KMD - Key Persons
Aaron Maher is an Associate Attorney at Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC, practicing business and intellectual property law, and litigation.
Aaron earned his J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law (2020), along with a Certificate of Advanced Study in National Security and Counterterrorism Law. While at Syracuse, Aaron took business and transactional-related courses offered, including: Business Associations, Commercial Transactions, Corporate Finance Transactions, and Transactional Drafting. He earned the top grades in both Corporate Finance Transactions and the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic, where he spent a semester representing Veteran clients.
Education
J.D., Syracuse University College of Law, 2020
B.A., Biology, State University of New York at Oswego, 2015
Prior Experience
Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD: Court Team Attorney
Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC: Law Clerk
Memberships
Maryland
Federal
United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
Education
J.D., 2020, Syracuse University College of Law
Adam Burke is a Senior Attorney at Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC. His practice is focused on assisting clients with upstream oil and gas exploration, including the drafting of original, drilling, division order, supplemental, and other title opinions. He has drafted title opinions across Texas, including East Texas, the Permian Basin, and the Eagle Ford Shale.Prior to joining Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC, Adam developed his oil and gas practice with James P. Barnett, Jr. & Associates, P.C. and Kuiper, Wheat & Associates, LLP, focusing on title issues, curative, and drafting title opinions but including such areas as landowner representation, lease negotiation, and operating agreements.
Adam is licensed to practice law in Texas and Oklahoma. He is based in the Houston, Texas office of Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC.
Amanda ‘Mandy' Jackson is an Associate Attorney at Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC, practicing in Oil & Gas and Litigation. During law school, Mandy focused on property, business, and transactional law.
Job Titles:
- Senior Paralegal & Office Administrator
- Senior Paralegal and Office Administrator at Kearney
Andrea Palazzolo is a senior paralegal and office administrator at Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC. She assists attorneys in client matters involving oil & gas title, intellectual property, transactions, mergers & acquisitions, and civil litigation matters. Additionally, Andrea is the patent and trademark docketing manager, handling the firms' client dockets and providing paralegal services to the patent attorneys, such as USPTO filings, Examiner correspondence, figure editing and drafting, and other tasks.
Mrs. Palazzolo earned her A.A.S. Degree in paralegal studies from North Harris College and has also obtained a paralegal certificate. She has over thirteen years of combined paralegal experience in civil litigation, family law, oil & gas law, and intellectual property law. Before joining Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC, she served as a senior department paralegal and project manager for a large oil & gas law firm based in Houston, Texas, where she focused on oil & gas law primarily in Texas and the Appalachian region of the United States.
When she isn't assisting attorneys and pushing to meet deadlines, Andrea can be found at a quiet coffee shop writing her next children's book!
Andrea is based in the Houston office of Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC.
Education
A.A.S, Paralegal Studies, North Harris College, 2005
Prior Experience
Sadler Law Firm, LLP: Senior Paralegal/Appalachian Department Paralegal & Project Manager; Managed Daily Workflow for Attorneys and Paralegals; Supervised all Paralegals in Appalachian Department; Client/Abstractor Liaison
Chambers Law Firm, PLLC: Senior Paralegal/Office Manager, Supervised Paralegals; Managed Projects/Workflow; Client/Vendor Liaison
Grady, Schneider & Newman LLP: Legal Secretary/File Clerk, Drafting Documents; Client Liaison; Court Runner
Short, Jenkins, Kamin, LLP: Legal Assistant/Paralegal, Drafting Documents, Preparing Discovery, Client Liaison
Austin Dunlap is one of the founding attorneys and is currently Of Counsel to Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC. Prior to attending law school, Austin worked in law enforcement as a deputy sheriff. His experience directed his legal studies and subsequent career into criminal law. After working a short time as a Deputy County Attorney in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, Austin took the opportunity to move back to Texas and begin his career in Oil & Gas and Energy Law.
Austin focuses his practice on complex oil and gas title issues in the Rocky Mountain states. He has worked one on one resolving unique drilling and exploration issues with his clients. Austin has worked on multiple oil and gas mergers and acquisitions providing due diligence examination. He has assisted in resolving title issues in Wyoming, Utah, North Dakota, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, and Pennsylvania.
Austin Dunlap is licensed to practice law in Wyoming and Utah, and was recently admitted to practice in federal court for the District of Wyoming. He lives and works in Jackson, Wyoming.
Education
J.D., University of Wyoming College of Law, 2009
B.A., Political Science, Brigham Young University, 2005
Prior Experience
Sadler Law Firm, LLP: Associate Attorney, Exploration Production, Drilling & Division Order Title Opinions, Chain of Title, Mergers & Acquisitions, Due Diligence, Operations, Regulatory Compliance
Sweetwater County Attorney's Office, Wyoming: Deputy Prosecuting Attorney
Ben Woodruff is an Attorney at Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC, practicing in Energy, Property, and Litigation. During law school, Ben focused on natural resources, energy, tax, and bankruptcy law.
After graduation from law school, Ben was a judicial clerk for Hon. Ramón Pagán of the Oregon Court of Appeals. In that role, he gained extensive legal research and writing experience, and wrote broadly on matters of criminal and civil law.
Ben is an alumnus of the University of Maine School of Law (2020), where he graduated magna cum laude, and was selected by faculty as the distinguished law student in the areas of commercial/business law and taxation. Ben was awarded for the top grades in Business Associations, Energy Law, Taxation I, and Taxation II. Ben was an Articles Editor for the Maine Law Review. Additionally, Ben interned with Hon. Michael Fagone, District of Maine Bankruptcy Court, and externed with Hon. Kermit Lipez, United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
Prior to law school, Ben worked as an in-house Landman in upstream oil and gas for several Denver-based operators. He has operational experience in East Texas, the Permian Basin, the Gulf of Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota. In addition, Ben worked as a consultant and crew chief for due diligence projects in North Dakota, Texas, Louisiana, and Colorado.
Ben is licensed to practice in Colorado, Maine, Oregon, and Washington. He is based in the Denver, Colorado office for KMD.
Education
J.D., University of Maine School of Law, 2020, Magna Cum Laude
Certificate, Mitchell Hamline School of Law - Global Arbitration Law and Practice, 2018
B.A., Political Science, Metropolitan State University of Denver, 2005
Prior Experience
Oregon Court of Appeals: Judicial Law Clerk
Epiq Global: Contract Attorney
Blaire Farine is an Associate Attorney at Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC.
Mrs. Farine assists attorneys in client matters involving intellectual property, civil litigation, estate planning, and commercial transactions. She has assisted with every step of a trial, from pre-trial preparations to post-judgment collections. She also assists with entity formations and amendments, employee agreements, non-compete agreements, and most other business transactions. She assists with the filing, maintenance, and prosecution of both trademarks and patents. She is also a certified Mediator.
Blaire graduated from South Texas College of Law Houston in 2021 with her J.D. and earned her Biology degree from the University of Louisiana Lafayette. She has an extensive educational background in genetic research, biodiversity, and pre-medical studies.
While earning her J.D., Blaire worked as a law clerk at Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, gaining experience in business, litigation and intellectual property. She also has professional experience in the biotechnology and medical field as a sales executive for a nationwide medical testing laboratory, specializing in PCR technology, and as a clinical engineer, specializing in a medical device for the treatment of epilepsy.
Blaire is based in the Houston office of Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC, and is licensed to practice in Texas, Colorado, and Wyoming (pending approval).
Bojan Muranovic is a Senior Oil and Gas Attorney in the Energy & Natural Resources practice group at Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC. Bojan has over ten years of experience in the upstream oil and gas industry, primarily focusing on oil and gas title examination.
After graduating from the University of Houston Law Center in 2010, Bojan held a fellowship with the Environmental Protection Agency's Criminal Investigations Division in Houston, Texas. In the Fall of 2011, Bojan joined a local law firm and began drafting Original, Supplemental, and Division Order Title Opinions for several clients covering multiple counties in the State of Texas, including Eagle Ford, East Texas, and the Barnett development areas.
Bojan also worked as a Regional Land Manager for a Land Services Company operating out of Fort Worth, working on multiple due diligence projects and full title leasing and examination projects covering numerous jurisdictions in the continental United States, including Texas, Colorado, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. In the Fall of 2016, Bojan joined Noble Energy's Land Administration department, primarily focusing on management of Noble's assets in West Texas and the Eagle Ford Basins.
Bojan is licensed to practice law in Texas and is based in the Houston office of Kearney, McWilliams & Davis.
Job Titles:
- Senior Attorney
- Shareholder
Bradley A. Nevills is a Senior Attorney and Shareholder at Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC. Mr. Nevills practices in commercial litigation, business law, and general corporate transactions. He is an alumni of Sam Houston State University and received his Juris Doctorate from South Texas College of Law in 2012.
Mr. Nevills' focused interests include commercial transactions, contract negotiating, drafting, and enforcement, litigation and motion practice, corporate structuring, maintenance, and governance, alternative dispute resolution, and trademark procurement and enforcement.
Mr. Nevills clerked for the 165th Civil Judicial District Court of Harris County while attending law school, where he observed the increasing reliance that Texas courts placed on alternative dispute resolution. Accordingly, Mr. Nevills studied alternative dispute resolution and satisfied all the requirements to become a Certified Texas Mediator. Having resolved and participated in dozens of mediations, Mr. Nevills continues to balance his experience in litigation, advocacy, and corporate transactions with the practicality and efficiency offered by the various venues of alternative dispute resolution.
Mr. Nevills' experience includes a wide range of litigation and motion practice, corporate transactions, including negotiating and drafting, the complete structuring, implementation, and governance of corporate entities, intellectual property protection, defense, and enforcement, several areas of Texas family law practice, and mediating and arbitrating private and corporate disputes of all natures. This experience provides Mr. Nevills with the comprehensive ability to represent corporate and individual clients in a multitude of personal and business matters from beginning to end, whether that be the initiation of litigation to final judgment or resolution or the negotiation and memorialization of informal business proposals to the completion, execution, and satisfaction of complex transactional agreements. This experience further provides Mr. Nevills with the ability to structure and govern all types of corporate entities, including designing and implementing various taxation and asset-protection structures, from single-member LLCs designed to hold business or personal assets to multi-shareholder for-profit corporations with several commercially-available products seeking to commence its IPO.
Mr. Nevills is licensed to practice in all Texas state courts and in the United States District Court for the Northern, Eastern, and Southern Districts of Texas. Mr. Nevills practices in the Houston, Texas office of Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC.
Education
J.D., South Texas College of Law Houston, 2012
B.A., English and Philosophy, Sam Houston State University, 2009
Bradley Taylor is an Senior Attorney to Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC. He graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship from Baylor University in 2007 and earned his J.D. from South Texas College of Law, Houston in 2011.
While pursuing his J.D., Bradley worked as a Research Assistant to his First Amendment Professor and as an independent landman providing courthouse research and filings. He continued to provide land and title services to law firms and E&P companies until 2015, when he joined a major Presidential campaign as Counsel in charge of ballot access and delegate selection.
Bradley joined Percussion Petroleum in 2017 as an in-house landman. He provided due diligence on acquisitions and divestitures, drafted, and negotiated land contracts, including leases, operating agreements, pipeline right-of-way agreements, deeds and other conveyances, and advised on projects covering Federal, State and Fee lands. After the sale of Percussion in 2019, Bradley wrote original and supplemental drilling, division order and acquisition title opinions covering lands all over the State of Texas.
Bradley is licensed to practice law in Texas. He is based in the Houston, Texas, office of Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC.
Education
J.D., South Texas College of Law Houston, 2011
B.B.A., Entrepreneurship, Baylor University, 2007
Prior Experience
Kuiper Law Firm, PLLC
Brendan Jones is a Partner and Managing Member at Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, LLC. Brendan is a highly-skilled attorney with more than a decade of experience assisting and advising oil and gas companies operating throughout the country. The majority of Brendan's legal practice is focused on assisting clients in the oil and gas industry with complex legal matters, including, but not limited to, the purchase and sale of mineral and leasehold properties, negotiation and preparation of various agreements, due diligence projects, and title opinions.
He is based in the Houston, Texas office of Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC.
Education
J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, 2008, Honors
B.A., Government, The University of Texas at Austin, 2001
Prior Experience
Liskow & Lewis: Shareholder
Sadler Law Firm, LLP: Associate Attorney
Wiggin and Dana, LLP: Associate Attorney
Job Titles:
- Senior Attorney
- Member of the State Bar of Texas
Brian T. Wittpenn is an experienced oil and gas and real estate attorney.
Brian renders title opinions, conducts due diligence during mergers and acquisitions, and works directly with landmen and brokers to keep the project on schedule. He also represents Title Insurance Companies with curing title issues using negotiation and litigation in order to obtain the quickest and most efficient results for his clients. Brian also assists major oil and gas drilling companies with filing liens and securing payment for unpaid services they have rendered.
Brian has been named Rising Star Super Lawyer in 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023, a distinction awarded to less than 2.5% of practicing attorneys. He has also received Houstonia Magazine's Top Lawyer in Energy Award.
Brian is a member of the State Bar of Texas, including the Oil, Gas, and Energy Resources Section and is based in the Houston office of Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC.
Education
J.D., University of Houston Law Center, 2013
M.A., Philosophy, University of Houston, 2010
B.A., Philosophy and English, The University of Texas Arlington, 2007, Cum Laude
Prior Experience
Wheat & Wittpenn Law Firm: Partner
Kuiper, Wheat & Associates: Senior Associate
Jones Gill, LLP: Associate Attorney
Sadler Law Firm, LLP: Attorney
Charles S. North is a Senior Attorney at Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC. Charles focuses his practice on healthcare, labor and employment, and commercial litigation. Charles also has experience in personal injury, insurance, trademark, defamation, equine law, non-profit startups, financial services litigation, and appellate work. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas and is based in the Dallas-Fort Worth office of KMD. Prior to joining KMD, Charles was an Associate Attorney at Sanders Collins, PLLC and Of-Counsel at Camara & Sibley, LLP.
Charles received his J.D. from SMU's Dedman School of Law in Dallas. During law school, Charles served as the American Bar Association's National Student Director, he was appointed as a Garner Law Scholar, clerked for Texas' Fifth Court of Appeals, and studied comparative human rights law at University College, Oxford. Charles currently serves as an Advocacy Fellow for the Board of Advocates at SMU's Dedman School of Law, where he coaches national Moot Court teams.
Before law school, Charles served as Relief Partners' Liaison for African Projects, including extensive travel to Kenya and South Sudan, where Charles trained civic leaders in conflict resolution skills, facilitated micro-financing to business startups, and provided logistical support to the U.N. World Food Programme. Charles has written curriculum now being utilized to train community leaders in ethnic reconciliation and peacekeeping in post-conflict Africa.
As a former competitor, Charles is an avid cycling fan. He is also a keen motorsport enthusiast. As a true "petrol head," Charles enjoys traveling with his son to tracks around the country to watch racing.
Prior Experience
Sanders Collins, PLLC
Camara & Sibley, LLP
Job Titles:
- Senior Attorney
- Member of the State Bar of Texas
Chris N. Sekimoto is a Senior Attorney with the Energy & Natural Resources practice group at Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC, with 10 years of experience practicing transactional oil and gas law. His practice focuses on advising upstream energy companies on matters relating to title examination, due diligence, acquisitions, and regulatory compliance. In addition to Texas, he has experience handling projects in Louisiana, New Mexico, Ohio, and North Dakota.
He received his B.S. from the University of Texas at Austin and earned a law degree from St. Mary's University School of Law, where he served as a staff writer on the St. Mary's Law Journal. Chris began his legal career as an oil and gas attorney in San Antonio where he practiced for six years before moving to Houston in 2017.
Chris is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Utah, and Montana. He is based in the Houston office of Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC.
Education
J.D., St. Mary's University School of Law, 2011
B.S., Radio-Television-Film, University of Texas at Austin, 2005
Prior Experience
Kuiper Law Firm, PLLC: Senior Associate
Kuiper, Wheat & Associates, LLP: Associate Attorney
Texas Office of the Attorney General, Assistant Attorney General
Mazurek & Holliday, PC: Attorney
Memberships
State Bar of Texas
State Bar of Utah
State Bar of Montana
Clint J. Hays is a Senior Attorney in the Oil & Gas Division with Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC. He has over seventeen years' experience in the oil and gas industry, with a focus on complex title examination and oil and gas transactional matters. Clint has been Board Certified in Oil, Gas and Mineral Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 2009.
After graduating from the Texas Tech School of Law in 2004, Clint began his career as a Petroleum Landman/Associate General Counsel for a land services company in Midland, TX, and has spent the last sixteen years as an attorney representing various exploration companies. He specializes in Texas title examination and has authored hundreds of title opinions covering all of the major producing areas in Texas, but also has a great deal of experience preparing title opinions on lands in New Mexico. Additionally, Clint is a licensed Texas Real Estate Broker and has experience practicing in the areas of Residential Real Estate law and HOA Management/delinquency.
Clint is licensed to practice law in both Texas and New Mexico. He is based in the San Antonio, Texas office of Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC.
Education
J.D., Texas Tech University School of Law, 2004
B.A., Political Science, The University of Texas at San Antonio, 1999
Prior Experience
Kuiper Law Firm, PLLC: Of Counsel Attorney
Law Office of Clint J. Hays: Solo Attorney
Burleson, LLP: Managing Counsel - Oil and Gas Title
Allen & Associates, LLC: Associate Attorney
Stubbeman, McRae, Sealy, Laughlin & Browder, Inc: Associate Attorney
Choate Company, Inc.: Landman/Associate General Counsel
With attorneys licensed to practice law in several states, we have the expertise to assist you regionally, nationally and globally.
Cody Townsend is a law clerk at Kearney, McWilliams, and Davis, PLLC.
Mr. Townsend assists attorneys in client matters pertaining to oil and gas, intellectual property, business problems and solutions, business litigation, and commercial transactions.
Mr. Townsend is currently attending the University of Wyoming College of Law and will graduate in Spring 2023. He earned his degree in Criminal Justice, along with a concurrent degree in Environmental and Natural Resources, from the University of Wyoming. While attending the University of Wyoming, Mr. Townsend had the opportunity to assist clients throughout Wyoming on a pro bono basis through the University's Civil Legal Services Program. In his free time, he enjoys hunting, camping, hiking and skiing.
Mr. Townsend is based in the Wyoming office of Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC.
Education
J.D. Candidate, University of Wyoming College of Law
B.A., Criminal Justice and Corrections, University of Wyoming, 2020
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Craig Galanter is a Senior Attorney in the Denver office of Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC. His practice includes Oil & Gas and Commercial Real Estate. Craig assists the Oil & Gas team by reviewing, drafting and editing title opinions, running due diligence and drafting curative documents. Craig also handles commercial real estate matters. He has experience handling all aspects of leasing, acquisitions and dispositions.
Prior to joining Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, Craig worked in-house for a real estate acquisition company where he helped the company expand its gas station and convenience store portfolio and with all areas of commercial leasing. Before that, he worked for a national franchisor where he helped the company place and lease space in shopping malls.
Craig lives in Denver with his wife and two kids, where he enjoys trail running with his border collie and exploring new restaurants. When possible, he enjoys traveling with his family and experiencing a new lazy river.
Education
J.D., Florida Coastal School of Law, 2009
B.A., The Ohio State University, 2004
Prior Experience
Assistant General Counsel at Monfort Companies
Director of Leasing and Construction and Development at Cellairis Franchise, Inc.
Associate Attorney at Pollart Miller
Associate Attorney at Koncilja & Koncilja, P.C.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Senior Counsel and the Director
Devon Decker is Senior Counsel and the Director of Litigation at Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC.
Devon has over 35 years of experience in product liability, oil field litigation, construction defects, negligence, maritime, employment, medical, and commercial matters in both state and federal courts. Mr. Decker is board certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and served as product liability and injury defense counsel for many of his clients.
Mr. Decker has represented clients and defended their interests in and outside of Texas, including pro hac vice appearances in Alabama, Iowa, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Carolina. He has an AV Preeminent Rating, the highest available, from the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory.
Outside of the firm, Mr. Decker has been a long-time volunteer and former Mast Captain on the tall ship ELISSA, the official Tall Ship of the State of Texas sailing out of Galveston, Texas. Mr. Decker has also served as a Member of the Board of Directors of the A.D. Players, a professional theatre company in Houston.
Devon Decker is admitted to practice before the United States District Courts for the Northern, Southern, and Eastern Districts of Texas, all State Courts of Texas, the United States Courts of Appeal for the Fifth and Federal Circuits, the United States Court of Federal Claims, and the Supreme Court of the United States. He is based in the Houston, Texas, office for Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC.
Dileep Rao is a Senior Attorney practicing Intellectual Property at Kearney, McWilliams & Davis. Mr. Rao is admitted to practice before the USPTO and has significant engineering experience prior to practicing law.
Upon completion of his Biomedical Engineering degree at Northwestern University, Dileep held multiple technical and commercial roles in the chemical and refining sectors. His experience includes the design and implementation of engineered pumping applications, systems design, and control systems engineering. He completed an executive MBA program at Louisiana State University and then went on to hold multiple positions in business development, marketing, and sales. He then completed his JD at University of Houston Law Center.
Dileep now enjoys practicing exclusively in intellectual property law, leveraging his business and engineering experience to custom tailor intellectual property strategies for the business needs of his clients.
Dileep is based in the Houston office of Kearney, McWilliams & Davis.
Education
J.D., University of Houston Law Center, 2006
M.B.A, Finance, Louisiana State University, 2000
B.S., Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, 1994
Prior Experience
Rao DeBoer Osterrieder, PLLC: Partner
Buskop Law Group: Patent Attorney
The Rao & Noland Law Firm: Partner
Rao and Associates: Attorney and Counselor at Law
Streets & Steele: Associate Attorney
Elsa Perez is a Paralegal at Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC.
Ms. Perez earned her Bachelors of Art in Philosophy and Political Science with a Minor in Communications from The University of Northern Colorado.
Elsa is based in the Denver office of Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC.
Languages
English
Erik Osterrieder is a Senior Attorney at Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, with over 20 years of experience in intellectual property. Mr. Osterrieder obtained a B.S. in Chemistry, cum laude, at the University of Louisville, undertook graduate studies in nuclear chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, and obtained his law degree at the University of Dayton. In his spare time, Erik and his spouse enjoy travelling, having dinner with friends, and spending time with their dogs.
Mr. Osterrieder's IP experience includes drafting and prosecuting hundreds of domestic and foreign patent, trademark, and copyright applications, as well as lodging and defending against European patent oppositions as well as US trademark oppositions and cancellations before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Further, he has handled due diligence, reexaminations, reissues, post-issuance procedures, and appeals before both the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. In addition to having litigated IP matters in all four federal districts in Texas, Erik routinely drafts and reviews assignments, licenses, non-disclosure agreements, joint-venture agreements, contracts, other agreements, and various types of opinion work, e.g., patentability, non-infringement, freedom-to-operate, invalidity, registrability, fair use, etc.
Erik is based in the Houston office of Kearney, McWilliams & Davis.
Education
J.D., University of Dayton School of Law, 1999
Graduate Studies - Nuclear Chemical Physics, University of California, Berkeley, 1994
B.S., Chemistry, University of Louisville, 1992, Cum Laude
Prior Experience
Rao DeBoer Osterrieder, PLLC: Partner
Gabriela Salinas is a law clerk at Kearney, McWilliams and Davis, PLLC. Gaby assists attorneys in client matters involving oil and gas, family & corporate immigration, and estate planning matters.
Ilan Gelman is a law clerk at Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC.
Mr. Gelman assists attorneys in client matters involving intellectual property, oil & gas, estate planning, and commercial transactions.
Mr. Gelman is currently attending the University of Houston Law Center and will graduate in Spring 2024. He earned his degree in Psychology with a Minor in Political Science and a Legal Studies certificate from the University of North Texas. While in law school, Mr. Gelman interned with the Harris County District Attorney's office, assisting prosecutors in the 13th court with trial preparation tasks. His hobbies include music production, cooking, and sports.
Ilan is based in the Houston office of Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC.
Prior Experience
HCDA 13th Court: Legal Intern
Precision Vascular, Dr. Chan, M.D.: Intern
Houston FTS, DA Ogg, Congresswoman Jackson Lee: Advisor/Volunteer
Memberships
Treasurer of the UHLC American Constitution Society for Law & Policy
UHLC Student Bar Association
Houston Young Lawyers Association
Jewish Legal Society
Education
J.D. Candidate, University of Houston Law Center, Spring 2024
Jacob Melancon is a Senior Attorney in the Energy & Natural Resources practice group at Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC, and brings with him 9+ years of experience assisting upstream energy clients navigate complex title issues.
Upon his graduation from the University of Houston Law Center in 2010, he spent a year as a field landman running title in his hometown of Beaumont, Texas, prior to embarking upon his career as an Oil and Gas Attorney in Houston in 2011. Over the course of the past decade, he has authored several hundred title opinions covering properties located in counties all over the state of Texas, from the Permian Basin to the Eagle Ford, and Deep East Texas to the Gulf Coast. In addition, he has run title on or assisted with numerous projects on lands in New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming.
Jacob is licensed to practice law in the State of Texas and North Dakota and is based out of the Houston office of Kearney, McWilliams and Davis, PLLC.
Education
J.D., University of Houston Law Center, 2010
B.A., Psychology, Texas State University, 2007
Prior Experience
Kuiper, Wheat & Associates, LLP: Managing Associate Attorney
Principle Energy, LLC: Landman and In-House Attorney
Sadler Law Firm, LLP: Associate Attorney
J. Mark Smith & Associate s: Petroleum Landman
James Harkin is a law clerk at Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC.
Mr. Harkin assists attorneys in client matters primarily involving oil & gas.
Mr. Harkin is currently attending the University of Wyoming College of Law and will graduate in May of 2024. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Zoology from the University of Wyoming. He enjoys all things outdoors, particularly fly fishing and skiing.
Mr. Harkin is based in the Denver office of Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC.
Prior Experience
University of Wyoming: Energy Policy Research Assistant
Memberships
Natural Resources Law Club at the UWCoL: President
Energy Section of the Wyoming State Bar: Ex Officio Member
Education
J.D. Candidate, University of Wyoming College of Law, Spring 2024
B.S., Zoology, University of Wyoming, 2019
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Attorney
- Senior Attorney
Jamison Bentley Walters is an Associate Attorney at Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC. Jamison's practice focuses on Commercial Transactions & Litigation, Tax, and Asset Protection. Jamison has handled numerous commercial contract enforcement and collections cases, resulting in dozens of successful judgments, settlements, and awards. While working with H&R Block, Jamison advised hundreds of business clients on a wide array of tax matters and has represented his own clients in IRS controversy matters such as Audits, Offshore Voluntary Disclosures (OVDP), and Offers in Compromise. His experience in Tax and IRS controversy, contract disputes, and collections provides him with the ability to advise clients on asset protection strategies, entity formation, and wills and trusts.
Jamison graduated with his J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center in 2015 and received his B.A. from the University of Central Florida in 2011. While pursuing his J.D., Jamison was a Senior Editor of the Houston Business and Tax Law Journal.
Jamison is licensed to practice law in Texas, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, and the United States Tax Court. He is located in the Houston, Texas office for Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC.
Job Titles:
- Senior Attorney
- Shareholder
Jason M. Klein is a Shareholder and Senior Attorney at Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC. He practices business, construction, residential and commercial property law, commercial transactions, and litigation. Jason's practice includes resolving business issues such as insurance disputes, collections, corporate structuring, business dissolution, and litigation. Mr. Klein has represented clients and their interests in Texas, Florida, and numerous other states across the nation.
Mr. Klein has litigated hundreds of cases to settlement and has individually prepared dozens of cases for trial. He has individually taken cases to verdict, including a $450,000 verdict in his client's favor. Mr. Klein has also served as second-chair trial attorney for other cases. Jason is intimately familiar with the challenges business owners face with litigation.
Jason Klein is licensed to practice law in Texas and Florida, and in the United States District Court for the Southern, Eastern, Northern, and Western Districts of Texas. He is based in the Houston, Texas, office for Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC.
Education
J.D., South Texas College of Law Houston, 2013
B.S., General Science, Psychology, Biology, The University of Kansas, 2008
Job Titles:
- Managing Member
- Founder and Managing Member at Kearney
John Davis is a founder and Managing Member at Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC. He practices and oversees the firm's intellectual property, residential and commercial property, commercial transactions, and litigation practice areas. For his clients, John focuses on business problems and solutions, including entity creation, financing, mergers & acquisitions, entity reorganizations, dispute resolution, and corporate best practices and business strategy. His experience includes providing assistance in the creation of companies and commercialization of technologies, including identifying and filing appropriate intellectual property protections in patents, trademarks, and copyrights, as well as the enforcement of such rights. He also serves as counsel, mentor, or advisor to various companies and clients at several startup, incubator, and accelerator programs in Texas, including TMCx, JLABs, Station Houston, and Houston Exponential.
Dr. Davis represents a broad range of clients from early start-up companies and serial entrepreneurs to private funds or investment groups, as well as publicly traded corporations. Accumulating expertise from his own personal and professional experiences in academia, corporate pharma, small business, and now multi-member partnerships, John's preferred clients typically share his common interests and goals of starting, developing, successfully managing, and expanding their own businesses.
John completed his Ph.D. in Virology and Gene Therapy at MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2006, subsequently working for a local Houston pharmaceutical company designing and engineering translational medicines and biotherapeutics for cancer and immune disorders. He received his J.D. from South Texas College of Law in 2012. Prior to working as an attorney, Dr. Davis was a translational research scientist in oncology, immunology, gene therapy, and genetic engineering. He is also a small business owner, managing and operating an online advertising implementation and optimization company, showing billions of ad impressions a year.
John Davis is licensed to practice law in Texas and in the United States District Court for the Southern, Eastern, Northern, and Western Districts of Texas, as well as the United States Tax Court and the United States Court of International Trade. He is based in the Houston, Texas, office for Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC.
Education
J.D., South Texas College of Law Houston, 2012
Ph.D., Virology, Gene Therapy, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Science, 2006
B.S., Biology, Baylor University, 2000
John DeBoer is a Senior Attorney at Kearney, McWilliams & Davis with over 15 years of specialized experience handling intellectual property matters. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. He then went on to earn his Juris Doctorate in Law from South Texas College of Law. Away from work, John enjoys reading to his son and staying physically active. His life will dramatically improve if the Longhorns can find their way back to winning more football games.
Mr. DeBoer practices patent, trademark, and copyright law, with an emphasis on global patent prosecution services including prior art searches, patent application preparation, response to patent office communications, and appellate/reexamination. His subject matter specializations include oil field tools and services, mechanical, chemical, energy, bio, food preparation, sporting goods, construction, and more.
John has provided services to numerous law firms and Fortune 500 companies in the Houston area, and serves as general IP counsel for individual clients and small businesses. Prior to private practice, he was a patent examiner at the USPTO and worked in the chemical and petroleum industry, including upstream and downstream operations.
John is based in the Houston office of Kearney, McWilliams & Davis.
Education
J.D., South Texas College of Law Houston, 2009
B.S., Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 2002
Prior Experience
Rao DeBoer Osterrieder, PLLC: Partner
DeBoer IP, PC: Managing Attorney
Porter Hedges LLP: Technical Advisor
Osha Liang LLP: Patent Agent
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Senior Attorney and Shareholder at Kearney, Mc
Josh Cochran is a Senior Attorney and Shareholder at Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC. He has extensive experience in the energy industry, with a focus on assisting clients in all aspects of upstream oil and gas exploration and production activities.
He began his legal career in 2005 as a landman, and has spent the last 15+ years as an attorney representing E&P companies. He also represents a variety of clients ranging from land investors to retail store owners. His practice is focused on energy and real estate law, specializing in oil and gas title, curative efforts, and the preparation of instruments affecting surface, mineral, and developmental interests. He has drafted title opinions covering all areas of Texas, North Dakota and New Mexico , including drilling, division order, acquisition, supplemental, and letter opinions. He has also participated in numerous acquisitions and divestitures, conducting due diligence, and analyzing the properties and assets involved in such transactions.
Josh is licensed to practice law in Texas, North Dakota, and New Mexico. He is based in the Houston, Texas, office of Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC.
Education
J.D., South Texas College of Law Houston, 2005
B.S., Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations, Texas A&M University, 2002
Experience
Drafting title opinions, conveyance documents, and curative instruments covering developmental prospects in Texas, North Dakota, and New Mexico
Consulting clients on day-to-day issues, and the viability and risks associated with alternate strategies
Job Titles:
- Senior Land & Title Supervisor
- Senior Land and Title Supervisor at Kearney
Kevin Middleton is the Senior Land and Title Supervisor at Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC. He has over 12 years of experience in the oil & gas industry having worked in California, Colorado, Kansas, Ohio, Oklahoma, Montana, New Mexico, Nebraska, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming specializing in all areas from leasing and right-of-way work to mineral title ownership, due diligence, and divisions of interest.
Mr. Middleton assists attorneys and paralegals in client matters involving oil & gas, general business matters, and litigation.
Kourtney is a Paralegal at Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC. She assists attorneys with client litigation. She is organized, a quick learner, and committed to delivering high level administrative support to senior-level staff.
Kourtney earned her A.A.S. Degree in Paralegal Studies from Center of Advanced Legal Studies. She has over 7 years of experience managing daily administrative support tasks and operations in the legal industry. Before joining Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC, she served as a Legal Secretary for Fee, Smith & Sharp, and a Legal Administrative Assistant for Steven S. Toeppich & Associates.
When Kourtney is not assisting attorneys, she spends time with her daughter, Karsyn. She also enjoys spending time with her family and friends and trying new restaurants.
Kourtney is based in the Houston office of Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC.
Education:
A.A.S., Paralegal Studies, Center of Advanced Legal Studies
Prior Experience:
Fee, Smith & Sharp: Legal Secretary
Steven S. Toeppich & Associates, PLLC: Legal Administrative Assistant
Kyle is an attorney with 15+ years of experience in the oil and gas industry whose practice is primarily focused on complex mineral title examination and transactional representation.
After beginning his legal career as a prosecuting attorney in Austin, he entered the oil and gas industry in 2007 working as a landman and then a title attorney, issuing opinions in the Barnett Shale. While expanding his practice to include representing numerous landowners in the Eagle Ford shale in negotiating and enforcing oil and gas leases and surface use agreements, Kyle also represented several oil companies in a variety of transactional matters. Concurrent with his practice, Kyle additionally worked for several years as an adjunct professor teaching the mineral title component of the Petroleum Land Practices course at TCU's Neeley School of Business. Kyle has issued hundreds of title opinions in North Dakota and in all regions of Texas and has additionally run title or assisted with various projects in New Mexico and Louisiana.
Kyle is licensed to practice in Texas and North Dakota and is based out of the Houston office of Kearney, McWilliams and Davis, PLLC.
Education
J.D., Texas A&M University School of Law, 2006
B.S., Marketing, The University of Texas at Austin, 2000
Prior Experience
Bode & Werner, PLLC: Senior Associate Attorney
Kuiper Law Firm, PLLC: Senior Associate Attorney
Black Rock Energy, LLC: Managing Partner
Noble Energy, Inc.: Senior Land Title Analyst
Lauren Thompson is a Senior Attorney at Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC, practicing in Oil & Gas. During law school, Lauren focused on the transactional and regulatory issues surrounding the development of natural resources and power generation and transport. After law school, she has gained experience in various oil and gas issues, working as an Independent Landman and assisting litigators with complex cases hinging on factors such as title, deficiencies in leases, and interpretations of COGCC rules and regulations.
Prior to attending law school, Lauren lived and worked in Moscow, Russia, as a teacher and editor for the country's major business news publication. In addition to her work after law school, Lauren operated a small telecommunications company based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, until it was acquired in 2017.
Lauren is licensed to practice law in Colorado. She is based in the Denver office for Kearney, McWilliams & Davis, PLLC.
Education
J.D., University of Colorado
Undergraduate, Northwestern University
Prior Experience
Tesuque Radio Company: Manager, Senior Vice President
Astrella Law, PC: Clerk, Investigator
Job Titles:
- LLP: Associate
- LLP: Associate Attorney
- LLP: Attorney
Job Titles:
- Teaching Assistant to Director
Job Titles:
- Senior Trial Associate, Commercial, Construction, Real Estate, Insurance Litigation