Lavette Neshay

713.651.2819

Notable Experience

  • Successfully advised clients through the qualification process for federal wind leasing projects.
  • Handled an appeal for an energy company involving decommissioning of federal offshore wells and platforms off the coast of California.
  • Drafted and negotiated construction and operational contracts, including operating agreements, production handling agreements, platform use agreements, pipeline construction agreements, connection agreements, and gathering agreements for multiple deepwater projects in The Gulf.
  • Advised oil and gas and pipeline companies with respect to assignment of onshore and offshore assets.
  • Drafted and negotiated operating agreement for onshore natural gas carbon dioxide separation facility.
  • Advised multiple oil and gas and pipeline companies in connection with bonding and decommissioning obligations for federal offshore leases and pipeline ROWs.
  • Represented companies in connection with BSEE decommissioning orders, including litigation between companies concerning liability for decommissioning costs and administrative appeals of supplemental bonding and decommissioning orders for leases, pipeline ROWs, and rights-of-use-and-easement (RUEs).
  • Represented a Fortune 100 company in connection with lawsuit involving interpretation of indemnity obligations in a pipeline assets purchase and sale agreement.
  • Arbitrated a series of warranty and construction claims in connection with a deepwater floating production facility in The Gulf.
  • Represented multiple oil and gas companies in connection with warranty, construction, and installation claims involving deepwater facilities and production equipment in The Gulf.
  • Drafted crude oil and gas gathering agreements and related contracts.
  • Represented multiple oil and gas and pipeline companies on day-to-day operational matters involving BOEM and BSEE, including qualification, general and supplemental bonding, assignments of leases and pipeline ROWs, responding to and administrative appeals of Incidents of Noncompliance (INCs), issues related to RUEs, unitization, Oil Spill Financial Responsibility (OSFR), Oil Spill Response Plans, and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and responses.
  • Handled federal offshore royalty appeals of orders issued by ONRR to the IBLA and advised clients with respect to a wide variety of royalty issues.

Involvement

Professional

  • The Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law – Vice President of the Board of Directors, 2025; Program Chair for 69th Annual Institute, 2023; Co-Chair of Short Course on Federal Offshore Oil & Gas Leasing and Development, 2018, 2022 & 2025; Board of Directors – At-Large Director, 2019-2021; Trustee, 2016-2018; Co-Chair of Federal Offshore Regulatory Enforcement Special Institute, 2016; Co-Chair of Oil & Gas Program for 56th Annual Institute, 2010
  • The Institute for Energy Law – Executive Committee Member; Chair of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee, 2024-2026; Chair of Programs Committee, 2022-2024; Advisory Board Member
  • Women’s Energy Network – WEN Global President, 2020; WEN National Board of Directors, 2019-2021; President, Houston Chapter, 2010
  • Tulane Energy Law & Policy Center, Chair of Advisory Board Membership Committee, Advisory Board Member
  • Association of International Energy Negotiators, Member

Community

  • The Foundation for the Women’s Energy Network – President, 2025; Board of Directors 2021-2025
  • Chair of WEN Charity Lunch, Houston Chapter, which raised more than $100,000 for Community Family Center’s Los Niños Early Childhood Education Program, 2008

Recognition

 

 

 

 

Credentials

Education

  • Tulane University Law School (J.D., magna cum laude, 1997)
    • Order of the Coif
    • Tulane Law Review, Senior Managing Editor
  • University of Kansas (B.S. Journalism and B.A. French Literature, 1989)

Bar Admissions

  • Louisiana, 1997
  • Texas, 2004

Court Admissions

  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District, Texas
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District, Louisiana
  • U.S. District Court, Western District, Louisiana

Clerkships

  • Law clerk to the Honorable Walter F. Marcus, Jr., Associate Justice, Supreme Court of Louisiana

Presentations

  • "Navigating Offshore energy law in 2026: Leasing, Litigation, and Liability," OCS Advisory Board Winter Workshop, January 23, 2026
  • "State and Federal Updates on Condemnation," IEL's 9th Midstream Oil & Gas Law Conference, December 9, 2025
  • "Energy Law Update," Behind the Lines: The Houston Lawyer Podcast, August 28, 2025, Podcast Episode
  • "Navigating Federal Offshore Waters," Energy Law This Week, March 26, 2025, Podcast Episode
  • “Setting the Legal Framework: Adjacent State Law as Surrogate Federal Law for the Outer Continental Shelf,” The Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law’s Short Course on Federal Offshore Oil & Gas Leasing and Development, January 28-30, 2025
  • “Offshore Royalty Valuation,” The Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law’s Special Institute on Federal and Indian Oil and Gas Royalty Valuation and Management, April 25-26, 2024
  • "Federal Offshore BOEM/BSEE Governmental Update," PLANO Executive Night & Seminar, February 26, 2025, New Orleans, LA
  • "Webinar: BOEM’s New Financial Assurance Requirements for Federal Oil and Gas Leases, ROWs, and RUEs," April 30, 2024
  • "Federal Offshore Update," Liskow's Energy Law Seminar, October 26, 2023, Houston, TX
  • “No Summer Breeze: An Update on the Development of Offshore Wind Energy in the U.S.”, EMLF 44th Annual Institute, June 20, 2023, Charleston, SC
  • "2023 Federal Offshore Update," Liskow's Energy Webinar Series, April 13, 2023
  • "Regulatory Framework for Offshore Wind Power Projects in the Gulf," Tulane Energy Law Conference, April 7-8, 2022
  • “Setting the Legal Framework: Adjacent State Law as Surrogate Federal Law for the Outer Continental Shelf,” The Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law’s Short Course on Federal Offshore Oil & Gas Leasing and Development, February 15-17, 2022
  • “Panel Discussion – Joint Operating Agreements,” The Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law’s Short Course on Federal Offshore Oil & Gas Leasing and Development, February 15-17, 2022
  • “Current Trends in the Renewable Energy Sphere and Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage,” Liskow & Lewis CLE Seminar, December 14, 2021
  • "Federal Offshore Update," Liskow & Lewis Energy Law Seminar, October 28, 2021,
  • “Navigating Uncharted Waters: Energy Transition on the OCS," Liskow Energy Webinar Series, August, 24, 2021
  • “Federal Offshore Update," Houston Bar Association Oil, Gas & Mineral Law Section Luncheon, Houston, TX, June 24, 2021
  • “2021 Federal Offshore Update,” Liskow & Lewis Webinar, February 10, 2021
  • "Federal Offshore Update," Dallas Bar Energy Section - Review of Oil and Gas Conference, Dallas, TX, August 8, 2019
  • "Transactional Issues and Contractual Clauses," Symposium: Decommissioning From Shore to Offshore, LSU Journal of Energy Law & Resources, Baton Rouge, LA 2019
  • "Financial Assurance New NTLs," Liskow & Lewis' Federal Offshore CLE Update, Houston, TX, January 17, 2019
  • “Offshore Pipeline Issues,” Special Institute on Midstream Oil & Gas from the Upstream Perspective, Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, Houston, TX, 2018
  • “Setting the Legal Framework: Adjacent State Law as Surrogate Federal Law for the Outer Continental Shelf,” Short Course on Federal Oil & Gas Leasing and Development, Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, New Orleans, LA, 2018
  • “Developing an Energy Network—Fuel for a Career,” Panelist, 2nd National Young Energy Professionals Law Conference, Institute for Energy Law, New Orleans, LA, 2018
  • “Responsibilities and Liability of the Parties,” Joint Oil & Gas Operations and the AAPL Form 2015 Model Form Operating Agreement, The University of Oklahoma College of Law, Norman, OK 2018
  • “Structuring Oil and Gas Joint Exploration, Development and Production Operations: Contractual Joint Venture, LLC or LP,” Panelist, American Bar Association Business Law Section Meeting, New Orleans, LA, 2017
  • “Navigating the New World of BSEE Estimated Decommissioning Costs and BOEM Financial Assurance,” Liskow & Lewis Lunch Forum, Houston, TX 2016
  • “Federal Offshore Update,” Liskow & Lewis Energy Law Seminar, Houston, TX 2015
  • “Update on Gulf of Mexico Leasing, Regulatory, and Enforcement,” 28th Annual Energy Law Institute for Attorneys and Landmen, South Texas College of Law, Houston, TX, 2015
  • “OCS Federal Lease Bonding Update,” Liskow & Lewis Breakfast Forum Series, Houston, TX, 2015
  • “Federal Offshore Update,” Liskow & Lewis Oilfield Indemnity and Insurance Seminar, Houston, TX, 2014
  • “Coastal and Offshore Gulf of Mexico Update,” 27th Annual Energy Law Institute for Attorneys and Landmen, South Texas College of Law, Houston, TX, 2014
  • “Current Land and Lease Disputes in Shale Plays,” Webinar, The Institute for Energy Law, Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice Committee, Houston, TX, 2014
  • “Regulatory Update,” Minimizing Risks in Upstream Oil and Gas Contract Management, American Leaders, Houston, TX, 2014 See Here
  • “Texas Oil & Gas Update,” Liskow & Lewis 2013 Energy Law Seminar, Houston, TX, 2013 See Here
  • “New Capacity Issues on the Outer Continental Shelf,” 1st Annual Midstream Oil & Gas Law Conference, The Institute for Energy Law, Houston, TX, 2012
  • “Regulation of Oil and Gas Operations in the Gulf of Mexico,” In-House Client Seminar, The Woodlands, TX, 2012
  • “Doing Business in the Gulf of Mexico: Staying Current in a Changing Regulatory Environment,” Liskow & Lewis Breakfast Forum Series, Houston, TX, 2012
  • “Recent JOA Disputes and Liability Issues Between Operators and Non-Operators,” Liskow & Lewis Energy Law Seminar, Houston, TX, 2011
  • “Financial Security Under Joint Operating Agreements: Are We Falling Between Two Stools,” 24th Annual Energy Law Institute for Attorneys and Landmen, South Texas College of Law, Houston, TX, 2011
  • “Assignments & Conveyances,” Dallas Bar Association Energy Law Section, Dallas, TX, 2010
  • “Lessons Learned From Recent JOA Disputes,” Liskow & Lewis Louisiana Mineral Law Seminar, Houston, TX 2008
  • “Offshore Update,” HBA Oil and Gas Mineral Law Section Luncheon, Houston, TX, 2008
  • “Don't Get Stuck With the Check When It's Not Your Dinner: Indemnity and Insurance Issues Under Joint Operating Agreements,” Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation Special Institute on Oil and Gas Agreements: Joint Operations, Denver, CO 2008
  • “Texas Oil & Gas Cases Update,” Liskow & Lewis Oil & Gas Seminar, Houston, TX, 2007
  • “Joint Operations: Current Joint Operating Agreement Issues,” 20th Annual Energy Law Institute for Attorneys and Landmen, South Texas College of Law, Houston, TX, 2007

Publications

Podcasts

What's Trending With Jana