Many Pa. Firms Ready to Take Advantage of 'Hot' Practice Areas
The Legal Intelligencer
December 2, 2011
Law firms with a focus on banking, health care, energy or intellectual property are in a good spot for the coming year, according to Robert Denney Associates' 23rd annual "What's Hot and What's Not in the Legal Profession" report. Full Text
DEP Aims for More Consistency in Drilling Regulation Enforcement
The Legal Intelligencer
November 29, 2011
The Department of Environmental Protection is developing a regulatory system to ensure more statewide consistency in the enforcement of its natural gas and oil drilling regulations, according to a statement released by the department. Full Text
Pa. Decision Could Upset 130 Years of Oil and Gas Conveyances
The Legal Intelligencer
November 29, 2011
Butler v. Charles Powers Estate, a recent decision of the Pennsylvania Superior Court, has thrown into turmoil oil and gas ownership in Pennsylvania. Interpreting nearly 130 years of Pennsylvania law, a three-judge panel of Pennsylvania's intermediate appellate court has questioned who owns the rights to millions. Full Text
Township Council Beats Back Referendum to Ban Drilling
The Legal Intelligencer
November 15, 2011
A referendum banning drilling in a Western Pennsylvania township failed when it won less than 20 percent of the vote in Tuesday's election. The solicitor for Peters Township, William Johnson, said that he and council members were relieved. Full Text
Marcellus Shale and the Ultrahazardous Activity Analysis
The Legal Intelligencer
October 14, 2011
Pennsylvania lies over the heart of the Marcellus Shale formation, a rock unit underlying approximately 65-million acres of land from West Virginia to New York. This formation has been estimated to have a resource value of up to 500-trillion cubic-feet equivalents of natural gas, and has spawned a boom of gas-well drilling in the southwest, northcentral and northeastern portions of the commonwealth. Between January and September, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued 2,514 Marcellus Shale drilling permits, and 1,388 wells were reported as having been drilled. Full Text
Justices Asked to End Debate on 'Mineral' Definition
The Legal Intelligencer
October 14, 2011
The state Supreme Court has been asked to stop a scientific debate over whether the shale in the Marcellus Shale formation is a "mineral" before the debate even begins. Full Text
Corbett Releases Details of His Marcellus Shale Package
The Legal Intelligencer
October 11, 2011
Gov. Tom Corbett unveiled his Marcellus Shale legislative package that includes some of the recommendations made earlier by his Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission, including a impact fee on each active well. The proposal also increases setback requirements for wells, and proposes other changes to strengthen laws protecting the environment. Full Text
Marcellus Shale Litigation Diversifying but Not Booming
The Legal Intelligencer
October 4, 2011
According to attorneys across the state, the rise in Marcellus Shale-related litigation is lagging somewhat behind the pace of the natural gas industry's growth, but may speed up in the future. Full Text
Superior Court Says Mineral Rights Could Apply to Shale
The Legal Intelligencer
September 27, 2011
The state Superior Court has allowed a dispute over land rights to move forward so experts can determine whether the shale in the Marcellus Shale formation is considered a "mineral" whose owners also own the natural gas contained within. Full Text
