RASHCHAPMAN - Key Persons
Bennett Roberts specializes in oil and gas law: performing title examination and acquisition preparation; preparing original drilling and division order title opinions; drafting title instruments, oil and gas leases, and curative documents; and representing clients before the Railroad Commission of Texas as well as other administrative law matters. Bennett also helps clients with business and corporate law matters.
A Houston native and third-generation Texas attorney, Bennett formed the LE Energy Company, an oil and gas land brokerage firm, where he served as president for more than 15 years. He joined RashChapman in 2011.
Blake Williams joined Rash Chapman in 2022. His practice primarily focuses on oil and gas title examination and energy transactional matters, and includes examining title during all phases of exploration and production, due diligence, advising E&P companies and oil and gas interest owners, and drafting and negotiating commercial contracts. As an attorney, and former in-house landman, he has extensive experience in a wide range of transactional matters, including: oil and gas leases; assignments; operating agreements, purchase and sale agreements; joint development agreements; production sharing agreements; pooling declarations; surface use agreements; surface leases; easements; water purchase agreements; and conveyance instruments.
Prior to joining Rash Chapman, Blake was employed by Marathon Oil Company in Houston, Texas as a Sr. Land Professional. During his 10 years of service, he held various roles in the land department managing the company's acreage positions in South Texas and the Northern Delaware basin in southeast New Mexico, and supporting the development program for the drilling of hundreds of unconventional oil and gas wells. On the transactional side, Blake facilitated trades of producing and non-producing properties, negotiated joint development opportunities, and was involved with the due diligence efforts in several large asset acquisitions.
Blake began his career in the oil and gas industry in 2006 as a landman with Dale Operating Company, LLC, a private exploration and production company based in Dallas, Texas. There he specialized in acquisitions of producing and non-producing oil and gas properties, developing early stage prospects, and researching complex title issues in multiple unconventional oil and gas trends throughout Texas and the northeastern United States. Blake subsequently worked for an established lease brokerage firm based in South Texas.
Born and raised in Austin, Blake graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts, and earned his Juris Doctorate, with honors, from St. Mary's University School of Law in San Antonio, Texas. He was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 2017.
Blake lives in the Austin area with his wife, Ellen, and their two children. Outside of the office, Blake enjoys spending time with his family in the outdoors, and taking trips to their family ranch in Kinney County, Texas, and to the San Juan Mountains in southwest Colorado.
Education
Bachelor of Arts, Government - The University of Texas at Austin
Doctor of Jurisprudence - St. Mary's University School of Law
Brian Shahan focuses his legal practice primarily on oil and gas law in Texas and New Mexico, especially in the Midland, Delaware, and Eagle Ford Basins. Brian advises clients on all aspects of oil and gas transactions, including preparing original drilling and division order title opinions for oil and gas operations, conducting due diligence for asset acquisitions, analyzing leases and pooling/unitization agreements, and drafting curative documents.
A native Texan, Brian grew up in Sherman. Prior to joining RashChapman, he gained valuable experience in the oil and gas field as a landman working in South and West Texas. Brian now uses his landman background in his current legal practice, providing clients with straightforward, practical solutions.
Brian, his wife, Elizabeth, and their two young children enjoy spending time with family and friends on Moss Lake. Brian also coaches his children's sports teams, and enjoys fly-fishing, hunting, and just about any other excuse to be outdoors.
Education
Bachelor of Arts, Economics, The University of Texas at Austin
Doctor of Jurisprudence, St. Mary's University School of Law
Clay Nance focuses his legal practice on oil, gas, and energy law matters in Texas and New Mexico. Clay has worked on a broad range of legal matters throughout his career, and has been fortunate to develop close working relationships with attorneys, business leaders, technical experts, and industry consultants who are valuable resources to his law practice and clientele.
Clay helps clients in all phases of oil and gas exploration and production, including: managing due diligence and title examinations for surface, mineral, and leasehold acquisitions; rendering drilling title opinions involving fee, state, and federally-owned lands; providing regulatory counseling for oil and gas well drilling programs; rendering division order title opinions to determine the ownership of production; drafting and negotiating commercial transactions; and managing oilfield dispute resolution.
Clay frequently represents clients before the Railroad Commission of Texas and other state agencies in litigation involving permitting, environmental compliance, rulemaking, and enforcement. He also advises clients on statewide and special field rules governing horizontal wells, surface and subsurface uses, saltwater management and disposal, groundwater protection, brine mining, and commercial oilfield waste management.
A native South Texan, Clay earned his business degree at The University of Texas at Austin, and his law degree at the Texas Tech University School of Law - where he received a scholarship and award for the top performance in Oil and Gas Law, and participated on a national semi-finalist mock trial team.
Clay began his legal career with Austin-based Hance Scarborough, LLP, where he gained valuable experience in oil and gas law, regulatory law, public policy, and litigation. During his tenure there, Clay had the opportunity to work with influential leaders on challenging projects, such as drafting legislation and obtaining regulatory approvals for the state's first low-level radioactive waste management and disposal facility near Andrews, TX. He also enjoyed attending Longhorn and Red Raider games, and going on hunting and fishing trips with his colleagues.
Clay and his wife, Jill, enjoy spending time with their three children, other family, and friends. Jill is also a proud graduate of the Texas Tech University School of Law, and now serves as general counsel for an Austin-based company. Clay and Jill spend many weeknights and weekends cheering on their kids at soccer, softball, and basketball games. Clay serves as a volunteer softball coach with the Oak Hill Youth Sports Association, and has also served as a volunteer coach with the Lonestar Soccer Club. He likes to fish and golf whenever he can.
Education
Bachelor of Business Administration, The University of Texas at Austin
Doctor of Jurisprudence, Texas Tech University School of Law
Winn Chapman is a RashChapman founder - and the firm's foundation.
Winn specializes in real estate law - both commercial and residential - from office buildings to residential homes, from commercial development tracts to large-acreage ranches. He also has extensive experience representing businesses, including corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies and partnerships, and sole proprietorships. Winn is also experienced in the areas of Wills, estate-planning and probate. Additionally, Winn enjoys representing nonprofit organizations like churches and other charitable groups.
A fourth-generation Texan, Winn attended The University of Texas at Austin, where he was named Outstanding Student, selected as a Goodfellow, and hooked ‘em as a varsity cheerleader. Winn served as a paratrooper in the Texas National Guard, then returned to UT to earn his J.D. while serving as captain of the Legal Eagles.
Winn began his legal career with a small local firm, where he gained valuable experience in a variety of practice areas, with a special interest in real estate. In 1988, events aligned for Winn to go out on his own and establish - together with Ralph Rash and Mark Schreiber - RashChapman.
Mark Leaverton offers more than 44 years of experience representing all sizes of oil and gas exploration and development companies. His expertise includes: preparation of title opinions for the drilling of and payment from oil and gas wells; title examination for large exploration and production projects; title examination and due diligence for the purchase and sale of properties; preparation of contracts, agreements, assignments, deeds, and leases; and expert consultation and representation in oil and gas litigation cases.
Born and raised in Lubbock, Mark always had an interest in the law. He worked his way through college and law school, and began his legal career with an oil and gas attorney in Dallas. During the late ‘70s oil boom, he was lured back to West Texas, and spent the next two decades practicing oil and gas law with a big law firm, with another lawyer, and on his own - until the oil business went into historic decline.
Mark decided to return to Austin and joined RashChapman as an extremely experienced associate, was made partner within nine months, and has spent the past 20 years developing and leading an indomitable oil and gas practice. His colleagues and clients go to Mark for his singular focus, his comprehensive understanding of the industry, and his natural true-Texan warmth.
Mark is actively involved in Christian ministry, and especially enjoys mentoring and reading to kindergarteners weekly through Education Connection. He and his wife, Vicki, enjoy spending time with their son and daughter and their families, including four fabulous granddaughters and one wonderful grandson.
Education
Bachelor of Business Administration, General Business, Texas Tech University
Doctor of Jurisprudence, The University of Texas at Austin
Rick Morrison offers a quarter-century of experience in both oil and gas and real estate law. On the oil and gas side, Rick represents all sizes of exploration and production companies, preparing title opinions for the drilling of and payment from oil and gas wells, negotiating and preparing all upstream and midstream contracts, and performing due diligence assets review for property purchase and sale agreements.
On the real estate side, Rick helps clients buy, sell, lease, develop, and finance commercial and residential real estate. His expertise includes negotiating and drafting: purchase and sale contracts; commercial leases; development agreements; joint venture agreements; limited and general partnership agreements; closing documents; and other documentation necessary to form and maintain real estate holding or general business entities. Additionally, Rick has helped negotiate rights and permits for Central Texas real estate developers, and has represented lenders and borrowers in secured commercial real estate transactions and SBA-insured loan transactions.
A native Texan, Rick grew up in the small Houston-area town of Santa Fe and the large Dallas-area suburb of Plano. He earned his B.B.A. in Finance at The University of Texas at Austin and his J.D. at the University of Houston, and stayed in Houston to launch his legal career. Rick eventually returned to Austin to join RashChapman, where he made partner within 5 years, and has spent the past 15+ years helping clients by applying his affinity for numbers to an atypically math-intensive area of the law.
Rick and his wife, Jennifer, spend a lot of family time at swim and track meets for their son and twin daughters. Rick also has a passion for fishing and Longhorn sports.
Rick and his wife, Jennifer, spend a lot of family time at swim and track meets for their son and twin daughters. Rick also has a passion for fishing and Longhorn sports.
Education
Bachelor of Business Administration, Finance, The University of Texas at Austin
Doctor of Jurisprudence, University of Houston
Wes Ritchie is an Associate in title only - he joined RashChapman in 2008, having been a partner for almost twenty years with the law firms of Kendall Randle Finch & Osborn, McCall & Ritchie, LLP, and the Law Offices of Wesley G. Ritchie.
Wes delivers more than three decades of experience in a broad spectrum of legal matters, including: oil, gas, and mineral title examination, transactions, and litigation; real estate and corporate transactions; wills, estate planning, and probate; municipal law; and general civil, trial, and appellate practice.
Wes grew up in the small Texas agricultural community of Taft, near Corpus Christi, where he and his family still own and operate a San Patricio County farm, ranch, and cotton gin. The Ritchie family also owns and operates a farm and ranch operation just outside of Cotulla, raising Brahman F-1 cattle and an occasional cash crop.
At RashChapman, Wes appreciates the collaborative atmosphere - where colleagues work together and stand willing to offer a helping hand - and he continues to help clients see and accomplish the results that work best for them.
Wes has four adult children (Jacelyn, Wesley Jr., Allison, and Kendall) and is also involved in helping to raise his late brother's four children. Wes continues to spend a lot of time at family sporting events, while also supporting The University of Texas Longhorns. A deacon at Westside Church of Christ in Round Rock, Wes loves hunting, fishing, and golf. A member of The New Golf Club of St. Andrews, The St. Andrews Golf Club, and the Crail Golfing Society, Wes enjoys regularly traveling to Scotland to play where the precision club-and-ball sport had its origins.
Education
Bachelor of Business Administration, General Business, The University of Texas at Austin
Doctor of Jurisprudence, Texas Tech University
Wes Ritchie, Jr., is an Austin native who grew up enjoying the outdoors with friends and family. Wes was actively involved in the Boy Scouts of America, eventually becoming an Eagle Scout. Wes attended Blinn College, working part-time as a bus driver, and ultimately transferred to and graduated from Texas A&M University.
Wes moved on to the Texas Tech University School of Law, where he received Distinguished Student Awards for Legal Practice and Advanced Legal Research, as a well as a State Bar of Texas Scholarship for Oil and Gas II. While in law school, Wes met many close friends, and enjoys seeing them succeed in the professional world.
Wes joined RashChapman in 2018, where he is actively learning, collaborating, and serving the needs of clients. Wes spends his spare time outdoors - hunting, fishing, golfing, and helping the Ritchie family farm-and-ranch operations.
Wes joined RashChapman in 2018, where he is actively learning, collaborating, and serving the needs of clients. Wes spends his spare time outdoors - hunting, fishing, golfing, and helping the Ritchie family farm-and-ranch operations.
Education
Bachelor of Science, Agricultural Leadership and Development [Business minor], Texas A&M University
Doctor of Jurisprudence, Texas Tech University
Winn specializes in real estate law - both commercial and residential - from office buildings to residential homes, from commercial development tracts to large-acreage ranches. He also has extensive experience representing businesses, including corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies and partnerships, and sole proprietorships. Winn is also experienced in the areas of Wills, estate-planning and probate. Additionally, Winn enjoys representing nonprofit organizations like churches and other charitable groups.
A fourth-generation Texan, Winn attended The University of Texas at Austin, where he was named Outstanding Student, selected as a Goodfellow, and hooked ‘em as a varsity cheerleader. Winn served as a paratrooper in the Texas National Guard, then returned to UT to earn his J.D. while serving as captain of the Legal Eagles.
Winn began his legal career with a small local firm, where he gained valuable experience in a variety of practice areas, with a special interest in real estate. In 1988, events aligned for Winn to go out on his own and establish - together with Ralph Rash and Mark Schreiber - RashChapman.
Today, Winn's caring approach, sharp memory, and ability to distill complex issues make him an invaluable resource for colleagues and clients alike. He is a frequent speaker on real estate law, as well as on the application of his Christian faith to daily life. Winn moonlights as a Teaching Director for Community Bible Study (where he was Chairman of the Board of Trustees for eight years), teaching pastors in places like India and Lebanon; supports Art From the Streets, Mobile Loaves and Fishes, and Community First! to help Austin's homeless; and loves it when he still runs into kids he coached in youth baseball and softball.