future-focused

Assistant

Brandy Primeaux

337.267.2362

“I’m hands-on and stay on top of my cases. I review everything myself. When I deeply know a case, I’m more able to find creative solutions, perhaps other than litigation. Plus, it’s more efficient.”

Overview

Jamie Rhymes is an experienced trial lawyer helping businesses resolve their difficult disputes and sophisticated contract issues. For over 25 years, energy and other businesses have relied on Jamie’s technical knowledge and practical approach to defend high-stakes oil and gas litigation, commercial litigation, environmental cases, decommissioning, orphan wells, coastal land-loss claims, citizen suit litigation, royalty litigation and other claims arising from business in Louisiana.

Jamie’s litigation experience includes:

  • Well blowouts and downhole commercial claims
  • Environmental contamination and coastal erosion lawsuits
  • Wrongful death and personal injury claims
  • CERCLA Superfund litigation
  • Fracking claims related to alleged contamination of drinking water

Production in paying quantities litigation, joint operating agreement litigation, failure to develop, improper royalty deductions and other exploration and production related claims. Energy clients ¬- often headquartered in Louisiana and Texas ¬- seek Jamie’s help with Louisiana’s complex oil and gas industry regulations, oil and gas lease provisions, and other practical aspects of drilling for and producing oil and gas in the state. He has drafted and negotiated all manner of contracts and agreements, such as surface and subsurface leases, right of ways, carbon sequestration agreements, mineral leases, joint operating agreements, participation agreements, subleases, assignments of leases and overriding royalties. He has also prepared drillsite and division order title opinions.

Insights

Notable Experience

A small, independent producer was sued by a landowner, claiming that the company was disposing of salt water for one of its Louisiana sites. Instead of going to court and risking a big financial hit, Jamie helped the company come up with a practical, affordable alternative to litigation by working out a contract with the plaintiff to use an existing well. “We structured the fixed payments to decline over time, matching diminishing production. In addition, my client avoided having to pay for past use of the well.”

Jamie defended a multi-national energy company in a legacy case where his client had leased the mineral rights to other, smaller oil and gas companies to drill. “Our litigation strategy was to offer these other defendants our support instead of suing them, sharing our experience in dealing with technical experts and other defense resources.” The companies which did the drilling settled the case, with no out-of-pocket costs to our client, thereby avoiding an exposure of over $200 million.

Jamie defended a pipeline owner against claims of its pipeline causing coastal land loss. Jamie worked closely with experts in the fields of coastal geomorphology and coastal engineering to show that the land loss was caused by natural causes.

“I worked as a roughneck in the oilfield through college.  That experience gives me a real life sense of what goes on in the field that a lot of other lawyers don’t have.”

Involvement

Professional

  • Institute for Energy Law Advisory Board, Member
  • Lafayette Bar Association, Board of Directors
  • Louisiana Oil & Gas Association, Board of Directors
  • The Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law, Member
  • American Association of Professional Landmen
  • Lafayette Association of Professional Landmen
  • Lafayette Federal Bar Association, Past President
  • American Bar Association, Member
  • Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel, Member
  • API Acadiana Chapter
  • Houston Association of Professional Landmen, Member

Community

  • Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, Member
  • One Acadiana, Member, Business & Site Development Committee

Recognition

  • The Best Lawyers in America, Oil and Gas Law, Litigation - Environmental, Energy Law, 2013-2026
  • Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers for Oil and Gas Law, Lafayette, 2022 and 2026
  • Louisiana Super Lawyers, Energy & Natural Resources, 2020-2025
  • Acadiana Profile "Top Lawyer" in Energy Law, 2017-2025
    • Energy Law (2017-2025), Oil & Gas (2018-2023), Environmental Law (2019 – 2020)

 

Credentials

Education

  • Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center (J.D., 1996)
    • Order of the Coif
    • Louisiana Law Review, Senior Editor, 1995-1996
  • Northwestern State University (B.S., 1993)

Bar Admissions

  • Louisiana, 1996

Presentations

  • "Climate Change and Environmental Litigation," Lafayette Bar Association & Foundation's CLE by the Hour, December 30, 2025, Lafayette, LA
  • "Overview of Climate Change Litigation in the U.S.," Lafayette Bar Association & Foundation's CLE by the Hour, December 22, 2025, Lafayette, LA
  • "Climate Change and Environmental Litigation," Liskow's Energy Law Seminar, October 30, 2025, Houston, TX
  • "Legal Considerations in Brine-Based Lithium Extraction," LSU Journal of Energy Law and Resources Symposium, January 26, 2024, Baton Rouge, LA
  • “Legal Issues with the Extraction of Lithium from Brine," Liskow Energy Webinar, January 1, 2024
  • "Legal Issues with Extraction of Lithium from Brine," Liskow's Energy Law Seminar, October 26, 2023, Houston, TX
  • "Update on Litigation Concerning Historical Oilfield Practices and Coastal Litigation," LDEQ Environmental Geoscience and Engineering Seminar, April 5, 2023
  • "The Evolution of Legacy Litigation & Citizen Suits," Liskow's Energy Law Seminar, October 28, 2021

Publications

After Hours

Jamie likes the outdoors, including duck hunting in the marshes of South Louisiana and returning to his hometown in North Louisiana to deer hunt. He enjoys joining his children at sporting events, including following the LSU Tigers.

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