The TexasFred Blog Endorses Jeff Weems for Texas Railroad Commissioner

I recently had the distinct pleasure of meeting Jeff Weems in person.

Jeff and I bonded immediately. You see, Jeff was raised in the oilfields of West Texas and Louisiana. I was raised in the oilfields of West Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma. We bonded! We speak the same language and it’s TEXAS FIRST!

Jeff Weems is a named partner at the Houston litigation firm of Harrison, Bettis, Staff, McFarland & Weems, L.L.P. Jeff’s practice centers on the energy industry; in fact, his whole life has centered on the oil and gas business.

Following in this tradition of his father and grandfathers, Jeff began working for energy service companies at every opportunity while in high school and college, which allowed him to pay for his education. Jeff worked on the rigs and as a drilling mud representative. Jeff’s son, Matthew, is the fourth generation in the business – he is a practicing petroleum engineer.

Born in Louisiana, Jeff grew up in Houma, Louisiana before moving to Houston during high school. Jeff attended Rice University and graduated with high honors from the University of Texas at Austin in 1983 with a B.B.A. in Petroleum Land Management. Except for brief forays brought on by work demands, Jeff has lived in Texas ever since.

After graduating, Jeff went to work for Shell Western E&P Inc. as a landman, taking leases throughout the United States and negotiating countless complex commercial transactions. Later, Jeff left Shell and worked as an independent landman. In 1987, he enrolled at the University of Texas School of Law.

In law school, Jeff was selected to be a member of the prestigious Texas Law Review, serving first as a member then as an Associate Editor. Jeff also was appointed to the Student-Faculty Task Force to study the resolution of pressing issues at the school. Jeff graduated with honors from the University of Texas School of Law in December 1989, completing his studies in only two and one-half years.

Upon graduating, Jeff began working for Liddell, Sapp, Zivley, Hill & LaBoon, a premier Texas firm. Jeff’s practice focused almost exclusively on energy litigation. A few years after becoming a partner at what was by then known as Locke Liddell & Sapp, Jeff joined Harrison Bettis in 2000 as a partner, where he remains today. Jeff’s practice, which involves the representation of operating companies, energy service companies, royalty and land owners, has grown more successful each year.

Jeff’s recent article on royalty treatment for injected carbon dioxide, co-authored with his law partner Robert Boemer, was published by the Texas Journal of Oil, Gas and Energy Law. Jeff is a member of the State Bar of Texas Sections on Litigation and Oil, Gas and Mineral Law. He is rated AV by Martindale Hubbell, the highest rating given out by this preeminent rating organization. Jeff is admitted to practice in Texas, in the Federal District Courts of the Eastern and Southern Districts of Texas, the Federal Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.

Jeff is both a member and a speaker for the National Association of Royalty Owners. He is a member of the American Petroleum Institute. He is on the Board of Advisors for the Institute for Energy Law. Jeff is a Life member of the 100 Club, the group that benefits families of slain policemen and firefighters. He also is a life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, the organization that provides a huge portion of the funding for affordable legal services throughout Texas.

Jeff lives in Houston with his wife Dinah, and serves as the Democratic Precinct Chair for Precinct 274. They have 5 children – Matthew, Kent, Virginia, Heather, and Lindsay.

Achievements and Awards
Texas Super Lawyer in Energy, Texas Monthly, 2007
Associate Editor of the Texas Law Review
Honors Graduate, University of Texas School of Law, 1989
High Honors Graduate, McCombs School of Business, University of Texas of Austin, 1983
Life Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
Life Member, 100 Club
Stewardship Chairman, First Congregational Church of Houston
Board of Directors, Back Bay Mission of Biloxi, Mississippi

Now, a bit of information regarding the Texas Railroad Commission:

The Texas Railroad Commission was formed in the 1890’s to protect farmers from predatory pricing by the railroads. The Texas Legislature later gave the Commission additional regulatory responsibilities, primarily over trucking and oil and gas exploration and production. Over the years, the Commission’s authority over railroads and trucking was reduced, and finally eliminated altogether in 2005.

The Texas Railroad Commission is currently responsible for:

*Regulating oil and gas exploration and production;
*Regulating pipeline (both natural gas and hazardous liquid) safety;
*Regulating certain coal and uranium surface mining operations;
*Setting rates for pipelines and for natural gas utilities;
*Regulating natural gas utility safety measures; and
*Creating and applying programs designed to promote the use of and market for *Liquefied Petroleum (LP) or Propane gas.

The Texas Railroad Commission is a misnomer at best, but it is the most important regulatory commission in Texas.

I believe that Jeff Weems would make an excellent Texas Railroad Commissioner.