ENERGY LITIGATION, TRIALS AND ARBITRATION

Santoyo Wehmeyer P.C.’s trial team is a trusted resource to energy clients who find themselves in or facing the courthouse or arbitration. The team’s deep knowledge and experience in oil and gas law, reputation and track record of success in the courtroom and reasonable rate structure make Santoyo Wehmeyer P.C. our clients’ first call when dispute finds them, or they find dispute.

DEEP KNOWLEDGE OF ENERGY AND REAL PROPERTY LAW

Our clients look to Santoyo Wehmeyer P.C. because we are as entrenched in the energy industry as they are. We know energy and real property law and have skill traversing the legal landscape and judiciary in the oil and gas producing counties of South, West and East Texas. Santoyo Wehmeyer P.C.’s trial team is headed by Corey F. Wehmeyer. Mr. Wehmeyer is board certified in oil, gas and mineral law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, which is a rare certification for a courtroom advocate to secure. Before founding Santoyo Wehmeyer P.C., Mr. Wehmeyer spent nine years of his career at a large firm, where he was elected equity partner. While there, he honed his litigation abilities by handling exclusively energy and real property cases, where he often faced opposing counsel from the largest law firms in the nation, representing the largest companies in the industry.

Santoyo Wehmeyer P.C. knows that clients don’t have the time, patience or money to spend educating their general commercial litigators about the oil business. And some of the most costly education a general litigator can receive is that delivered by an opposing counsel who is experienced in oil and gas law, as Santoyo Wehmeyer P.C. is. We stay abreast of the legal developments in oil and gas law, are involved in many of the appellate cases developing that law, and frequently write and speak on energy topics at industry conferences and legal seminars.

Santoyo Wehmeyer P.C.’s robust deal, transactional and title practice provides a network of internal attorney resources to its trial team as well. Each case is handled with a team-minded, yet efficient approach that is always aimed at providing clients with exceptional results at efficient cost.

PROVEN TRIAL AND ARBITRATION RESULTS

Santoyo Wehmeyer P.C.’s lawyers are as comfortable in the courtroom as the boardroom, and have secured the trial and arbitration results to prove it. Our trial and arbitration results have even received national media coverage. While the majority of our practice is spent representing operators and lessees in the energy industry who are often being sued on the defense side of the docket, we are equally confident and capable prosecuting affirmative claims for our clients in the posture as plaintiff. As examples, in 2015 Santoyo Wehmeyer P.C. secured the sixth largest contract verdict as reported by Texas Lawyer in its Verdict Search, Top Texas Verdicts of 2015 publication. In the same year, we secured a take-nothing defense verdict in a jury trial where our operator-client was being sued for millions of dollars in damages. And in 2016, after a two-week federal jury trial, we secured the fourth largest contract verdict, and 25th largest verdict statewide, as reported by Texas Lawyer in its Verdict Search, Top Texas Verdicts of 2016 publication. In 2018, after a week long jury trial, we secured the largest fraud verdict, and the nineteenth largest verdict statewide, as reported by Texas Lawyer in its Verdict Search, Top Texas Verdicts of 2018 publication. In addition to trials, we have also assisted clients in trying arbitrations to multimillion-dollar results as claimant and take-nothing defense awards for respondents.

We aggressively prepare each case for trial, but are often successful securing judgment for our clients by summary disposition. Effective depositions, written discovery and motion practice often help us extricate clients early from distasteful litigation before any trial is necessary. And our aggressive, trial-minded approach to case preparation often presents settlement opportunities to clients that would not otherwise have been available.

SPECIAL COUNSEL, LOCAL COUNSEL AND CONTINGENCY ASSOCIATIONS

Santoyo Wehmeyer P.C.’s reputation, credentials and experience in the oil and gas industry also make it a resource used by other law firms — of all sizes — for the needs of their clients facing oil and gas disputes. We are frequently called by transactional practitioners and are associated as counsel when their clients find themselves in the rare controversy. And it is common that large firms and insurance practitioners associate us as counsel for our oil and gas expertise. We respect the relationships between other lawyers and their clients and are happy to be called on as-needed to associate as special counsel. We also assist when other lawyers represent clients involved in energy controversy that is aided by the Firm’s geographical proximity to the litigation venue or location of the property in issue. We also consider select contingency associations with firms where high-value cases require specialized oil and gas dispute counsel or diligence.

EFFICIENCY AT REASONABLE RATES

Santoyo Wehmeyer P.C.’s founding attorneys have big-firm experience, without big-firm rates. And we understand that each case and client is different, so each matter is approached with our efforts tailored to ensuring that client expectations and budget desires in that particular instance are met. Because we have years of experience in our field, our attorney time and associated bills are not inflated by researching the law, finding experts and preparing the specialized oil and gas cases that have become the routine at Santoyo Wehmeyer P.C.