Helen has more than 10 years of experience representing public and privately held companies and individuals in complex commercial litigation and oil and gas disputes. She primarily represents private operators and working interest owners, landowners, oil and gas pipeline companies, and other companies in complex litigation matters in front of Texas district courts, United States district courts, and United States bankruptcy court.
Helen is a member of the Houston Bar Association, Energy Law and Litigation Section and the State Bar of Texas Oil, Gas and Energy Law Section. She has written on a variety of litigation and oil and gas related topics, including:
- Co-author: Oil and Water – Do They Mix On the Surface? An Analysis and Critique of the Accommodation Doctrine and Coyote Lake Ranch, LLC v. The City of Lubbock, State Bar of Texas, Oil, Gas and Energy Resources Law Section Report. Volume 41, Number 3, Spring 2017.
- Co-author: Royalty Issues and Decisions, presented by Dick Watt, State Bar of Texas 34thAnnual Advanced Oil, Gas & Energy Resources Law Course, September 29-30, 2016.
- PowerPoint: Panel Discussion on Recent Developments Involving the Conflicting Rights of Mineral Owners and Surface Owners, 42nd Annual Ernest E. Smith Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Institute, April 15, 2016.
- Co-author and PowerPoint: A Litigator’s Perspective on the Current State of, and Recent Developments in, Arbitration, presented by John B. Beckworth, the 37thAnnual Page Keeton Civil Litigation Conference, October 24-25, 2013.
Selected Experience
Energy:
- Represent Fortune 500 crude oil pipeline company in defending claims against groundwater lessee for surface lease termination and temporary and permanent injunction.
- Represented non-operating working interest owner in defending lease termination and underpayment of royalty claims brought by landowners of 29,000 acres in the Eagle Ford Shale in an adversary proceeding in Southern District of Texas Bankruptcy Court.
- Represented lessor in breach of oil and gas lease involving a most favored nations provision.
- Represented an independent E&P company in defending against claims for lease termination by breach of continuous drilling provision in oil and gas leases, bad faith trespass, and underpayment of royalty brought by landowners in the Eagle Ford Shale formation.
- Represented private oil and gas company in breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and successful defense of TCPA motion to dismiss against public gas pipeline company.
- Advised operators and non-operating working interest owners in various pre-suit royalty audit demands.
- Represented Fortune 500 pipeline company in trespass and nuisance claims by landowners.
- Assisted in representing non-operating working interest owner in lawsuit related to high value leasehold interest in Eagle Ford Shale.
- Represented executive mineral rights holder for breach of fiduciary duty claims brought by term non-participating royalty owners.
- Represented large securities firms in various FINRA arbitrations.
Thought Leadership
- Co-Author: Oil and Water – Do They Mix On the Surface? An Analysis and Critique of the Accommodation Doctrine and Coyote Lake Ranch, LLC v. The City of Lubbock, State Bar of Texas, Oil, Gas and Energy Resources Law Section Report. Volume 41, Number 3, Spring 2017.
- Co-Author: Royalty Issues and Decisions, presented by Dick Watt, State Bar of Texas 34th Annual Advanced Oil, Gas & Energy Resources Law Course, September 29-30, 2016.
- Co-Author: Panel Discussion on Recent Developments Involving the Conflicting Rights of Mineral Owners and Surface Owners, 42nd Annual Ernest E. Smith Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Institute, April 15, 2016.
- Co-Author: A Litigator’s Perspective on the Current State of, and Recent Developments in, Arbitration, presented by John B. Beckworth, the 37thAnnual Page Keeton Civil Litigation Conference, October 24-25, 2013.