D.J. Beaty
D.J. Beaty focuses on litigating disputes within the upstream sector of the oil and gas industry. He has handled matters across the nation for energy clients and is an experienced trial lawyer who has tried cases to juries and the bench, arbitrated to final award, and managed appeals in state and federal courts. D.J. also regularly advises clients outside of litigation on issues arising under industry agreements.
- Obtained affirmance of bankruptcy court’s summary judgment for E&P client in lawsuit for underpayment of royalties and failure to act as a reasonably prudent operator under a Louisiana oil and gas lease.
- Secured favorable settlement for E&P client in lawsuit concerning damage to an Eagle Ford oil and gas well during completions operations.
- Obtained reversal of multimillion-dollar trial judgment in title dispute concerning interests in three Oklahoma horizontal wells.
- Advised E&P client concerning continuous-development obligations and other lease-compliance issues under several significant Eagle Ford leases.
- Obtained summary judgment for three plaintiffs in DTPA action arising from an Alaskan bear hunt.
- Obtained favorable settlement and stipulation of interest for E&P client in lawsuit concerning underpayment of revenues from wells in an East Texas gas field.
- Obtained partial directed verdict and take-nothing jury verdict for client at trial in environmental-contamination suit in the Texas Panhandle.
- Secured favorable multimillion-dollar settlement in a lawsuit against a service company for damages caused to client’s Pennsylvania well during perforating operations.
- Defended client in $240 million dispute with international partner concerning the development of a Texas gas field through court proceedings and a final arbitration award, ultimately limiting damages to less than 1% of that sought by opponent.
- Obtained dismissal of direct-liability claims against client in consumer-protection class action filed in an Oklahoma federal court.
- Obtained injunction prohibiting landowners from threatening E&P client’s employees and ensuring client’s access to well site.
- Secured emergency relief to permit environmental testing of a well pad by E&P client in Texas Panhandle.
- Obtained summary judgment in an area-of-mutual-interest dispute involving a portfolio of overriding royalty interests in East Texas and successfully defended the judgment on appeal.
- Obtained dismissal of numerous claims asserted against E&P client in federal court by a non-operator concerning a group of Barnett gas wells.
- Obtained directed verdict in jury trial concerning the formation and performance of land-sale contract.
- Obtained summary judgment against claims of corporate-officer liability in suit concerning a commercial property development.
- Obtained arbitration award for E&P client and successfully defended all counterclaims in multimillion-dollar accounting and development dispute.
- Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law, Member of Publications Committee
- The Institute for Energy Law, Member of Academic Outreach Committee and YEP Programming Subcommittee
- Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow and Member of Nominating Committee, District 4
- Houston Bar Foundation
- Institute for Energy Law’s (IEL) Leadership Class
- Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow
- American Bar Association’s Energy Litigation Journal, Former Editor
- Cornerstone Presbyterian Church, Board of Trustees
- Texas Super Lawyers Rising Stars, Thomson Reuters, 2018-2023
- "Fifth Circuit Vacates Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage License," co-author, Energy Law Advisor, Institute for Energy Law, December 2023.
- "The Texas Third Court of Appeals Weighs in on Production Sharing Agreement Wells,” author, Energy Client Alert (July 10, 2023).
- “To Have or Have Not—Oil and Gas Operations With and Without an Operating Agreement,” 68 Nat. Resources & Energy L. Inst. 15-1 (2022), presented at Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law’s 68th Annual Institute Natural Resources and Energy Law Institute (July 22, 2022).
- Virtual Arbitrations and Trials in the Age of COVID-19 webinar, panelist (2021).
- Exploring Professional Ethics in the Bakken Shale, presenter, Doing Business in the Bakken Shale webinar (2020).
- “Financial Distress and Joint Operations,” presenter, Texas Wesleyan School of Law’s 2011 Energy Symposium (2011).
- “Texas Midstream: Balancing Local Desires against National Interests,” author, 2010 A.B.A. Energy Lit. J. (Fall 2010).
- “Securing and Protecting Joint Production in Trying Times,” author, 2010 A.B.A. Energy Lit. J. (Summer 2010).
Education
LL.M., Energy & Natural Resources Law, Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, 2009
J.D., University of Arkansas School of Law, 2008, with honors; Editorial Board, Journal of Food Law & Policy
B.A., Ouachita Baptist University, 2005, Trustees’ Scholar and Governor’s Distinguished Scholar
Admissions
Texas
Court Admissions
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
On the Friday before the Fourth of July holiday, the oil and gas industry got a long-awaited answer from Texas’ Third Court of Appeals in the case of Railroad Commission of Texas, et al. v. Opiela. No. 03-21-00258-CV, 2023 WL 4284984, at *1 (Tex. App.—Austin June 30, 2023, no pet. h.). The case addresses production sharing agreement (PSA) wells and offers a glimpse into how that court views alloca [...]
