Recent Publications

DOE to Rely on Private Sector to Expedite Renewables Loan Guarantee Program

On October 7, 2009, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that the Department of Energy (“DOE”) will make a long-anticipated fundamental change in the administration of the Section 1705 loan guarantee program. The 1705 program is designed to accelerate the development of conventional renewable energy generation projects. The fundamental change will expedite the processing of loan guarantee applications. >>

Businesses Will Bear Brunt of Shifting Tax Load

In order to comply with certain U.S. Treasury regulations, we are informing you that any U.S. federal tax advice that may be contained in this document is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, by any person for the purpose of (i) avoiding any tax penalties that may be imposed by the Internal Revenue Service or any other U.S. federal taxing authority or agency or (ii) promoting, marketing, or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein. >>



Chris Wolfe

Partner

Houston


1 Houston Center
1221 McKinney, Suite 2100
Houston, Texas 77010
T +1 713.547.2024
F +1 713.236.5616

Moscow


4th Lesnoy Pereulok
Bldg. 4, 5th floor
Moscow, 125047
T +7 495.663.8030
F +7 495.663.8033

Areas of Practice

Education

  • J.D., University of Texas at Austin School of Law, 1984, with honors
  • M.B.A., University of Texas, 1984
  • B.A., University of Texas, 1975, with honors

Bar Admissions

  • Texas

Chris Wolfe has more than 23 years of experience in representing energy-related businesses.  Other areas of experience are mergers and acquisitions and tax business planning.

Selected Client Representations

  • Sale of an internet channel eyewear retail concern.

  • Capitalization and organization of an appliance energy efficiency company.

  • Investment by a U.S. oilfield service company in a Russian oilfield service company.

  • Sale of an oilfield equipment company.

  • Sale of a seismic processing company.

  • Sale of an independent oil and gas company.

  • Private equity funding of an oil and gas company.

  • Sale of a seismic company operating in Kazakhstan and Russia.

  • Sale of an oilfield service company operating in Russia.

  • Reorganizing an independent oil and gas company for tax, finance and operational efficiency.

Recent Speeches and Articles

  • Co-contributor to chapter on Cleantech Financing in legal treatise Energy Law and Transactions, 2009.
  • "Energy Infrastructure and Continental Security," Panelist, Border Energy Forum XVI, Houston, Texas, October 2009
  • "Oil, Gas and Energy Law Taxation of Energy Projects," University of Houston, 2007
  • "Oil and Gas Taxation," Advanced Oil and Gas Short Course, University of Houston, 1999–2009
  • "An Overview of the History of Foreign Legal Consultants between the United States and Mexico," Co-Author, South Texas Law Review, Spring 2006
  • "Legal Aspects of Exporting," Greater Houston Partnership, 2004
  • "The Deregulation of Electricity: Nature of the Industry and Taxes," Co-Author, The Electricity Journal, August-September, 2001
  • "Capital, Technology and Resulting Issues in Seismic Licensing," International Association of Geophysical Contractors - Spec Data Conference, Houston, Texas, October 31, 2000
  • "Issues in Seismic Licensing," Dallas Bar Association, Energy Law Section, Dallas, Texas, September 20, 2000
  • "Seismic Licensing - Has Technology Outstripped the Forms?" Houston Bar Association, Oil and Gas Section, Houston, Texas, April 25, 2000

Selected Representative Experience


Contracts for Gas Processing Equipment - Russia
Purchase of gas processing equipment manufactured in U.S.A., remanufactured to Russian standards, shipped into Russia, and installed in Russian gas fields.

Foreign Investment - Russia
Investment by a U.S. oilfield service company in a Russian oilfield service company.

Sale of Companies - Kazakhstan and Russia
Sale of seismic companies in Kazakhstan and Russia.

Sale of Companies - Russia and the CIS
Sale of oilfield service companies in Russia and the CIS.

Memberships

  • Department of Energy - National Energy Laboratories EIR Merit Review Committee
  • Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative - Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Services and Finance Industries
  • State Bar of Texas

Online Publications

10/12/2009 - DOE to Rely on Private Sector to Expedite Renewables Loan Guarantee Program
On October 7, 2009, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that the Department of Energy (“DOE”) will make a long-anticipated fundamental change in the administration of the Section 1705 loan guarantee program. The 1705 program is designed to accelerate the development of conventional renewable energy generation projects. The fundamental change will expedite the processing of loan guarantee applications.

07/01/2009 - New Russian Law on LLCs is in Effect
On July 1, 2009, amendments became fully effective to the corporate law governing the Limited Liability Companies (LLC) (obschestvo s ogranichennoy otvetstvennostyu, Russian abbreviation “O.O.O.”). The amendments apply to the Russian Civil Code, the Law on Limited Liability Companies, and the Russian Law on Notariat.

04/09/2009 - Recent Modifications in the Legal Regime of Russian LLCs, Client Alert (Part Two): Amendments to the Russian LLC Law
The earlier Client Alert (Part One), issued January 16, 2009, addressed certain key changes in the Russian Civil Code resulting from December 24 (30), 2008 amendments to Russian laws governing Limited Liability Companies. The new law introduced modifications to the Russian Civil Code, the “Law on LLCs” (the Federal Law of the Russian Federation of February 8, 1998, No. 14-FZ “On Limited Liability Companies” as restated through 2008), and the law on Notariat. The modifications will become effective on July 1, 2009.

05/08/2006 - Businesses Will Bear Brunt of Shifting Tax Load
In order to comply with certain U.S. Treasury regulations, we are informing you that any U.S. federal tax advice that may be contained in this document is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, by any person for the purpose of (i) avoiding any tax penalties that may be imposed by the Internal Revenue Service or any other U.S. federal taxing authority or agency or (ii) promoting, marketing, or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein.

04/04/2006 - An Overview of the History of Foreign Legal Consultants Between the United States and Mexico

Law, Business Worlds Unite in Transactional Arena

Corporate Compliance in Document Retention in Today's Business Environment

Deregulation of Electricity: Nature of the Industry and Taxes

Capital, Technology and Resulting Issues in Seismic Licensing

Valuating Intellectual Property Dealing with Dotcoms - Advanced High Tech Litigation

Seismic Licensing: Has Technology Outstripped the Forms?

Trade Secrets and Proprietary Information: Their Use and Misuse by Mobile Oil and Gas Professionals

Selected U.S. Oil and Tax Issues for Non-Tax Lawyers