As the Oil & Gas industry continues to grow and develop throughout the Appalachian Basin, it is important for property owners to know and understand their legal rights and position with respect to the development and production of Marcellus Shale, Utica Shale and other shale gases. Bernstein-Burkley’s Oil, Gas, and Energy attorneys handle real estate transactions for clients, including those that arise from property assessments, asset purchase and due diligence for homeowners and corporations.
As Bernstein-Burkley’s Oil, Gas, and Energy attorneys undertake a client matter, we focus first on educating our clients to make sure they understand what the oil and gas company is proposing, how any such operations may affect their property interests, and once the client is comfortable and ready to proceed, we work diligently to complete the matter in a manner that maximizes the economic benefit for the client while protecting their property rights. Because of the competing interests that arise through the development of oil and gas resources, we feel that it is extremely important that each client understand not only the financial benefits, but the risks and implications associated with oil and gas exploration and production.
At Bernstein-Burkley, we know the law and we understand the dimensions and operations of the natural gas industry. Our attorneys have the knowledge, skill and experience to represent you throughout the gas leasing process and to assist you with post-leasing matters and transactions. On the leasing side, our attorneys have represented a wide spectrum of clients consisting of small and large farms, private landowners with just a few acres to several hundred acres, commercial property owners and developers, social and sportsmen non-profit clubs, private land estates and trusts and industrial clients with on-going business operations located upon their property. We work hard to ensure that any natural gas development operations are harmonious with our clients’ present and future uses of their land. Our law firm has also represented a number of landowner groups in different counties throughout Pennsylvania.
Once a lease has been signed, Bernstein-Burkley is ready and available to assist our clients with all of their legal needs related to the operation of the lease upon their property. We provide legal advice and expertise on various land use agreements, including above and belowground pipeline right-of-ways, permanent and temporary access road agreements, timber contracts and proposals, seismic testing and geophysical operations agreements, gas storage agreements, impoundment agreements, various forms of staging, equipment, facility and site agreements and all zoning-related matters.
In addition to land use matters, we also assist our clients with the review, evaluation and negotiation of various forms of lease amendment and ratification agreements and other legal documents that may be proposed by the gas company subsequent to lease signing. When our clients have a desire or need to transfer ownership of their oil and gas interests, we can prepare the necessary documents to accomplish this task as well. Bernstein-Burkley is a law firm that has handled oil and gas lease matters at both the state and federal court levels in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio, and we have the resources to support and represent our clients in all types of oil and gas-related disputes.