Land and Real Estate Counsel

Land and Real Estate Counsel

Job Summary:

Western Midstream (“WES”) seeks an experienced attorney to join its legal organization located in The Woodlands, Texas office as Midstream Land and Real Estate Counsel.  The position will work directly and extensively with the midstream land and commercial teams, as well as other in-house attorneys in the WES legal department to: (a) draft and negotiate land agreements and manage corporate real estate portfolio; (b) help resolve encroachments and land disputes; and (c) support facilities operations.   This role will engage directly with other functions throughout WES in full support of WES’s goals and directives. 

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate for this position should possess the following minimum qualifications:

• 5 to 10 years of legal experience with a law firm or corporate law department in direct support of midstream and corporate land, real estate, and facility needs.
• Substantial experience with the drafting and negotiation of a variety of customized leases, easements, surface use agreements, and other real estate agreements (“Land Agreements”).
• Extensive working knowledge and understanding of real estate requirements pertaining to the oil and gas and midstream industry, and on the corporate level.
• Knowledge and understanding of federal, Texas, Colorado, and Wyoming state and local oil & gas, land use, and property rules and regulations.
• Strong negotiating, interpersonal and team-building skills, as well as mature judgment discretion.
• Ability to work confidently and independently while also effectively collaborating with others with multiple assignments in an efficient and productive manner.
• A strong commitment to the highest level of personal integrity and professional/ethical standards, as well as the ability to provide commercially focused, pragmatic legal advice to accomplish WES’s business objectives.

Responsibilities:

• (a) Draft, negotiate, analyze, interpret, and provide legal advice regarding Land Agreements; (b) help resolve condemnation claims, encroachments on company property rights, and similar disputes; (c) manage corporate real estate transactions; and (d) support facilities’ operations.  

• Provide direction to management in the design, development and implementation of policies and procedures to proactively manage legal risk.
• Negotiate and resolve disputes associated with Land Agreements operations, as well as providing support to litigation in the resolution of disputes.
• Provide legal support with respect to WES’s acquisition and divesture activities, including due diligence of land matters and the drafting and negotiating of contracts related to the same.
• Provide legal assistance with pre-transactional and transaction documents, such as confidentiality agreements, term sheets, letters of intent, etc.
• Participate in industry initiatives through various trade groups or roundtables.
• Develop processes and policies in support of WES’s land and commercial activities, including best practice notes and assisting with associated compliance policies. 
• Supervise external counsel as applicable. 
• Manage and prioritize assignments which may be broad in scope and complexity, and which involve collaborative work with employees in different departments and with varying levels of seniority.

Education

JD required from an ABA accredited law school.

Certifications/Licenses

Licensed to practice in the United States is required. Texas is highly preferred.

Location

This position will be based at WES’s main office located in The Woodlands, Texas.  This position is not eligible for relocation. 

Travel Requirements

Travel will be required (10+%).

Work Schedule

This position is subject to WES’s standard alternating work from home schedule pursuant to which the attorney will have the option to work from home on Wednesdays and Fridays.  WES’s standard work schedule provides for 9-hours each Monday through Thursday and 4 hours on each Friday (with the office officially closing at noon). 

Western Midstream does not offer sponsorship of employment-based nonimmigrant visa petitions for this role.