Bruce M. Kramer
Of Counsel

A long-time professor at Texas Tech University School of Law, Bruce M. Kramer is a preeminent oil, gas, energy, and land use legal scholar.

Bruce is the co-author of several important books that have become the definitive references for energy lawyers, including two multi-volume treatises, The Law of Pooling and Unitization and Williams and Meyers Oil and Gas Law (since 1996), as well as the last three editions of the Manual of Oil and Gas Terms. Bruce also is an authority on land use, zoning, and the conflicts that arise between mineral property owners.

Among his many accomplishments, Bruce’s books and legal articles have been cited as authority in numerous court rulings and appellate opinions, including decisions of the Supreme Courts of Texas, Alaska, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, and North Dakota; the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit; the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit; and numerous Federal District Courts. Bruce has prepared papers and spoken at more than 80 continuing education programs for lawyers and other professionals in the oil and gas and real estate/land use industry.

Representative Experience
•Advised companies on a wide array of legal issues and strategies in the energy arena for over 30 years. His areas of experience in oil, gas and energy law include State and Federal laws, regulations and rules affecting exploration, production and upstream facilities; oil and gas contracts; oil and gas leases; deed and lease interpretation issues; drafting of instruments; pooling and utilization contracts and legal issues; surface user rights - Statutory and common law; and local regulation of oil and gas operations.
•Advised companies on land use and zoning issues for over 30 years. His areas of experience include homeowner associations, real covenants, planned unit developments, subdivision regulation, rezoning, Constitutional limitations, First Amendment, Fifth Amendment, Fourteenth Amendment, adult entertainment facilities, mineral extraction operations, agricultural zoning, contract and conditional zoning, and development agreements.
•Advised companies on international energy law issues, including international oil and gas transactions, and resolution of disputes over oil and gas operations in foreign countries.
•Advised on numerous related matters, including water law and the Rule of Capture as viewed from and oil and gas perspective, and ethics issues in the practice of oil, gas and energy law.
•Provided expert witness testimony in scores of cases involving disputes in oil and gas, land use and zoning and related matters.
•Served as Investigator or Principal Investigator on oil, gas, energy, mining and land use legal projects for the U.S. Forest Service and the Texas Energy and Natural Resources Advisory Council.
•Served as Legal Advisor on projects for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Corps of Engineers.
•Prepared papers and given speeches at approximately 80-90 continuing education programs sponsored by such groups as the State Bar of Texas, State Bar of Wyoming, Energy & Mineral Law Foundation, Center for American & International Law, Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, Texas Tech University School of Law, Denver University School of Law, University of New Mexico School of Law and the University of Texas School of Law, National Association on Telecommunications Officers & Advisors, Dallas Bar Association, and Houston Bar Association.