Practice Areas:  

Oil and Gas Title Examination; Due Diligence; Oil and Gas Transactions.

• Bar Admissions: Texas and New Mexico.
• Board Certified: Oil, Gas and Mineral Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
• Fellow of the College of the State Bar of Texas.

Experience: 

Michael S. Browning is the founding partner of Michael S. Browning, P.C., an oil, gas, and mineral law firm representing the energy industry in due diligence and title work. Michael is Board Certified in Oil, Gas and Mineral Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and practices exclusively oil, gas and mineral law. Michael’s practice includes rendering all types of title opinions throughout the State of Texas and the State of New Mexico, as well as representing clients in acquisition and divestiture, due diligence matters. He has advised clients on oil, gas, and mineral title issues, allocation wells, pooling and unitization, community leases, undivided mineral ownership, and leasehold estates. Michael has prepared oil and gas leases, amendments, assignments, ratifications, mineral and royalty deeds, purchase and sale agreements, and operating agreements, as well as represented clients in receivership litigation.

Education:

Texas A&M University Kingsville (B.A. Double Major, Psychology, Honors, and Political Science, Honors, 1995).
South Texas College of Law (J.D., 2002).

Professional:

Board Certified, Oil, Gas and Mineral Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 2009; Fellow of the College of State Bar of Texas since 2009; Rising Star 2011, San Antonio Lawyer Magazine; Who’s Who in Energy, San Antonio Business Journal, 2012, 2013 and 2014; State Bar of Texas (Oil, Gas and Energy Resources Section); San Antonio Bar Association (Natural Resources Section); American Association of Professional Landmen; Permian Basin Landman’s Association; and the San Antonio Association of Professional Landmen.

Publications/Presentations:

• Allocation Wells, presented at: BHP Billiton Land and Learning Series on October 21, 2015; and the Corpus Christi Association of Professional Landmen’s monthly meeting on February 9, 2015.
• The Shut-in Royalty Clause, What It Is and What It Isn’t, presented at the BHP Billiton Land and Learning Series on April 30, 2015.
• Oil and Gas Rights in Texas, Royalty Deed Interpretation, presented at the Lorman Education Services Seminar on August 27, 2014.
• Oil and Gas Rights in Texas, Allocation Wells, presented at the Lorman Education Services Seminar on August 27, 2014.
• Something Old, Something New: Royalty Deed Interpretation; and Allocation Wells, presented at the Houston Association of Professional Landmen Spring Seminar on May 3, 2014.
• Two Problematic Lease Issues: Community Leases; and Allocation Wells, presented at the Permian Association of Lease and Title Analyst 2014 PALTA Spring Seminar on April 10, 2014.
• Top Title Issues in Oil, Gas and Mineral Title, presented at the American Association of Petroleum Landmen Field Seminar in San Antonio, Texas on January 30, 2014.
• Selected Issues in Oil, Gas and Mineral Title, presented at the Houston Bar Association’s Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Section’s annual Title Update Meeting on October 22, 2013.
• Community Leases and Selected Issues Arising Therefrom, presented at the Permian Basin Landman Association’s Annual Spring Seminar on April 23, 2013 and the Houston Association of Professional Landmen Spring Seminar on May 18, 2013.
• “So You Want to Be an Oil and Gas Lawyer?”, co-authored with Donald Hueske, Texas Lawyer, July 16, 2012.
  Basics of Oil, Gas, And Mineral Title From Runsheets to Common Pitfalls, presented at ConocoPhillips In-house Continuing Legal Education Seminar on May 3, 2012.
• Title Research and Selected Problematic Areas In Oil, Gas and Mineral Title, presented at the: San Antonio Association of Professional Landmen Midwinter Seminar on February 21, 2009; the Houston Association of Professional Landmen Spring Seminar on May 7, 2011; the Houston Bar Association on November 15, 2011; and the North Houston Association of Professional Landmen Half-day Seminar on February 15, 2012.