ELIAS BOOKS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Associate at Elias, Books
Braden Hague is an Associate at Elias, Books. Braden's practice includes litigation in both state and federal district and appellate courts. His focus involves matters in oil and gas, real property, commercial real estate, agriculture, commerce, natural resources, general business, and commercial tax.
Braden was raised in Arcadia, Oklahoma, on a farm and ranch where he obtained a strong work ethic and entrepreneurial wherewithal to assist in growing his families' enterprise. He attended Oklahoma State University where he earned an undergraduate degree in Agribusiness through the School of Agriculture Sciences and Natural Resources. Upon graduation from Oklahoma State University, he attended Oklahoma City University to obtain his Juris Doctor. While attending law school, he made the Dean's List and received the Oklahoma Bar Association Energy and Natural Resources Award.
Outside the firm, Braden enjoys hunting, fishing, woodworking, and spending time with his wife.
Areas of Expertise
Commercial and Business
Brady Lippoldt is an Associate with Elias Books who focuses his practice on matters and litigation relating to state and local taxes, oil and gas, and wind and renewable energy.
Brady grew up in El Reno, Oklahoma and played baseball at Rose State College. He then earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics at the University of Oklahoma in 2019. Brady went on to graduate cum laude from Oklahoma City University School of Law in 2022, where he served as Executive Editor of the Oklahoma City University Law Review and earned CALI awards in Legal Research and Writing and Pretrial Litigation.
When Brady is not assisting clients, he enjoys watching sports, playing golf, traveling, and spending time with his wife and their dog, Poncho.
Areas of Expertise
Commercial and Business
Brandon Scott is an Associate whose practice focuses on the areas of oil and gas title examination, estate planning, and probate.
Prior to joining Elias Books, Mr. Scott spent eight years focusing on the areas of estate planning, wealth transfer taxation, and probate. During this time, Mr. Scott drafted numerous revocable and irrevocable trusts and prepared gift and estate tax returns. Mr. Scott also assisted clients in estate tax audits and estate litigation. Since joining Elias, Books, Brown & Nelson in 2018, Mr. Scott has prepared drilling and division order title opinions and worked with the firm's partners to address complex mineral title issues.
Mr. Scott graduated from Oklahoma City University School of Law in 2010. While in law school, Mr. Scott was a member of the Oklahoma City University Law Review and received multiple CALI awards. He also received the Oklahoma City Real Property Lawyers Association Award for Excellence in Property Law. Mr. Scott currently lives in Tuttle where he enjoys spending time with his son in outdoor activities.
Areas of Expertise
Energy and Natural Resources
Brian Taylor joined Elias Books as an Associate Attorney in 2023. His practice focuses primarily on oil and gas, energy, and tax law, with an emphasis on oil and gas title examination. He has assisted clients on drilling and division order title opinions, and due diligence projects throughout Oklahoma, Texas, and Ohio.
Brian earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of Oklahoma in 2015. Then, during his time at Oklahoma City University School of Law, Brian received a CALI award for Sales & Leases and was elected President of the Sports Law organization. He received his Juris Doctor in the Spring of 2018 and was admitted to practice in the State of Oklahoma later that year.
Areas of Expertise
Energy and Natural Resources
Brittany Dowd is an Associate at Elias Books. Brittany's areas of practice include litigation and appellate law primarily related to state and local ad valorem taxation and energy and oil and gas issues.
Prior to joining Elias Books, Brittany co-founded a legal startup that provided quality legal research and writing services to law firms and employed military spouse attorneys.
Brittany grew up in the Dallas area and graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Law with her Juris Doctor in 2014 after earning her undergraduate degree from OU in 2010 where she was a National Merit Scholar. While in law school, Brittany served as editor-in-chief of the American Indian Law Review and received American Jurisprudence awards for academic excellence in Legal Research & Writing. Shortly after graduating, she moved to Washington State with her husband, who was an active-duty service member. While in Washington, she served as a judicial law clerk for two judges at Division III of the Washington State Court of Appeals. Brittany returned home to Oklahoma in 2017.
Areas of Expertise
Commercial and Business
Elisabeth Brown is a Partner with Elias Books, where she has practiced for most of her legal career. Libby's practice involves litigation in both state and federal district and appellate courts with a special emphasis in the energy industry. Her practice also encompasses a wide variety of subject matter areas, including environmental, bankruptcy, creditor's rights, real estate, trusts and estates, business, and commercial litigation. A significant part of Libby's practice involves serving in the role of outside counsel to her clients with business, assets, and operations in Oklahoma, assisting them in providing risk management and complex litigation solutions.
Eric Huddleston is a Partner with Elias Books. He leads the firm's conservation law practice at the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.
Eric joined the firm in 2006. His practice primarily involves handling oil and gas and property law litigation but also focuses on general business and commercial litigation. He frequently handles lawsuits involving surface damages, lease cancellation, quiet title disputes, oilfield pollution, and contract disputes involving oil and gas leases, the Model Form Joint Operating Agreement and master services agreements. He also has extensive experience representing businesses in commercial matters such as collections, lien foreclosures, and pursuing claims in bankruptcy.
Eric attended Oklahoma City University for both undergraduate and law school and graduated with honors for both degrees. Eric currently lives in Oklahoma City with his wife and two kids.
Areas of Expertise
Commercial and Business
Jake Sandlin is an Associate Attorney at Elias Books. His practice focuses primarily on oil and gas, energy, and real property law with an emphasis on title examination, including rendering drilling and division order title opinions. He has assisted clients with acquisitions and due diligence, and small claims matters.
Jake graduated from Oklahoma City University School of Law in 2012 where he was member of the William J. Holloway American Inn of Court. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice from the University of Central Oklahoma where he was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity.
Areas of Expertise
Commercial and Business
Jay Dobson is a Partner at Elias Books and practices in the firm's litigation group. His practice includes matters involving state and local ad valorem tax, oil and gas, eminent domain, real property, and probate. Jay has effectively represented clients at all stages of litigation beginning with administrative proceedings, continuing through the trial stage, and concluding with appeals to Oklahoma's highest appellate courts.
Jay graduated from the Oklahoma City University School of Law in 2014. While attending law school, he made the Dean's List and received multiple CALI Awards. He was also a Merit Scholar and received the WB Clark Oklahoma Bar Foundation Scholarship.
Prior to law school, Jay received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Oklahoma State University in 2004. After earning his undergraduate degree, Jay moved to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where he worked in the industrial mechanical industry before returning to Oklahoma in 2009. Upon his return, he earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University in 2011.
Jay was raised in rural north central Oklahoma where his family still owns a cattle ranch near Kaw City.
Areas of Expertise
Commercial and Business
Kayli Maxwell is an Associate Attorney at Elias Books. Her areas of practice include oil and gas litigation, oil and gas title examination, and Oklahoma Corporation Commission work.
Prior to joining Elias Books, Kayli garnered extensive experience in the practice of oil and gas through her employment with two Fortune 500 E&P companies in Oklahoma City as well as a private equity oil and gas company in Houston, Texas. She has oil and gas experience across Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado.
Kayli is from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She earned her Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law. Kayli is a graduate of Davidson College with a Bachelor of Arts in history. While at Davidson, Kayli was a member of the Division I field hockey team where she was named Rookie of the Year in 2004 and Player of the Year in 2007. She was inducted into the Davidson Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022.
Areas of Expertise
Commercial and Business
Kyle Ashpole is an Associate with Elias Books who focuses his practice on matters and litigation relating to state and local taxes, oil and gas, and renewable energy.
Prior to joining Elias Books, Kyle worked as an accountant for publicly traded energy and utility companies in Oklahoma City.
Kyle grew up in Edmond, Oklahoma. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting at Oklahoma Christian University. Kyle went on to graduate from Oklahoma City University School of Law in 2022, where he attended night classes while working full time.
In his free time, Kyle enjoys watching the Oklahoma City Thunder, running, fishing, and spending quality time with his wife and daughter.
Areas of Expertise
Energy and Natural Resources
Kyle Murphy is a Partner with Elias Books licensed in both Oklahoma and Texas whose practice incorporates a broad range of real property and oil and gas issues with a concentration in oil and gas title examination. In his practice, Kyle has prepared numerous acquisition, drilling, and division order title opinions and has been trusted with the efficient resolution of some of the most complex title matters for clients. Kyle has assisted clients with various aspects of mergers and acquisitions of oil and gas properties, including conducting due diligence and drafting purchase and sales agreements. Kyle routinely consults on various oil and gas title issues in preparation of litigation.
Kyle is active in the Energy and Natural Resources Law and Real Property Law Sections of the Oklahoma Bar Association, in addition to the Oklahoma City Association of Professional Landmen. Kyle is a past President of the Mineral Lawyers Society of Oklahoma City as well as a previous speaker of said organization.
Kyle was born in Hays, Kansas, but has lived in the Oklahoma City area most of his life. Kyle attended Oklahoma City University for both undergraduate and law school where he graduated with honors. Kyle currently lives in Edmond with his wife and three kids where he enjoys attending his kids numerous activities while trying to squeeze in the occasional golf game.
Areas of Expertise
Commercial and Business
Larry Grizzle is an Associate Attorney with Elias Books. His practice focuses on oil and gas title examination, estate administration, and quiet title actions. He is experienced in administrative proceedings with the Oklahoma Tax Commission regarding tax protests.
Larry received his Juris Doctor from Oklahoma City University School of Law, graduating cum laude, and was a Merit Scholar. During law school, Larry received a CALI award in sports law and was the recipient of the Oklahoma Bar Association's Excellence in Energy Law Award.
Areas of Expertise
Energy and Natural Resources
Lyle Rob Nelson is a Partner with Elias Books. His practice includes the representation of a broad range of business interests including banking, credit union, local and national mortgage lenders, small to mid-size family-owned concerns and start-ups, energy companies, and regional commercial and consumer lenders. Rob has extensive experience in bankruptcy and has represented creditors of all sizes, including Chapter 11, 12, and 13 work. He has also been a Chapter 7 panel trustee for the Western District of Oklahoma since 1992 and prior to that time was outside counsel to the panel Chapter 13 trustee.
Rob was born in eastern Oklahoma and is a lifelong "Okie." He graduated from the University of Oklahoma law school. His undergraduate degree is in business administration with an emphasis in accounting from Northeastern State University. When not practicing law, he enjoys traveling and spending time with his family.
Areas of Expertise
Commercial and Business
Mackenzie is an Associate Attorney at Elias Books. Mackenzie's practice incorporates a range of real property and oil and gas issues, primarily focused on oil and gas title examination.
Megan Dowd is an Associate with an area of practice focused in oil and gas title examination. In addition to the examination and rendering of complex title opinions pre- and post-production, she has also advised clients in numerous real property transactions, including acquisition and/or divestiture of real property interests, ancillary probate proceedings, and other contracts and negotiations relating thereto. Megan represents both commercial and individual clients with respect to their oil and gas interests at every stage of exploration, production, and thereafter.
Megan earned both her Juris Doctor and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Oklahoma. Megan is an Oklahoma City native and has been involved in numerous non-profit organizations in the community, including serving on the young professionals' board for Upward Transitions, and various committees for the Junior League of Oklahoma City. She is the proud mother of a Bichon Frise/ Shih Tzu, Stella.
Areas of Expertise
Commercial and Business
Michael Brady is an associate at Elias Books. His practice focuses on litigation in state and federal trial courts, with an emphasis on representing energy industry clients. Michael's experience encompasses a wide variety of cases, including disputes over oil and gas leases, surface and mineral interests, easement rights, quiet title litigation, ad valorem taxation, and other energy industry issues. In addition, Michael represents a broad range of clients in tort, real property, contract, and bankruptcy matters. Michael's practice also includes transactional work focusing on energy industry related agreements, real property transactions, and business entity formation.
Michael has spent more than a decade in the energy industry and, prior to embarking on a legal career, worked as an oil and gas landman. He served as an in-house landman for a publicly traded oil and gas company and focused on assets located within the Permian and Hugoton Basins. Prior to working in-house, Michael worked as a field landman and lease negotiator for client prospects located across Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Kansas.
Michael graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Law and is originally from Oklahoma City. Outside the firm, Michael enjoys spending time with his wife and daughters, playing golf, and cheering on his Oklahoma Sooners.
Areas of Expertise
Commercial and Business
Richard Books is a retired founding Partner of Elias Books. Richard's practice focused on oil and gas conservation law at the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.
Richard practiced law in the field of oil and gas and energy law for over forty years. His clients included major oil and gas companies, large independent oil and gas producers, small exploration and development companies, and individual royalty owners. Richard is a past president of the Mineral Lawyers Society of Oklahoma City and has been a frequent faculty member for oil and gas seminars in Oklahoma, Texas, and Colorado.
Areas of Expertise
Energy and Natural Resources
Education
1977 - Juris Doctor, University of Oklahoma College of Law
Tim Dowd has represented oil and gas companies in all phases of exploration and development of oil and gas assets for over 35 years. He has extensive experience with acquisition and divestitures of oil and gas properties, title opinions, and probate proceedings.
Tim has significant experience examining title and conducting due diligence reviews of federal and state lands and leases in Oklahoma and rendering acquisition, drilling, division order, financing, and counsel opinions. He regularly advises on the intricacies of Oklahoma title law and requirements. Tim is a past President of the Oklahoma City Mineral Lawyers Society as well as past Chairman of the Oklahoma Bar Association Mineral Law Section. Tim is also a member of the legal committee of Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission. Tim authored the Chapter on Oil and Gas Titles in West Publishing Company's Oklahoma Real Estate Forms and Practice, as well as the Oklahoma chapter of AAPL's book on Nationwide Comparison of Laws on Leasing, Exploration and Production by State. Additionally, Tim has been a noted lecturer at over 100 seminars and CLE presentations.
Tim is a native Oklahoman having gone to both the University of Oklahoma and the University of Tulsa. He is also extremely involved with oil and gas organizations and other civic organizations.
Areas of Expertise
Energy and Natural Resources
Vance Brown is a founding Partner of Elias Books. Vance represents exploration and midstream companies in all stages of dispute resolution and litigation related to contracts, well operations, royalty and late interest payment cases, midstream contract disputes, lease cancellation claims, environmental and earthquake claims, surface damage claims, pipeline rights of way and easement disputes, and disputes relating to participation rights under pooling orders and industry contracts. For nearly 40 years, Vance has advocated hundreds of cases before numerous Oklahoma state district and appellate courts, Oklahoma regulatory agencies, U.S. District Courts, and the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Active in the legal community, Vance is a past Chair of the Oklahoma Bar Association's Energy and Natural Resources Law Section. He is also a member and former President of the Mineral Lawyers Society of Oklahoma City. Vance is a frequent lecturer at continuing legal education seminars on topics concerning oil and gas exploration and environmental issues.
Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Vance received his Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from the University of Oklahoma in 1981. He continued his education at the University of Oklahoma College of Law, where he received his Juris Doctor in 1984. Outside of the practice of law, Vance enjoys traveling with his family, splitting vacation time between Lake Tenkiller, Oklahoma, Lake City, Colorado, and the Emerald Coast of Florida.
Areas of Expertise
Commercial and Business
William K. Elias is a founding Partner of Elias Books. Bill has more than 40 years of experience practicing primarily in the areas of property taxation and state and local property tax litigation, oil and gas litigation, and commercial litigation. He has successfully represented clients before administrative boards and tribunals, federal and state trial courts, and federal and state appellate courts, including the Oklahoma Supreme Court and Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals.
Bill is active in national and state legal organizations. Through Bill's leadership, the firm became the Oklahoma member of the American Property Tax Counsel (APTC), a national association of preeminent law firms practicing in property taxation. Bill has been a guest lecturer on oil and gas and property tax related matters at numerous seminars sponsored by the Oklahoma Bar Association, the Oklahoma Association of Tax Representatives (OATR), and the Institute for Professionals in Taxation (IPT). Bill is a past recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the Oklahoma Mid-Continent Oil & Gas Association for outstanding service to the petroleum industry.
Bill received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Oklahoma State University in 1977 and his Juris Doctor with honors from the University of Tulsa in 1981.
Areas of Expertise
Energy and Natural Resources
Wyatt Swinford is a Partner in Elias Books litigation group. His practice focuses on a wide variety of litigation, appellate, and administrative proceedings, including issues relating to ad valorem taxation, the oil and gas industry, and bankruptcy law. His focus is primarily on complex commercial litigation in both state and federal court. Wyatt is active in the firm's state and local tax appeal practice, largely involving property tax valuations of commercial property in the energy sector, including upstream and midstream assets, along with interstate Commerce Clause issues. Wyatt also handles ad valorem cases covering a wide range of other commercial property, including telecommunications assets, apartment complexes, hotels, retail shops, and other real estate. In the oil and gas industry, Wyatt has represented clients in midstream contract disputes, surface use clashes, class action royalty underpayment cases, industry regulation, and mineral title curative actions. Wyatt is also involved in the firm's bankruptcy practice, including representing a Chapter 7 bankruptcy trustee and representing creditors in Chapter 11 liquidations.
Wyatt is active in state and local legal associations. Since 2018, Wyatt has served on the Board of Directors for the Young Lawyers Division of the Oklahoma County Bar Association, helping to organize events to raise funds for the Oklahoma Regional Food Bank. Wyatt has also been an associate with the Luther L. Bohanon Inn of Court. In 2019, Wyatt was selected to be a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association's Leadership Academy.
A native of Okemah, Oklahoma, Wyatt graduated from University of Oklahoma College of Law with his Juris Doctorate in 2015 and received a bachelor's degree in Agribusiness from Oklahoma State University in 2011. While at Oklahoma State, Wyatt served as the school's mascot, Pistol Pete. Between his undergraduate and law school studies, Wyatt worked for the U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee in Washington D.C.
Areas of Expertise
Commercial and Business