Biography
Reagan M. Marble’s practice focuses on complex energy litigation and transactions throughout Texas and New Mexico.
In his energy litigation practice, Reagan regularly represents oil and gas operators, mineral and royalty buyers, high‐net‐worth family trusts and partnerships, and renewable energy developers in their litigation matters throughout South and West Texas. Reagan’s extensive experience in the field ranges from achieving summary dismissal of multimillion-dollar title disputes in the Eagle Ford Shale and Permian Basin to favorably resolving renewable energy contract disputes along the Gulf Coast.
In his energy transactions practice, Reagan frequently drafts and negotiates agreements affecting all aspects of upstream oil and gas exploration and production including oil and gas leases, purchase and sale agreements, farmouts, and joint operating agreements.
Reagan has particular experience helping clients develop, produce, and dispose of other natural resources including water (water leases, water sales contracts, water operating agreements, and saltwater disposal agreements) and sand (sand supply contracts and purchase and sale agreements).
Born and raised on his family’s working cattle ranches in South Texas and Northeastern New Mexico, Reagan is an avid hunter and fisherman. As result of his passion for the outdoors, he frequently assists landowners with the negotiation of hunting leases and hunting advocacy groups with their legal needs.
A national award‐winning advocate, Reagan takes pride in being a professional, efficient, and successful advocate in the courtroom or the boardroom.
Education
B.A., Baylor University
J.D., cum laude, Texas Tech University School of Law
Bar Admissions
Texas, 2013
Title Litigation
Reagan successfully obtained summary dismissal of an operator’s adverse title claims against an Oklahoma‐based exploration and production company and was awarded a take‐nothing judgment in a case in which the plaintiff claimed over $100 million in damages.
Drainage Litigation
At trial and on appeal, Reagan successfully defended a Houston‐based exploration and production company against a landowner’s claim that the operator failed to protect the leasehold from drainage by a nearby well.
Contract Litigation
Reagan favorably resolved claims against a Gulf Coast‐based operator that it breached a joint operating agreement by failing to propose a well to its non‐operating partner.
Drilling Litigation
Reagan won summary judgment against an operator on behalf of a drilling company based on contractual indemnity, eliminating claims that the drilling company caused damage to an East Texas reservoir.
Royalty Litigation
Reagan successfully defended claims against an operator that it had improperly deducted costs from a landowner’s royalty.
Pipeline Litigation
Reagan obtained favorable settlement against a pipeline company for breach of an easement agreement.
Renewable Energy Litigation
Reagan successfully resolved a dispute for a confidential amount of money on behalf of a renewable energy developer, in which a prospective partner circumvented the developer and cut it out of the deal the developer created.
Upstream Oil and Gas Transactions
Reagan has negotiated multimillion dollar acquisitions and divestitures of minerals and other upstream oil and gas rights.
Water and Sand Transactions
Reagan has negotiated and drafted tens of thousands of acres of water leases on behalf of both landowners and developers, drafted custom operating agreements between working interest partners on water wells, and negotiated numerous water supply contracts and saltwater disposal agreements. Reagan has also negotiated and drafted several multi-million dollar purchase and sale agreements for acquisitions of sand producing properties and sand supply contracts.
- “Top Attorney” List, Energy – Oil & Gas, San Antonio Magazine, 2019
- “Texas Rising Star,” Super Lawyers – Rising Stars by Thomson Reuters, 2018-2020
- “Best S.A. Lawyers” List, San Antonio Scene, 2018-2020
- Energy & Oil & Gas
- General Litigation
- “Rising Star Lawyers” List, Energy & Oil & Gas, San Antonio Scene, 2020
- Who’s Who in Energy, San Antonio Business Journal, 2015
- National Order of Barristers
- National Champion, ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition
- Best Advocate (Preliminary Rounds), ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition
Publications
- Reagan M. Marble, “Crude awakening: Oil patch lawsuits shift into high gear,” Houston Chronicle (2020)
- Reagan Marble & Peter Hosey, “The Sand Paper: The Anatomy of Acquiring, Divesting, and Leasing Sand” (2020)
- Reagan Marble & Brandon Durrett, Vaquillas Unproven Minerals: Maybe You Didn’t Retain That Acreage, 120 PBLA Takeoff 110 (2016)
- James M. “Marty” Truss & Reagan M. Marble, Texas Oil and Gas Case Law Update, 2 Tex. A&M L. Rev. 353 (2015)
- Reagan M. Marble, The Last Frontier Regulating Factory Farms, 43 Tex. Envtl. L.J. 175 (2013)
Speaking Engagements
- “What the Uptick in Litigation Means for Oil & Gas Producers and Land Owners,” Jackson Walker Fast Takes Podcast (May 21, 2020)
- “The Sand Paper: The Anatomy of Acquiring, Divesting, and Leasing Sand,” 46th Annual Ernest E. Smith Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Institute (March 2020)
- “Oil and Gas Case Law Update,” Natural Resources Section CLE, San Antonio Bar Association (February 2020)
- “The Sand Paper: The Anatomy of Acquiring, Divesting, and Leasing Sand” Oil, Gas & Mineral Law Section of the Austin Bar Association Luncheon (October 2019)
- “Recent Trends in Oil & Gas Litigation” (February 25, 2019)
- Case Law Update, Permian Basin Landmen’s Association Education Seminar, Midland, Texas (April 18, 2018)
- Case Law Update, San Antonio Association of Professional Landmen 29th Annual Mid-Winter Seminar, San Antonio, Texas (January 20, 2018)
- Oil and Gas Operations and Land Contamination, 35th Annual Advanced Oil, Gas and Energy Resource Law Course, Houston, Texas (September 28, 2017)
- Case Law Update, Houston Association of Professional Landmen, Houston, Texas (March 7, 2017)
- Case Law Update, Austin Professional Landmen’s Association, Austin, Texas (March 3, 2017)
In the News
- “Oil companies prepare to defend drilling rights — or rights not to — in court,” San Antonio Business Journal (May 20, 2020)
- “How Will the Shale Litigation Boom Affect Your Operations?,” Hart Energy (April 14, 2020)
- “Eagle Ford 2021: What happens to South Texas when oil well flow flattens?” San Antonio Business Journal (February 28, 2019)
- Young Professionals in Energy – San Antonio, Board Member, 2019
- State Bar of Texas
- Oil, Gas & Energy Resources Law Section
- Litigation Section
- San Antonio Bar Association
- Natural Resources Section
- San Antonio Young Lawyers Association
- American Association of Professional Landmen
- San Antonio Association of Professional Landmen