Jim Mansfield is a seasoned lawyer who focuses on the examination of titles for the drilling of oil and gas wells, as well as for real estate purchases and sales in Louisiana. He handles several phases of oil and gas mineral lease sales, purchases and divestitures on behalf of clients in oil-producing states, including Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado.
Jim uses his extensive knowledge and experience in Louisiana property law matters – including litigation – to advise corporate counsel on Louisiana mineral law, law of sales and drafts instruments. In addition, he prepares curative title documents, counsels estate representatives in succession matters and has acted as a mediator in oil and gas disputes, relying on Liskow & Lewis’ extensive title library for efficiency. Here are a couple of matters where the title library and Jim's experience came heavily into play:
A regional oil company wanted to drill the then-deepest well in Louisiana, in the process creating a unit comprising thousands of acres. Jim handed the title work, leveraging Liskow's vast title library to quickly locate the titles for all of the landowners participating in the new well's production and to jumpstart the project.
An E&P company new to Louisiana had an area in the southern part of the state that it wanted to explore for minerals. Jim received a call looking for a prior opinion for the first tract involved in the project, which resulted in 20 wells and expansion across the southern part of the parish - all relying on Liskow & Lewis’ title opinions.