ATX-ALTA's May 2024 Webinar

ANATOMY OF A TITLE OPINION

featuring Guest Speaker

Brent Chicken

Member, Steptoe & Johnson PLLC

CPLTA Credit  | CDOA Credit Pending

This presentation will walk attendees through a sample title opinion, discussing each section thereof in detail, and in the process providing attendees with an attorney’s-eye-view of the data and information that should be included and why, the legal opinions that should be present, and the ways in which title opinion recipients can vet the quality and reliability of a title opinion.

Brent is an experienced energy and natural resources attorney with extensive knowledge of the challenges faced by exploration and production, midstream, and downstream/utility companies operating in the energy industry. He regularly represents his clients in complex commercial litigation disputes, business transactions, administrative/regulatory law and procedure, and title examination matters. In his litigation practice, Brent frequently defends his client’s interests in the courtroom, in arbitration, and in mediation related to various mineral matters, including constitutional, contract, and real property issues. For his clients that are undertaking transactions, he provides guidance on the title, due diligence, and contractual issues during the purchase and sale of oil, gas, and mining properties involving mixed fee, state, federal and tribal rights. He prepares accompanying sales, indemnity, surface use, and subsurface penetration agreements.

In the regulatory realm, Brent advocates for his clients before various state and federal oil, gas, and mining agencies; prepares and presents regulatory applications for well spacing, well density, well location exemptions, statutory pooling, flaring, bonding, and mine delineation; undertakes administrative appeals of negative agency decisions and inspections; and defends application protests.

Additionally, Brent regularly prepares comprehensive drilling, division order, and acquisition mineral title opinions involving fee, state, federal and tribal lands. These include, but are not limited to, specialty opinions involving natural gas storage units, solution mining, hard rock mines, and “gob gas" areas. Brent also routinely counsels clients in tackling title curative matters, including negotiating and drafting various mineral and surface title instruments.

Prior to joining Steptoe & Johnson, Brent was a partner at a large national oil and gas firm, and two Denver-based energy firms, focusing on energy and natural resources litigation, oil and gas transactions, administrative and regulatory matters, and title examination due diligence.