Skip to content

Michael G. Maloney

Of Counsel
fax +1 512.536.5728

Mike Maloney is a Board Certified attorney in oil, gas and mineral law. He has extensive experience in various legal aspects of the upstream and midstream oil and gas industry.

Mike represents oil and gas companies and natural gas pipeline entities in transactional, regulatory and litigation matters, including acting as outside general counsel. He has represented land and mineral owners in the negotiations of oil and gas leases, surface use agreements and pipeline easements and rights-of-way.

Mike has also represented landowners in the sale of surface water and groundwater rights. In the area of energy lending, Mike counsels numerous banks regarding lending on producing oil and gas properties. Mike is a frequent speaker on legal and land issues relating to the development of non-conventional oil and gas resources such as the Eagle Ford Shale formation in Texas.

Mike previously served as in-house counsel for six years with Atlantic Richfield Company (now BP Plc.).

Industries

Education

J.D., with Honors, University of Texas School of Law, Austin, Texas, 1976
B.B.A., with Honors, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, 1973

Recognitions

Listed Among Who’s Who in Energy by American Cities Journals (2013)

Memberships

State Bar of Texas, Oil, Gas & Mineral Law Section

Austin Bar Association, Oil, Gas & Mineral Law Section

Energy Bar Association

State Bar Licenses

Texas

Experience

Transactional

  • Represented oil and gas companies in numerous multimillion-dollar transactions for the purchase and sale of oil and gas leases and producing properties
  • Negotiated participation agreements, farmouts and joint operating agreements between oil and gas companies
  • Negotiated surface use agreements between a municipality and oil and gas companies
  • Negotiated natural gas sales, gathering and processing agreements
  • Represented a bank acting as escrow agent of $900 million in producing properties
  • Represented banks in financing and re-financing of numerous oil and gas properties by oil and gas companies
  • Represented purchasers in purchase and sale agreements for the purchase of saltwater disposal systems

Litigation

  • Represented oil and gas companies in numerous co-owner disputes under joint operating agreements or participation agreements
  • Represented oil and gas companies in coverage disputes with well blow-out insurers and general liability insurers
  • Represented mineral owners in disputes with mineral co-tenants
  • Represent oil and gas companies in trespass and damage suits against companies disposing of saltwater and produced water
  • Represented an oil and gas company in a multi-million dollar fraud and damage suit against contract landmen
  • Represented natural gas pipeline companies in contractual disputes with their natural gas purchasers

Regulatory

  • Represented oil and gas companies in applications for field-wide unitization
  • Represented oil and gas companies in regulatory complaints regarding damages and rule violations by offsetting operators
  • Represented an oil and gas company in disputes with the BLM and BIA regarding oil and gas lease interpretation regarding leases on Indian lands

International

  • Represented a U.S. oil and gas company in negotiating international joint operating agreements for exploration in Columbia, South America
  • Represented a natural gas liquids pipeline company in negotiating a joint venture to build cross border (Mexico) NGL pipelines

Water

  • Represented landowners in numerous agreements to sell produced groundwater to oil and gas operators for drilling, fracking, and operations
  • Represented the owner of groundwater rights in a structured sale of ownership rights
  • Assisted landowner with the development of an automated water supply station to supply oil and gas operators

Publications

  • Basics of Oil & Gas Mineral Rights – A How to Presentation, Association of University Real Estate Professionals (September 2014)
  • Eagle Ford Shale Development – Legal and Tax Aspects of Oil & Gas Leasing and Land/Water Usage, State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting? Tax Section (June 2014)
  • Eagle Ford Shale Development – Legal and Tax Issues, San Antonio CPA Society Annual Symposium (September 2013)
  • Legal and Tax Issues Relating to the Eagle Ford Shale, Corpus Christi Chapter of the Texas Society of CPAs, Annual Tax Conference (February 2013)
  • Eagle Ford Shale Development? Legal Aspect of Oil & Gas Leasing, Valero Corporation CPE Program (October 2012)
  • Eagle Ford Shale Development – Legal and Tax Issues, San Antonio CPA Society Annual Symposium (September 2012)
  • Legal and Land Issues Relating to the Eagle Ford Shale, San Antonio CPA Society (April 2012)
  • Legal and Land Issues Relating to the Eagle Ford Shale, San Antonio CPA Society (February 2012)

The Clark Hill approach is equally pragmatic and growth-minded, which is why we understand our clients’ toughest business challenges. Our multidisciplinary, global team of advisors focuses on smart legal solutions, delivered simply.

© 2025 Clark Hill PLC.