Harris Stamey’s practice consists of complex oil and gas and commercial litigation cases with a focus on disputes in state and federal courts in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. He has assisted both publicly traded and independent upstream exploration and production companies, mid-stream gatherers and processors, mid-size corporations, local companies, partnerships, operators, non-operators, lessees, lessors, non-participating mineral interest (NPRI) owners, and individuals as both plaintiffs and defendants.

Harris litigates complex purchase and sale agreements, title disputes, and royalty disputes in the active shale plays in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana (including post production cost issues, continuous drilling issues, lease preservation issues, compliance with unit agreements, bona fide purchaser claims, failure to develop claims, disputes over allocation wells, disputes with NPRI owners, disputes over surface use and damages, disputes over production in paying quantities, disputes over acreage dedications for gas contracts, offset well drilling obligations, saltwater disposal disputes, water use disputes, title defects and curative, royalty suspense and recoupment issues, and all manner of lease interpretation disputes). He also litigates disputes over joint operating agreements, joint development and area of mutual interest (AMI) agreements, joint interest billings, offshore lease obligations, pipeline imbalances, use of seismic information and seismic agreements, and authority for expenditure (AFE) disputes between operators and non-operators. In addition, Harris assists out-of-state and international clients in pursuing special appearances to contest personal jurisdiction in Texas.

Honors & Recognitions

Texas Rising Stars, Business Litigation, 2016-2020

  • Board Certified - Oil Gas Mineral

Credentials

Education

J.D., South Texas College of Law, magna cum laude, 2007

Order of the Lytae
Officer and Director for the Board of Advocates
South Texas Law Review, Member
Two-time semi-finalist in the J. Braxton Craven National Moot Court Competition; quarter-finalist in the National Criminal Procedure Moot Court Competition

B.A., Vanderbilt University, Economics and Spanish, 2003

Board Certified, Oil, Gas and Mineral Law, by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization

Admissions

Texas, Oklahoma

United States District Court for the Southern, Western, Northern, and Eastern Districts of Texas

United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

Experience

  • Permian Basin Offset Drilling and Consent Dispute: Represented independent E&P operator in defending breach of contract action involving offset drilling and consent requirements.
  • Permian and Bakken Dispute with Hydraulic Fracturing Contractor: Represented publicly traded E&P company in a breach of contract dispute with one of its major hydraulic fracturing contractors over a dedicated services agreement covering Permian and Bakken operations.
  • Permian Basin Royalty Dispute: Represented an independent oil and gas company in a royalty dispute in the Permian Basin over the issue of post-production deductions relating to pricing differentials.
  • Permian Basin Gas Dedication Dispute:  Represented an independent E&P company in a breach of contract dispute involving conflicting gas contract dedications and ROFRs.
  • Permian Basin Production in Paying Quantities Dispute: Represented operators and lessors in disputes concerning production in paying quantities from HBP leases.
  • Permian Basin Purchase & Sale Agreement Dispute: Represented E&P company / purchaser in post-closing purchase price adjustment dispute on a $2.6 Billion PSA; issues included failure to disclose a carry obligation, drilling a lateral to the incorrect bench, failure to disclose drilling without pooling authority and allocation well issues, failure to disclose a junk well, and failure to disclose TCEQ air violations at central tank batteries.
  • Permian Basin Title Dispute: Represented independent E&P company in a dispute over title to oil and gas leases involving an unrecorded assignment and bona fide purchaser claims.
  • Eagle Ford Shale Royalty Dispute: Represented a large, publicly traded oil and gas company in a royalty dispute in the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas over post-production deduction issues including lost and unaccounted for gas, flared gas, fuel, shrink, and pricing differentials.
  • Eagle Ford Shale Title Dispute: Represented a large, publicly traded oil and gas company in a title dispute involving competing leases taken from the same owner and application of the Texas recording statutes and bona fide purchaser rules.
  • Eagle Ford Shale Mineral Lien Dispute: Represented a major energy company in a lawsuit involving numerous Chapter 56 mineral liens and a claim that the company was directly liable to subcontractors for the debt of a bankrupt hydraulic fracturing contractor.
  • Haynesville Shale Purchase & Sale Agreement Dispute: Represented a large, publicly traded oil and gas company in a dispute involving mineral servitude rights for oil and gas interests in the Louisiana Haynesville Shale. We successfully challenged subject matter jurisdiction in Harris County, Texas.
  • South and East Texas Surface Damages Disputes: Defended several independent operators in disputes with surface owners over surface damage cases in East and South Texas.
  • Canadian Special Appearance: Represented a Canadian public energy company against tortious interference claims arising from the acquisition of mineral interests in Columbia and a review by the Texas Supreme Court in a special appearance proceeding.
  • South Korean Special Appearance: Successfully challenged personal jurisdiction for individual residents of the Republic of Korea in an oil and gas fraud case filed in Harris County, Texas.
  • Anti-SLAPP Challenge: Successfully defended defamation and tortious interference claims against local business rating agency through use of an anti-SLAPP motion under the Texas Citizens Participation Act.

Selected Matters

  • Orca Assets, G.P., LLC v. Burlington Res. Oil & Gas Co., L.P., 450 S.W.3d 203 (Tex. App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 2014, pet. denied) The Court affirmed summary judgment of the trial court as to whether the second assignee of mineral rights was a bona fide purchaser for value.
  • Devon Energy Prod. Co., L.P. v. KCS Res., LLC, 450 S.W.3d 203 (Tex. App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 2014, pet. denied) In this dispute over the property descriptions in a purchase and sale agreement for mineral interests in Louisiana, the Court of appeals upheld the summary judgment dismissing the case for want of subject matter jurisdiction.
  • Searcy v. Parex Res., Inc., 496 S.W. 3d 58 (Tex. 2016), reh'g denied (Sept 23, 2016) In this tortious interference case, the Supreme Court upheld a Special Appearance decision in favor of a Canadian oil & gas company.
  • Peironnet v. Matador Res. Co., 47,190 La. App. 2 Cir. 8/1/12, 103 So. 3d 445, writ granted, 2012-2292 La. 1/11/13, 106 So. 3d 541, and writ granted, 2012-2377 La. 1/11/13, 106 So. 3d 542 and rev'd, 2012-2292 La. 6/28/13, 144 So. 3d 791. The Court decided the validity of a lease extension agreement between the parties.
  • Better Bus. Bureau of Metro. Houston, Inc. v. John Moore Services, Inc., 441 S.W.3d 345, 352 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2013, pet. denied) Successfully challenged denial of anti-slapp motion against local home services company in defamation action against the Houston BBB.

Newsroom

Affiliations

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

State Bar of Texas, Member

Houston Bar Association, Member, Oil, Gas Mineral Law Section