Biography
Joe Regan is a litigation attorney in Jackson Walker’s Fort Worth office with a practice focused on energy litigation and eminent domain law. Joe has handled a variety of litigation and transactional matters for midstream energy clients and other condemning authorities, regularly serving as counsel in matters related to real property rights acquisitions, easement negotiations, and condemnation proceedings and trials. Joe’s experience has afforded him the opportunity to develop a comprehensive understanding of civil litigation and appellate law, with an emphasis on general commercial litigation involving real estate, financial institution, and financial services disputes.
Joe has authored and lectured on a range of industry topics, from eminent domain to general litigation matters to issues impacting the energy industry and financial services institutions. He has litigated cases in jury trials and bench trials at both a state and federal level.
Joe is an active citizen in the Fort Worth community, serving as the current President of the Board of Directors of The WARM Place and having served as a past Director for the Tarrant County Bar Association.
Prior to Jackson Walker, Joe was a shareholder at a large Texas law firm and a partner at an international law firm where he concentrated on eminent domain and energy litigation. He has also handled general commercial, real estate, and fiduciary litigation matters.
After law school, Joe served as a briefing attorney for Justice Douglas S. Lang of the Fifth District Court of Appeals in Dallas, Texas.
Education
B.A., summa cum laude, The University of Texas at Arlington
J.D., cum laude, SMU Dedman School of Law
- Casenote editor, Computer Law Review and Technology Journal
- President, Student Bar Association
Bar Admissions
Texas, 2002
Court Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern and Northern Districts of Texas
- Eminent domain and transactional counsel for multi-county segments of 790-mile natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline from Permian Basin to fractionation and storage complex in Mont Belvieu, Texas (representative work includes Ward, 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 and transactional counsel for multi-county segment of crude oil and condensate pipeline project from Midland, Texas to Sealy, Texas including Lee, Washington, and Williamson Counties
- Eminent domain and transactional counsel for 83-mile crude petroleum pipeline project through Austin, Waller, Fort Bend, Brazoria, and Harris Counties
- Eminent domain and transactional counsel for multi-county northern Texas segment of 831-mile interstate crude petroleum pipeline (representative work included Grayson, Collin, Rockwall, and Kaufman Counties)
- Eminent domain and transactional counsel for multi-county segments of 580-mile NGL pipeline from Skellytown, Texas to fractionation and storage facilities in Mont Belvieu, Texas (representative work included Carson, Gray, Donley, Collingsworth, Childress, Hardeman, Foard, Baylor, Archer, Jack, Parker, Johnson, McLennan, Falls, Robertson, and Grimes Counties)
- Eminent domain and transactional counsel for 95-mile crude petroleum pipeline project through Atascosia, Bee, DeWitt, Gonazalez, Karnes, Live Oak, and Wilson Counties
- Eminent domain and transactional counsel for 87-mile natural gas pipeline project through Webb, Duval, Jim Wells, and Nueces Counties
- Eminent domain and transactional counsel for 12-mile natural gas loop pipeline project in LaSalle and Webb Counties
- Eminent domain and transactional counsel for 40-mile natural gas pipeline project through Tarrant, Denton, and Wise Counties, Texas
- Eminent domain counsel on 125-mile NGL pipeline from Jackson County to Mont Belvieu, Texas
- Eminent domain and transactional counsel for 345-kV CREZ electric transmission line project in Briscoe County, Texas
- Represented pipeline company in defense of injunction lawsuit seeking to halt construction of billion-dollar, cross-Texas NGL pipeline
- Represented pipeline company to enjoin encroachments and construction over active natural gas pipelines
- Tarrant County’s Top Attorneys in Civil Law—Litigation, Fort Worth, Texas, 2007-2008, 2010-Present
- “Top Attorneys” List, 360 West, 2017-2021
- Civil Law/Litigation, 2017, 2020
- Commercial Litigation, 2017
- Eminent Domain, 2017-2018, 2021
- “Top Attorneys” List, Fort Worth Magazine, 2013-2020
- Eminent Domain, 2020
- Oil & Gas, 2018-2019
- Civil Law/Litigation, 2013-2014, 2016-2017
- Texas Rising Star, Super Lawyers – Rising Stars by Thomson Reuters, 2009-2012
- “40 Under 40” List, Fort Worth Business Press, 2006
Joe is a frequent author and lecturer on eminent domain and topics spanning from general litigation matters to issues impacting the energy and financial services industries.
Publications
- The Merger Clause: A Potential Defense to the Mann Frankfort Implied Promise?, 18 Texas Wesleyan Law Review 729 (Fall 2011) (co-author)
- The Competency of the Sham Affidavit as Summary Judgment Proof in Texas, 40 St. Mary’s Law Journal 206 (Fall 2008) (co-author)
Speeches
- Condemnation for Bankers: Overview of Texas Condemnation and How Financial Institutions Encounter Eminent Domain
- Eminent Domain 101: Overview & Perspectives from the Landowner and Condemning Authority
- A Changed Landscape: Latest Developments in Eminent Domain Law for Texas and Other Key States
- Texas Rice Land Partners, Ltd. v. Denbury Green Pipeline Texas, LLC—The Texas Supreme Court Adds Fuel to the Fire on the Right to Take for Public Use and Individual Private Property Rights
- Eminent Domain, Legislative Update: Senate Bill 18
- The Potential Pitfalls of Transactions Involving Fiduciaries
- Judgment Creditors: Post-Judgment Discovery and Collections
- Post-Judgment Collections: Overview and Update
- Arbitration Practice Tips and Update from the Arbitrator and the Attorney
- The WARM Place, 2016-Present
- Board of Directors, 2016-Present
- Board President, 2018-Present
- Tarrant County Bar Association
- Judicial Evaluation & Polls Committee Member, Since 2018
- Board of Directors, 2017-2018
- Chair, Brown Bag CLE Seminars Committee, 2016-2017
- Chair, Bench Bar Conference Committee, 2012-2013
- Chair, Docket Call Committee, 2009-2010
- Bench Bar Conference Committee Member, 2007-2018
- Eldon B. Mahon Chapter of the American Inns of Court
- Barrister, 2010-2013
- Associate, 2006-2008
- William “Mac” Taylor Chapter of the American Inns of Court, Associate, 2004-2006
- The College of the State Bar of Texas, Member, 2007-Present