation
- EQT Production Company
- BCE-Mach and BCE Mach II LLC
- EQT TGHL Exploration, EQT TGL Exploration II, LLC
- Tug Hill Operating, LLC
- Equitrans LP
- Big Dog Midstream, LLC
- Big Dog Energy, LLC
Work highlights
- Retained to defend this Tug Hill family of companies in a royalty class action complaint on the calculation of royalties on potentially hundreds of leases that were acquired from another upstream producer in early 2016.
- Retained to defend a privately-owned oil and natural gas company in appeals objecting to the issuance of drilling permits to our client and pending before the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board.
- Represented client in defending claims of late payment and under-paying royalties of over $20 million asserted by a putative class of royalty owners in Pennsylvania gas wells.
Lawyers
Practice head
Ben Holland
Other key lawyers
Jeffrey King; Elizabeth Tiblets; Thomas Ryan; Chris Brown