Our Practice Areas
Contact us for more information about all of our services.
French Benton, PLLC represents mineral and surface owners throughout the Permian Basin and in other oil and gas basins throughout the Unites States. We understand the unique issues facing mineral and surface owners in an everchanging and evolving oil and gas landscape. French Benton, PLLC represents both large and small mineral and surface interest owners in negotiations and litigation against the largest publicly traded oil and gas companies in the United States. The services French Benton, PLLC provides related to mineral law include:
- Negotiation of oil and gas leases
- Negotiation of surface use agreements
- Negotiation of SWD leases
- Negotiation of pipeline and other easements
- Curative title measures
- Recovery of funds held in suspense by oil and gas companies
- Litigation against oil and gas operators related to unpaid royalties and surface damages
- Seeking accountings from oil and gas operators related to production and surface activities
While many large organizations have their own attorneys on staff, that may not be financially realistic for startups, smaller companies, and family offices. French Benton, PLLC provides comprehensive legal advice and services for small to midsize business in Texas and New Mexico, acting as general counsel while helping those businesses manage their legal costs. This allows business owners to devote their energy and resources to running their businesses rather than dealing with legal matters. The outsourced general counsel services French Benton, PLLC provides include:
- MSA review
- Employment and labor counseling advice
- Risk analysis and mitigation strategies
- Assistance with debt and equity financing
- Advice regarding corporate and business law matters
- Corporate governance matters, including assistance with minute books, preparation of board and shareholder resolutions, and attendance of board meetings
- Real-estate purchase agreements
- Dispute resolution, litigation management, including responding to governmental agency requests
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Contract review and negotiation
- Office, yard, and lease equipment lease reviews
- Employment agreement review and drafting
- Purchase agreement review
- Service agreement drafting and review
French Benton, PLLC regularly represents businesses of all sizes in litigation throughout the Permian Basin and Texas. Our legal team is equipped to handle litigation matters both large and small in a professional and cost-efficient manner. Whether it be collections issues, employment agreement disputes, or disputes related to joint ventures, French Benton, PLLC can help your business with its litigation issues. The services related to business litigation provided by French Benton, PLLC include:
- Litigation related to employment agreements
- Litigation related to breach of contract
- Litigation with regulatory entities
- Litigation related to landowner tenant issues
- Litigation related to unfair competition
Business Formation and Transactions
The Permian Basin is a unique and thriving region hosting thousands of small businesses and ever-increasing opportunity. Navigating the loopholes and challenges of starting a business is no small task. French Benton, PLLC regularly assists individuals and small business with entitiy formation and transactions. It is vital that individuals seeking to start new businesses take advantage of the legal protection of forming a business entity and properly registering their entity with state agencies. French Benton, PLLC also assists these business owners when the time to sell their businesses comes. We have led businesses from formation to mergers and sales to large multinational corporations. The services related to business formation and transactions provided by French Benton, PLLC include:
- Business entity formation
- Partnership formations
- Advice related to proper entity selection
- Registration with local and state entities
- Drafting and review of purchase and sale agreements
- Advising businesses in relation to buy and sell offers
- Advising businesses in relation to mergers and acquisitions
French Benton, PLLC regularly represents businesses of all sizes in litigation throughout the Permian Basin and Texas. Our legal team is equipped to handle litigation matters both large and small in a professional and cost-efficient manner. Whether it be collections issues, employment agreement disputes, or disputes related to joint ventures, French Benton, PLLC can help your business with its litigation issues. The services related to business litigation provided by French Benton, PLLC include:
- Litigation related to employment agreements
- Litigation related to breach of contract
- Litigation with regulatory entities
- Litigation related to landowner tenant issues
- Litigation related to unfair competition
French Benton, PLLC regularly represents oil and gas service companies throughout the Permian Basin, Texas, and New Mexico. Our clients range from small family owned service companies to large multinational service companies with offices throughout the United States and abroad. French Benton, PLLC regularly engages in negotiations and litigation against large and small oil and gas service companies on behalf of oil and gas services companies. The services related to oil and gas service companies provided by French Benton, PLLC include:
- Review and negotiation of MSAs
- Review and negotiation of office and property leases
- Representation in front of regulatory bodies to include the Texas Railroad Commission
- Collections services
- Drafting of employment agreements and non-compete agreements
- Enforcement of employment agreement and non-compete agreements
- Assistance with debt and equity financing
French Benton, PLLC represents family owned businesses, trusts and offices throughout the United States with business and property interests in the Permian Basin, Texas, and New Mexico. We work with family members, trustees, and other professionals to assist with the management of real property, mineral interests, business interests, and investments owner by family offices, trusts, and closely held corporations. The services related to family offices, trusts, and closely held businesses provided by French Benton, PLLC include:
- Local representation of business and real property interests
- Representation in front of state agencies to include the Texas Railroad commission
- Formation of Texas business entities and trusts
- Negotiation of oil and gas leases
- Negotiation of surface use agreements
- Local litigation counsel
French Benton, PLLC works with individuals and families to create wills, trusts, and estate planning strategies. Whether you are an individual, young family with children, or an established family looking for a basic will or a complex estate planning strategy French Benton, PLLC can assist you and your family with your estate planning needs. The services related to estate planning provided by French Benton, PLLC include:
- Drafting wills
- Drafting medical power of attorneys
- Drafting of statutory durable power of attorneys
- Formation of individual and family trusts
- Legal advice related to multigenerational estate planning and gifting
- Contemplating guardianship for children and disabled family members
- Facilitating the gifting of assets to institutions and charities
- Addressing unique estate planning issues related to ownership of mineral interest
French Benton, PLLC assists businesses with collecting unpaid accounts from vendors and clients in a professional and legal fashion through the legal system. We understand that the lifeblood of any business is its cashflow and it is our goal to collect amounts owed to our clients in a timely and cost-efficient manner. French Benton, PLLC also works with each client’s financial situation by taking on certain collection suits on contingency basis.