Alston & Bird has expanded its oil and gas offerings and opened an office in Fort Worth by adding a group of six Thompson & Knight attorneys.
The Atlanta-based firm announced on Wednesday that it has recruited an energy litigation team led by partners Robert Vartabedian and Conrad Hester to be the foundation of the new outpost, the firm’s 10th U.S. office and second in Texas. They are joined by three members of their team: senior associates Alix Allison and Nicholas Davis and Dallas associate Connor Bourland.
“Rob and Conrad are super talented litigators who have deep roots in the Texas energy market and have built an enviable reputation and track record of having won all 15-plus cases they have tried,” Dan Diffley, co-chair of Alston & Bird’s litigation and trial practice group, said in a statement.
“Their practice is going gangbusters and will supercharge our litigation offering in the U.S. upstream sector, where we represent some of the world’s largest exploration and production companies in resolving their most complicated and significant legal problems.”
The litigation duo represents public and private upstream energy companies in lease termination lawsuits, contract disputes, royalty litigation and surface access and damage disputes.
Last year, Vartabedian and Hester won a unanimous jury verdict in Texas for BP America Production Company in the retrial of a 12-year-old lease termination dispute brought by Laddex Ltd., an Amarillo-based oil company.
Dallas partner Mitchell Griffith, who helps support the corporate needs of Vartabedian and Hester’s energy clients, has also joined Alston & Bird from TK. He advises clients in complex upstream, midstream and renewables deals, and also handles transactions in the manufacturing, health care, telecommunications and retail industries.
Darren Hauck, partner-in-charge of the firm’s 45-lawyer Dallas office, will oversee the Fort Worth operations.