Paul J. Goodwine
SHAREHOLDER
Practice Areas
Acquisition and Disposition
of Mineral Producing Properties
Mineral Financing Transactions
Oil & Gas Title
Oil & Gas Litigation
Business Formation
Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights
Oil & Gas Regulatory Matters
Commercial Collections
Commercial/Business Litigation
Education
J.D., Loyola University School of Law
(New Orleans), 1995
B.A., University of Notre Dame, 1992
Professional Experience
Mr. Goodwine is a shareholder in the firm and practices primarily in the areas of oil and gas, general commercial litigation, oil and gas litigation, bankruptcy and creditors’ rights, oil and gas regulatory matters, and commercial collections. He primarily represents independent oil and gas exploration and production companies and service oriented companies in a variety of matters, including Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act matters, state and federal regulatory matters, and has extensive experience with the Louisiana Oil Well Lien Act. Mr. Goodwine also consults with energy concerns in transactional matters, including the acquisition and disposition of mineral properties, royalty related issues, and mineral financing projects.
Representative Matters
- Representation of start-up independent oil and gas company in its initial acquisition and financing, valued at $235 million.
- Representation of major oil and gas service provider in the acquisition of an exploration and production subsidy in a transaction valued at over one billion dollars.
- Representation of several oil and gas borrowers in various complex oil and gas financings.
- Representation of various oil and gas clients in state and federal court litigation and in various administrative proceedings.
- Representation of Chapter 11 debtors-in-possession as special counsel to advise such debtors and their primary bankruptcy counsel on mineral law issues and how to successfully navigate through a Chapter 11 proceeding while remaining in compliance with the rules and regulations of the Minerals Management Service, the Louisiana Office of Conservation, and the Louisiana State Mineral Board. Representative proceedings include In re Tri-Union Development Corporation, Case No. 03-44908, pending in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas (J. Isgur), and In re Panaco, Inc., Case No. 02-37811, pending in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas (J. Clark).
- Representation of co-working interest owners and service companies possessing claims against Chapter 11 and Chapter 7 bankrupt debtors, successfully asserting lien rights pursuant to the Louisiana Oil Well Lien Act (La. R.S. 9:4861, et seq.), the Louisiana Operators/Non-Operators Lien Act (La. R.S. 9:4881, et seq.), and the Louisiana Private Works Act (La. R.S. 9:4801, et seq.). Representative proceedings include In re Forcenergy, Inc., Case No. 99-11391, pending in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana (J. Brahney), In re Alma/Equinox, Inc., Case No. 99-13071, pending in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana (J. Brown), In re Allied Natural Gas Corporation, Case No. 99.33127, pending in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas (J. Grendyke), In re Aviva America, Inc, Case No. 03-81855, pending in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas (J. Houser).
- Representation of companies in proceedings before the Louisiana State Mineral Board and the Louisiana Office of Conservation in a variety of matters.
- Representation of several oil and gas operators in civil penalty proceedings instituted by the Minerals Management Service and relating to incidents of non-compliance (otherwise known as INC’s).
- Representation of an independent oil and gas company and certain of its employees in defending federal False Claims Act allegations and retaliatory discharge claims brought by a dismissed platform worker.
- Representation of the corporate parent and further removed corporate parents of Jazzland, Inc. in the bankruptcy entitled In re Jazzland, Inc., Case No. 02-11257, pending in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana (J. Brown).
- Representation of DLB Oil and Gas Company in its acquisition of WRT Energy Corporation, a bankrupt debtor in the case entitled In re WRT Energy Corporation, Case No. 96-50212, pending in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Louisiana (J. Schiff). Such representation included aiding the reorganized/successor entity in consummating its plan of reorganization and prosecuting several claims objections. The reorganized/successor entity has been renamed Gulfport Energy Corporation.
- Representation of a major oil and gas service provider to operators in the Gulf of Mexico in an arbitration proceeding against a shipyard for contractual breaches stemming from a vessel conversion.
- Representation of several oil and gas producers/operators/non-operators in contractual disputes with their co-working interest owners and dealing primarily with operational issues, gas imbalances, unpaid joint interest billings, lease operating expense disputes, and a variety of other matters.
- Representation of several service companies in filing, perfecting, and maintaining perfection of liens and claims arising under the Louisiana Oil Well Lien Act (La. R.S. 9:4861, et seq.), the Louisiana Operators/Non-Operators Lien Act (La. R.S. 9:4881, et seq.), and the Louisiana Private Works Act (La. R.S. 9:4801, et seq.).
Selected Publications and Speeches
Mr. Goodwine has made several speeches and prepared several presentations at numerous oil and gas related seminars and has published articles in AAPL’s Landman magazine. Some of his presentations include:
- Recent Developments in Louisiana Oil & Gas Lien Law, Including Bankruptcy Perspectives, Presented at the PLANO Seminar on April 13, 2000.
- The Ins and Outs of Inc’s - Responding to Incidents of Noncompliance, Presented at the Joint PLANO/HAPL Seminar on May 22, 2001.
- A Comparison of Oil and Gas Lien Law in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, Including Bankruptcy Perspectives, Presented at the AAPL Gulf Coast Land Institute on November 8, 2001.
- Oil and Gas Bankruptcies: A Background and Primer, Presented at the PLANO Executive Night Seminar on February 7, 2002.
- A Comparison of Oil and Gas Lien Law in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, Including Bankruptcy Perspectives, Presented at the AAPL Gulf Coast Institute on November 7, 2002.
- The Ins and Outs of INC’s - Responding to Incidents of Noncompliance, Presented at the PLANO “Baseball Seminar” on April 25, 2003.
- The Ins and Outs of INC’s - Responding to Incidents of Noncompliance, Presented at the AAPL Gulf Coast Land Institute on October 16, 2003.
- Production Handling Agreements, Presented at the PLANO Executive Night Seminar on February 23, 2006.
- Production Handling Agreements for the Deepwater and on the OCS, a Legal Prospective, Presented at AAPL's Gulf Coast Land Institute on October 10, 2006.
- Title Examination in Louisiana, cosponsored by the Louisiana Mineral Law Institute, Presented at LSU Baton Rouge on October 26-27, 2006.
- Commentary on Recent Legislation and Executive Action Dealing with Drilling and Royalties, Presented at the PLANO Executive Night Seminar on February 15, 2007.
- OCS Title and Current MMS Regulatory Matters, Presented at the Fifty-Fith Mineral Law Institute on March 27 and 28, 2008.
Member Organizations
Louisiana State Bar Association
Illinois State Bar Association
Professional Landmen’s Association of New Orleans
Board Member 2000 - 2002; Treasurer 2001 - 2002
American Association of Professional Landmen
American Petroleum Institute
Louisiana Independent Oil and Gas Association