Austin Brister represents oil and gas operators, non-operators, and mineral owners in oil and gas disputes. Austin has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in federal and state courtrooms across Texas, including courts in South Texas, West Texas, East Texas, and Central Texas. Austin seeks out creative and practical business solutions before resorting to litigation. But, when necessary, Austin works hard to implement aggressive strategies in the courthouse.
Austin has successfully handled disputes concerning mineral and leasehold title, adverse possession, surface trespass and damages, royalty calculation and payment issues, issues arising out of purchase and sale transactions, operator/non-operator disputes, breach of joint operating agreement, lease termination/saving disputes, and retained acreage disputes. Austin has taken and defended depositions of witnesses ranging from expert witnesses, chief operating officers, lawyers, engineers, drilling rig operators, and equipment operators.
Austin is an active member of the Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law, where he currently serves as a Trustee-At Large, Co-Chair of the Oil and Gas and Landman's sections for the Annual Institute, and on the Foundation's Programs Committee. Austin is also on the Advisory Board for the Institute for Energy Law. Austin frequently publishes articles and gives presentations on upstream oil and gas law. In recent years, he has published several articles within the Texas State Bar OGERL Section Report, authored multiple articles and gave presentations for Annual Institutes and other programs for the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, authored and presented a paper for the Louisiana Mineral Law Institute, co-authored papers for the Institute for Energy Law, and published articles within AAPL’s Landman Magazine.
Updated July 2024
