Michael P. Pearson

Partner, Houston Office

Biography
Involvement
Recognition
Speeches / Publications
News

Biography

Michael P. Pearson has practiced in the area of energy law since 1978, representing numerous Texas-based, national, and international energy companies and financial institutions.

Mr. Pearson has long experience in a broad range of matters relating to the energy industry, including taxable and tax-free sales and acquisitions of public and private energy company stocks, assets, and properties, including producing properties, gathering systems, jurisdictional and non-jurisdictional pipeline systems, processing plants, and onshore and offshore drilling rigs; gas marketing and transportation matters, including processing agreements, volumetric and reserve-based gas sale agreements, and electric power plant and other industrial fuel supply agreements; retail electric power sales in the ERCOT market area; energy futures and derivative transactions; energy-related structured financing transactions; choice of business entity issues; oil and gas exploration and development agreements; day-to-day operational matters relating to private, state, and federal leases, both onshore and offshore; title examinations covering private, state, and federal lands; coal seam methane production and financing matters; private, state, and federal royalty valuation matters; and bankruptcy matters.

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Organization Membership

Mr. Pearson is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the Houston Bar Association, the International Bar Association, and the American Bar Association. Mr. Pearson previously served as Vice-Chairman of the Exploration and Production Committee of the Section of Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law of the ABA and is currently the Immediate Past-Chair of the Council of the Oil, Gas and Energy Resources Law Section of the State Bar of Texas. He is a Sustaining Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation.

More about Michael P. Pearson: Biography | Recognition | Speeches / Publications | News

Peer Recognition

Mr. Pearson is listed in The Best Lawyers in America under Natural Resources Law as well as Oil & Gas Law. In 2007, he was named one of the "500 Top Deal Makers in America." He was also named a "Super Lawyer" (2007-2011) by Thomson Reuters. Legal Media Group included Mr. Pearson as one of the "World's Leading Energy & Natural Resource Lawyers" in their 2008 and 2010 editions of Expert Guide. In 2005, Lawdragon Magazine selected Mr. Pearson as one of the "500 Best Lawyers in America" and in 2010, Mr. Pearson was designated as a member of the Lawdragon Top 3000.

More about Michael P. Pearson: Biography | Involvement | Speeches / Publications | News

Speeches / Publications

Mr. Pearson has authored numerous articles relating to banking and energy matters, including "Enforceability of Dragnet Clauses in Deeds of Trust," published in the 1978 edition of the Texas Law Review (co-authored with Robert G. Reedy); "Absolute v. Conditional Protection for Secured Parties: Problems of Lapsed Perfection Under Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code," published in the 1979 edition of the Houston Law Review; and "The Technological, Economic and Legal Aspects of Methane Production from Coal Seams," published in the 1984 International Energy Law Symposium sponsored by the International Bar Association (co-authored with Bill W. Dunn and L. Todd Gremillion).

Mr. Pearson has also been a frequent speaker at continuing legal education programs and seminars. Mr. Pearson delivered a paper entitled "Some Thoughts Concerning Farmout Agreements" to the 37th Annual Mineral Law Institute sponsored by Louisiana State University, in March 1990, and a paper entitled "Perfecting Title to OCS Leases" to the Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Section of the Houston Bar Association. In 1991, Mr. Pearson delivered a paper (co-authored with Richard D. Watt) entitled "To Share or Not to Share-Royalty Obligations Arising Out of Take-or-Pay or Similar Gas Contract Litigation" to the 42nd Institute on Oil and Gas Law and Taxation sponsored by the Southwestern Legal Foundation in February 1991. In 1992, 1993, 1995, and 1997, Mr. Pearson delivered papers to the State Bar of Texas Advanced Oil, Gas & Mineral Law Course entitled "OSC Lease Conveyancing Issues," "Emerging Federal Royalty Issues," "Federal Royalty and OCS Update," and "Royalty Calculation Issues in the Post Order 636 Gas Market." In February 1998, he delivered a paper entitled "Selected Issues in Deep Water Gulf of Mexico Operations" at the 49th Annual Institute on Oil and Gas Law and Taxation sponsored by the Southwestern Legal Foundation. In February 2003, Mr. Pearson delivered a paper entitled "Perfecting Title to OCS Leases" to the Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Section of the Houston Bar Association. In 2005, Mr. Pearson delivered a paper entitled "Gas Royalty Calculation 2005 — An Update," at the State Bar of Texas Advanced Oil, Gas and Energy Resources Law Course. This paper was later republished in the quarterly Section Report of the Oil, Gas and Energy Resources Law Section of the State Bar of Texas. Most recently, Mr. Pearson delivered a paper entitled, "Uses of Net Profits Interests in Financing Oil and Gas Transactions" at the 34th Annual Ernest E. Smith Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Institute in April 2008.

Mr. Pearson also spearheaded the development and served as program chair of the first seven Gas and Power Institutes sponsored by The University of Texas School of Law, the Oil, Gas, and Energy Resources Law Section of the State Bar of Texas, and most-recently, the Energy Bar Association.

Links to Publications