Haynes Boone Associates Laura Beth Bienhoff and Grace Kaplow were selected to participate in the Oil, Gas and Energy Resources Law (OGERL) Section of the State Bar of Texas 2026–27 Leadership Academy. Bienhoff and Kaplow are among 15 attorneys selected for this year’s class.
The Leadership Academy was established to help up-and-coming Texas attorneys develop leadership skills and deepen their knowledge of oil, gas and energy resources law. The program provides participants with opportunities to network with fellow attorneys, receive mentorship from OGERL council and committee chairs, participate in section projects, CLE events and engage in section leadership meetings.
"The Leadership Academy is an excellent program for newer energy lawyers to learn the nuts and bolts of successful practice and its primary aim is to have more experienced attorneys give practical pointers forged from decades of work in their energy-focused areas,” said OGERL Officer Dr. Christopher S. Kulander. “It is hardly surprising to me that Haynes Boone is sending multiple lawyers to The Leadership Academy as the firm has always been keenly focused on the professional development of its younger attorneys."
Prior to becoming an attorney and joining Haynes Boone’s Energy Litigation Practice Group, Bienhoff spent several years working for a major oil company in commercial roles spanning the upstream hydrocarbon life cycle, bringing firsthand industry experience to her legal practice.
Kaplow is an associate in Haynes Boone’s Energy, Power and Natural Resources Practice Group, where she advises clients on a variety of energy transactions involving crude oil, natural gas, traditional power and renewable energy. She was recently part of a Haynes Boone team representing Helix Exploration PLC in its acquisition of the Keyes Helium Complex in Oklahoma and associated equity fundraising.
The 2026-27 Leadership Academy will kick off this fall with in-person sessions in Austin, Dallas and Houston.
Haynes Boone’s market-leading Energy Practice Group consistently ranks among the most active legal advisors for U.S. deals in the energy industry. The group represents domestic and foreign public and private companies that conduct operations both internationally and across the United States.
