Profile
William Garner, Co-Chair of GT’s Global Energy & Natural Resources Practice Group, focuses his practice on domestic and international hydrocarbon and inert gas transactions and transitional energy development. He has worked on projects in the United States, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Poland, Kazakhstan, U.A.E., United Kingdom, Algeria, Turkey and Mexico. He has robust experience in carbon capture sequestration, biofuels, and hydrogen.
Prior to joining the firm, William served as an investment banker for the world's leading oil and gas investment banking boutique, advising on domestic and international upstream and midstream transactions. William was senior counsel at a multi-practice global law firm, and was former executive vice president and general counsel of KN Energy (NYSE:KNE), now part of Kinder Morgan, and Spectra Energy (NYSE:SE), now a division of Enbridge.
Capabilities
Experience
- In Re Application for Special Field Rule – Panhandle Field. Trial attorney representing the applicants for a new conservation rule in the West Panhandle Field in the famous “White Oil” proceeding. Second longest administrative hearing in the history of the Texas Railroad Commission.
- Advised Sempra Energy Production Company on the sale of the largest package of undeveloped shale properties in American history to a private buyer.
- Gigot, et al. v. KN Energy. Trial attorney in market value class-action royalty case in the Kansas Hugoton Field impacting over 400 natural gas wells.
- Drafted complex correlative rights agreement between coal mineral owner and hydrocarbon rights owners as part of the sale of certain coal mining properties owned by Consolidation Coal Company in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
- Drafted mineral deeds severing un-mineable coal bed methane rights from the minable coal estate in a 50,000 acre parcel in Southern Colorado.
- Counsel to a Polish oil and gas company in the purchases of a private, Salt Lake City oil and gas company with assets in Utah, Wyoming and Poland and a private company with assets in Alberta, Canada.
- Negotiated a settlement of the relative entitlements of a public utility and the gas mineral owner under the 1920 Amarillo B Contract which encumbered 250,00 acres in the Texas Panhandle.
- Negotiated a settlement of the processing rights under 100,000 acres of gas mineral estate under the 1954 Westpan Deed in the West Panhandle Field.
- Represented the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Natural Gas Initiative, a $70 billion project to allow Western major oil and gas companies to make foreign direct investment in Kingdom natural gas reservoirs.
- Advised Duke Energy Hydrocarbons, a Gulf of Mexico offshore oil and gas producer on its sale to Marlin Energy.
- Advised Sempra Energy Production Company on its executory rights associated with the Sabine Royalty Trust.
- Represented the Southern California Public Power Authority in the purchase of non-operated gas interests in the Pinedale Anticline, Wyoming from Anschutz.
- Represented the Sacramento Municipal Utility District in the purchase of coal bed methane interests in New Mexico from El Paso.
- Negotiated on behalf of PKN Orlen, a Polish energy company, shale gas joint ventures in the U.S. and Poland.
- Advised Progress Energy of the sale of its Piceance Basin (Colorado) E&P subsidiary to EnCana.
- Advised KLT Gas on tis divestiture of its Rocky Mountain and South Texas E&P assets to Shell and Gulfport.
- Advised the Slough Estates, a UK entity, on its sale of Tipperary Oil and Gas Australia to Santos.
- Advised Armstrong Oil & Gas on the sale of its North Slope, Alaska assets to Italian company, Eni.
- Purchased a Hinshaw natural gas pipeline serving Kansas City from the Bishop Group.
- Sold Tom Brown, Inc.’s Piceance and Uintah gas gathering and processing network to various counterparties.
- Purchased the Phillips 66 natural gas liquids line from Casper, Wyoming to Denver.
- Purchased Panhandle Eastern’s natural gas gathering and processing system in the Wattenberg area, Colorado for KN Energy.
- Mediated the major gas wellhead dedication dispute between Anadarko and DCP Midstream regarding processing rights from the Wattenberg Field, Colorado involving 7,000 wells.
- Sold a Texas intrastate pipeline to Lone Star Gas.
- Represented Max Midstream in the purchase of an intrastate natural gas pipeline between Victoria and Houston for conversion to oil service.
- Developed numerous gas pipeline laterals in Mexico for service to major industries.
- Purchased the TransColorado intrastate pipeline for KN Energy.
- Advised the Southern Ute Indian Tribe on the valuation of its gas pipeline and processing assets in Colorado and New Mexico.
- Handled the $30 billion spin-out of natural gas midstream and downstream assets in the U.S. and Canada from Duke Energy to form Spectra Energy.
- Handled the merger of American Oil & Gas, a Texas intrastate pipeline, into KN Energy.
- Represented MCN Energy in the sale of its interests in two gas gathering systems: American Central Western Oklahoma and American Central Eastern Texas.
- Represented MCN Energy in the sale of several Gulf of Mexico gas gathering and processing systems: Blue Dolphin Pipeline; Gulf Coast NGL Pipeline; Mobile Bay Processing Partners, and Dolphin Island Gathering Partners.
- Represented Duke Energy Income Fund in the acquisition of a gas processing and gathering network in Alberta and British Columbia from Western Resources.
- Advised Peak Energy of Durango, Colorado on its spin out of its Piceance Basin and Barnett Shale midstream assets into a separate entity, Momentum Energy.
- Established a joint venture with TransCanada to develop industrial pipeline laterals off of TransCanada’s Mayakan and Bajio pipelines in central and southern Mexico.
- Development of the Monterrey pipeline project, a 100-mile, 36” gas pipeline built by Kinder Morgan from the U.S. to Monterrey, Mexico.
- Purchased the Rocky Mountain Natural Gas distribution system for KN Energy.
- Sold KN Energy’s Kansas natural gas distribution network to a co-op.
- Advised natural gas utilities in Oregon, California, Nevada, New York and Massachusetts on their defenses to methane reduction initiatives being asserted in courts, municipalities and legislatures.
- As a business executive developed and built the natural gas distribution network in the State of Sonora, Mexico.
- Handled numerous gas distribution rate cases before the public utility commissions of Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming and municipalities of Nebraska.
- Litigated governmental “takings” violations of municipal utility properties against the Nebraska Public Power Authority.
- Handled the responses to CalGems regarding the Aliso Canyon Storage Field blow out, the alleged largest release of methane in U.S. history. The work involved supervising contracts under the legal privilege expert report preparation on seismic, geologic, reservoir engineering, rock mechanics, surface conditions, safety, and pipe integrity matters.
- Trial attorney in KN Energy v. Marathon for Marathon’s trespass of injected storage gas in Nebraska.
- Handled legal matters in development of new conventional and salt gas storage fields in Colorado, Wyoming, Pennsylvania and Louisiana.
- Advised the Sacramento Municipal Utilities District on its proposed acquisition of a gas storage field.
- Advised KN Energy on legal issues associated with the blow-downs of gas storage fields in Texas, Kansas and Colorado.
- Settled (for over $100 million) an LNG supply breach litigation by Panhandle Eastern against the national oil company of Algeria. Dispute had been pending for 20 years and led to a contentious international arbitration in London. Sonatrach and Sonatrading Amsterdam v. Duke Energy LNG Sales, Inc.
- Co-represented the national company of Algeria in a $500 million international arbitration in Switzerland with another international oil company in a U.S. LNG terminal capacity dispute.
- Negotiated the settlement of a major gasified LNG sales litigation, Citrus Trading Corp. v. Duke Energy LNG Sales, Inc.
- Drafted the form DES LNG Sales Agreement used by the national oil company of Algeria.
- Represented Texas LNG, an LNG export project in Brownsville, Texas, on legal issues from project conception, legal structuring FERC/DOE filings, interim financing, permitting and eventual sale.
- Represent Gulfstream LNG, an LNG export project in Louisiana on legal issues, firm project conception, FERC/DOE filings, and land matters.
- Represented the Alaska LNG project developer on numerous legal issues.
- Legal advisor to a Blue Ribbon panel selected by the Alaska Governor to analyze potential monetization of North Slope Alaska royalty gas, including LNG exports and a transportation gas pipeline.
- Counsel to Fulcrum LNG on its RFP submission to the Republic of Guyana on the development of an offshore LNG export facility.
- Represented Loyd International in the brokerage of an LNG contract between Qatar Gas and Gujarat Petroleum Company for imports into India.
- Represented a major international industrial gas company in the purchase of a SMR hydrogen plan in Indiana.
- Represent a Blue ammonia project developer in North Dakota.
- Drafted a form Blue ammonia purchase and sale agreement for a South Korean importer.
- Representing the developer of hydrogen fuel fill facilities for commercial trucks using hydrogen fuel cells.
- Representing the developers of a Green hydrogen plan in Delaware.
- Consulting with a small law firm in Iowa regarding the development of native (“White”) hydrogen in the local area.
- Represent a Green ammonia project developer in South Texas.
- Represented DCP Midstream in the purchase of a 10-year supply of propane for its northeastern U.S. distribution business from the national oil company of Algeria.
- Represented Harvard University in a long-term natural gas supply agreement for its on-campus power and steam generation facilities.
- Represented Fuel Fusion International on the establishment of a business, logistics, and commodity contracts to import gasoline and diesel to Mexico.
- Represented the largest gasoline station owner in Haiti with a sales agreement of gasoline and diesel from the United States.
- Represented a major shopping center on the Las Vegas Strip on a natural gas, cooling water and steam contract with a central utility plant owner.
- Represented a Canadian central utility plant developer in supplying natural gas, water, power and steam to a renewable plastics plant in Georgia.
- Negotiated, drafted or handled legal issues associated with literally dozens of manuscript natural gas purchase and sale agreements.
- Documented the sale of a long-term $5 billion sale of crude oil from Rozneft to Polish refiner, PKN Orlen.
- Represented Spectra Energy on international propane purchase and sale agreements with SEA-3, a subsidiary of Transammonia, Inc. and Chesapeake Propane, a subsidiary of UGI Corp.
- Represented a Mexican wholesale gasoline/diesel distributor in creating a new US/Mexico fuel export legal structure involving commodity contracts, permits and rail transportation arrangements.
- Representing a Spanish wholesale bunker-fuel, gasoline and diesel distributor in creating a U.S.-Global fuel export/import legal structure.
- Gigot, et al. v. Cities Service Gas, et al. Trial attorney representing KN Energy in famous multi-jurisdictional case involving ownership and royalties due for helium in the Kansas Hugoton Field.
- Represented insurance company lenders in an over $100 million secured financing of interest in helium production from the Satanta helium plant in Kansas.
- Represented mineral interest owner in the monetization of a world-class helium and carbon dioxide discovery in Arizona.
- Represented a major, international gas company in the renegotiation of a series of helium, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and carbon monoxide purchase and sale agreement as part of a merger process.
- Purchased the Sunflower Helium Plant in Kansas from Cities Service.
- Purchased a failed helium plant in Colorado from Mitsui.
- Represented MCN Energy in the sale of the Keyes Helium Plan, Oklahoma to a private equity fund.
- Assisted a Japanese entity restructure a Siberian helium supply arrangement with Russia that would not violate international sanctions.
- Represented an investor in a CCS project in Illinois where the carbon is emitted from an ammonia plant.
- Project development counsel for Summit Carbon, the largest CCS project in the world where carbon dioxide is being emitted from over 50 ethanol plants in 5 Midwestern states and sequestered in North Dakota.
- Counsel to a private equity fund established to purchase royalty interests from landowners owning CCS pore space in Texas.
- Counsel to a producer in California on a unique CCS project where the producer owns both the carbon source and pore space.
- Represented MCN Energy in the sale of two Trinity CO2 EOR pipelines in Texas and Wyoming to Petro Source Partners and Petro Source Carbon.
- Represent Rice University in the lease of subsurface pore space in Louisiana to potential CCS developers.
- Represented a Japanese company in its investment in a dairy waste biogas project in Indiana.
- Represented a Nevada utility in the purchase of biogas from numerous projects across the United States.
- Represented a Nevada utility in the sale of RNG to a bus fleet in Las Vegas owned by a regional transportation district.
- Represented a consortium of insurance companies in their investment in several landfill biogas projects in the Eastern United States.
- Represented the bond underwriters for a waste food biogas project in California.
- Representing a biogas developer in converting a wood cellulose plant in Washington State.
- Represented bond underwriters in the development of two municipal solid waste to bio-oil facilities in Texas.
- Represented a private equity fund in the failed acquisition of an operating sustainable aviation fuel facility in California.
- Represented Consolidation Coal Company in its sale of unionized mines in Illinois, Pennsylvania and West Virginia to Murray Energy. This was the largest coal asset sale in U.S. history.
- Helped restructure 52 coal sales or marketing contracts as part of the Consol deal.
- Sale of Synergy Coal Company with assets in West Virginia and Kentucky to American Resources.
- Represented Synergy Coal Company in the purchase of coal processing and load-out facilities in West Virginia from Alpha Resources.
- Sale of Wyoming Fuel Company, the largest coal company in Colorado to Montana Power Company.
- Advised on the closure of surface mines in Tennessee, Missouri and Wyoming.
- Represent the inventor of an innovative wind power generation technology in commercialization of the technology.
- Represented Peruvian agricultural products company, Viru, in its acquisition of an international frozen agricultural products company with operations in the U.S., China, Guatemala and Columbia.
- Counsel to Vestas Research and Development in the formation of a wind power research joint venture with Texas Tech University, Sandia National Laboratories and the National Institute for Renewable Energy.
- Represented a Swiss marketing and trading company in the contract production of oil-based lubricants in Mexico for distribution in Latin America.
- Advised Vestas R&D Singapore on a wind research joint venture with Deakin University (Australia), Boeing, and General Motors.
- Advised Vestas R&D on the restructuring of research contracts with public/private entities in China, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Singapore and the U.K.
- Advised MBIA Insurance Corporation on the feasibility of the utility bond restructuring plan of Western Resources, Inc. and prepared expert testimony on this matter before the Kansas Corporation Commission.
- Advised Venoco, Inc., a California exploration and production company, as to the fairness to the company and shareholders of a proposed lawsuit settlement with the form CEO.
- Settled a major class-action personal injury case involving alleged BTEX exposure to third-parties from a gas liquids fractionation plan in Douglas, Wyoming.
- Assisted an entity in the creation of an international forest planting venture that would generate certified carbon credits.
- Development of an international energy investment strategic plan and identification of targeted investments for Dubai Energy, an energy development arm of the Emirate of Dubai.
- Advised Liwa Energy, a business entity of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and Occidental Petroleum on the formation of a strategic relationship with the national oil company of Kazakhstan, KazMunayGas, and on an offer to acquire the assets of PetroKazakhstan of Calgary, Alberta.
- Lead business negotiator to acquire the Thermo Company’s $300 million interest in the largest independent gas-fired power generation business in the Rock Mountain West.
- Chair of the strategic planning team that developed a new, $1.5 billion international business plan as part of the proposed KN/Sempra Energy merger.
Recognition & Leadership
- Recognized, Chambers USA Guide, Energy Transition Notable Practitioner, 2023
- Recommended, The Legal 500 Latin America Guide, "Latin America: International – Projects and Energy," 2022
- Listed, IFLR1000, "Highly Regarded," Project Development, 2020-2023
- Named, Client Service All Star, BTI Client Service All-Stars Report, 2020
- Listed, Law360, "Energy MVP," a Top 5 Energy Lawyer in the U.S., 2019
- Listed, Super Lawyers magazine, Texas Super Lawyers, 2016-2019
- Listed, Euromoney’s Expert Guide to the World’s Leading Experts in Energy Law, 2013-2021
- Listed, Houston Business Journal "Who's Who in Energy," 2012-2015
- Recognized among the "Top Energy Lawyers in Houston," 2012
- Listed, The Legal 500 United States
- Finance - Project Finance, 2023
- Energy Regulation - Electric Power, 2023
- Energy Regulation – Conventional Power, 2019-2022
- Energy Regulation – Oil and Gas, 2020-2023
- Energy Transactions – Oil and Gas, 2017-2022
- Energy – Renewable/Alternative Power, 2020-2023
- Energy – Regulatory and Transactions, 2015
- "100 Most Influential Business Leaders in the Energy Industry Today," Houston Business Journal, November 2013
- Team Member, Corporate Board Member magazine and FTI Consulting Inc., one of "America’s Best Corporate Law Firms," 13th Annual Legal Industry Study, 2013
- Listed, Chambers USA Guide, Energy Law, 2012
- Finalist, Best Corporate Counsel, Houston Business Journal, 2008 and 2010
- Recipient, Magna Stella Award, Texas General Counsel Forum, 2008
- Member, Law360 Energy Editorial Advisory Board, 2021 and 2023
- Member, Colorado Bar Association
- Member, Texas Bar Association
Credentials
Education
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J.D., SMU Dedman School of Law
- Member, Journal of Air Law and Commerce
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B.A., University of Arkansas
- Member, Phi Beta Kappa
Admissions
- Colorado
- Texas