Biography
Adam Plumbley is a trial and appellate litigation attorney in Jackson Walker’s Fort Worth office representing oil and gas producers, common carriers, utilities, and midstream companies in all aspects of energy litigation, condemnation and eminent domain, and real property disputes, as well as general commercial litigation, including product liability and financial services.
In his appellate work, Adam has represented clients in matters related to title, access to land, nuisance issues, and obligations to pay oil and gas royalties across multiple appellate courts.
Adam also represents common carriers and utilities in the acquisition of land and right-of-way, by eminent domain if necessary, for the installation, construction, and maintenance of midstream facilities, including pipelines, stations, and other related appurtenances. His eminent domain practice includes representation from survey access and easement negotiations through serving as trial counsel. Throughout his career, Adam has handled hundreds of eminent domain matters for utilities and common carrier pipelines and has tried multiple jury trials on eminent domain cases in counties across Texas. Adam also represents numerous oil and gas operators and midstream companies impacted by expansion projects by the Texas Department of Transportation and municipalities.
Education
B.A., magna cum laude, Texas Christian University
J.D., cum laude, Texas Wesleyan University School of Law (Now known as Texas A&M University School of Law)
- Editor in Chief, Texas Wesleyan Law Review
Bar Admissions
Texas, 2006
Court Admissions
U.S. District Court for the Northern and Western Districts of Texas
Energy Litigation
Adam regularly serves as counsel to oil and gas producers in royalty, title, environmental, contractual, and numerous other types of disputes, including:
- Defense of royalty litigation, including class actions and large multi-district litigation;
- Joint operating and area of mutual interest disputes;
- Defense of lease termination and failure to develop cases;
- Defense/Prosecution of title disputes, trespass, and trespass to try title actions;
- Prosecution of regulatory takings cases against municipalities over oil and gas rights; and
- Defense of environmental, emissions, and nuisance claims.
Energy Litigation Representative Matters
- Handled the defense of an oil and gas producer in two separate, field-wide multi-district litigation proceedings concerning the alleged underpayment of royalties, which included allegations of fraud and sham sales to affiliated entities
- Represented an oil and gas producer in the prosecution of a subsurface trespass action regarding a trespass well drilled into acreage held as a part of a large secondary recovery unit
- Handled defense of trespass to try title action between two oil and gas interest owners pertaining to ownership of certain overriding royalty interests
- Represented organization of oil and gas producers in prosecution of a regulatory taking pertaining to a North Texas municipality’s implementation of an excessive fee related to the inspection of oil and gas wells
- Represented pipeline company in defense of nuisance suit by municipality pertaining to alleged emissions from a pipeline surface site and won same on summary judgment
General Commercial Litigation
Adam has also handled multiple litigation matters that cover a broad spectrum of commercial litigation, including:
- Defense of product liability, personal injury, and wrongful death cases for aerospace and small parts manufacturers;
- Defense of fiduciary litigation for financial institutions;
- Trial and arbitration of multiple construction disputes; and
- Trial and appeal of Texas Tort Claims Act matters.
Eminent Domain/Real Property Litigation Representative Matters
Adam’s eminent domain experience includes representation from survey access and easement negotiations through serving as trial counsel. Adam has tried multiple jury trials on eminent domain cases clients in matters such as:
- Eminent domain and transactional counsel for multi-county segments of a 790-mile joint venture natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline from the Permian Basin to a fractionation facility in Mont Belvieu, Texas, including properties located in Reeves, Ward, Pecos, Midland, Glasscock, Sterling, Mitchell, Nolan, Taylor, Callahan, Eastland, Erath, Somervell, Hood, and Johnson counties
- Eminent domain and transactional counsel for a five-county Texas segment of an approximately 125-mile interstate transmission NGL pipeline from the Red River to facilities in Johnson County, Texas, including properties located in Montague, Wise, Parker, Hood and Johnson counties
- Eminent domain and transactional counsel for multi-county segments of a 650-mile crude oil pipeline from the Permian Basin to the Texas Gulf Coast, including Brown, Comanche, Hamilton, Coryell, McLennan, Bell, Falls, Milam, Robertson, Brazos, Grimes, Walker, Montgomery, San Jacinto, Liberty, Chambers, and Harris counties
- Eminent domain and transactional counsel for a three-county segment of 20-mile NGL pipeline located in Midland, Reagan, Glasscock, and Upton counties, 9-mile lateral NGL pipeline in Reagan County, and 2-mile and 20-mile lateral NGL pipelines in Culberson County
- Eminent domain counsel for gas utility assisting in condemnation, right-of-way acquisition, and installation of critical infrastructure throughout the Barnett Shale region, including Tarrant, Johnson, Denton, Parker, Ellis, Erath, and Bosque counties
- Represented oil and gas operator in defense of eminent domain highway expansion project by the Texas Department of Transportation in Tarrant County, Texas
- Represented developer through trial and appeal to establish an implied road dedication
- Represented pipeline company in defense of injunction lawsuit seeking to halt construction of billion-dollar, cross-Texas NGL pipeline
- Represented developer and water supply company in protection of easement rights and defense of drainage claims.
- “Texas Rising Star,” Super Lawyers – Rising Stars by Thomson Reuters, 2017-2020
- Tarrant County’s Top Attorneys, Fort Worth, Texas, 2012 and 2018
- Top Attorney, 360 West Magazine, 2017-2018
- Eminent Domain, 2017-2018
- Oil & Gas, 2017
- Aviation, Admiralty, Maritime, and Transportation, 2017
- Top Attorney, Fort Worth Magazine, 2013-2018
- Oil & Gas, 2013-2014, 2016-2018
- Civil Litigation, 2013
Speaking Engagements
- “Condemnation & Pipelines,” 22nd Annual Permian Basin Oil & Gas Law Seminar (Midland, Texas; March 2020)
- Tarrant County Bar Association
- Eldon Mahon Inn of Court
- March of Dimes Fort Worth Division, Board of Directors, 2011-2013
- Ladder Alliance, Board of Directors, 2007-2011