Michael Swan retired from the partnership in 2017 with more than 30 years of litigation experience in civil trial and appellate cases, including complex and multidistrict proceedings. He principally worked on disputes arising from the energy sector.

Michael’s broad oil and gas litigation practice included representation of several national as well as independent oil and gas companies. He advised in disputes involving:

• Royalty and working interest owners.
• Offshore oil and gas development and transportation.
• The charters and operation of drilling rigs.
• Trade secrets and confidentiality agreements.

He also defended clients in personal injury cases.

While having been active in all areas of energy litigation, he has represented several international clients, including Russia’s largest oil and gas company in litigation in a U.S. court, and the government of a former Soviet republic in a matter involving development of a major oil and gas field in Kazakhstan. He has handled commercial arbitrations involving both foreign and domestic disputes.

After serving in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, Michael joined a prominent Houston law firm in 1981, where he ultimately became the managing partner.

Also earlier in his career, Michael was a partner in the general litigation section of another law firm, where his practice was concentrated primarily in the area of energy litigation. He was lead trial counsel for a major interstate pipeline in its major multimillion-dollar litigation. His representation encompassed virtually every legal issue encountered by major producers and pipelines, including take-or-pay, pricing, gas balancing, classification, royalty issues, spot market and market-out issues, contract renegotiations, deregulation and transportation issues.

In addition to his vast experience in energy litigation, Michael has handled and tried cases involving professional malpractice, labor, defamation, real estate disputes and personal injury defense.

He has been a speaker at seminars sponsored by both the State Bar of Texas and the Houston Bar Association.