Oil & Gas Operators Design Leases to Minimize Your Royalties.
We Help Texas Mineral Owners Get Every Dollar You Deserve.
Specialized oil and gas representation exclusively for mineral owners and landowners. With 20+ years of Texas energy law experience and a landman with 40+ years of title expertise, we negotiate better lease terms while protecting your property rights and royalty payments.
20+ Years
Texas Oil & Gas Law
Landowner-Only
Never Represent Operators
Flexible Flat Rate Fee
Detailed Lease Review
Statewide
Texas Coverage
You may think all oil and gas attorneys are basically the same. Here’s what makes us different: we never represent operators, drilling companies, or lease buyers. Ever.
When operators send you a lease offer, they’ve already consulted with their attorneys; lawyers who negotiate hundreds of leases every year. You’re doing this once, maybe twice in your lifetime. That’s not a fair fight.
Why Landowner-Exclusive Representation Matters:
You may be thinking that all oil and gas attorneys are basically the same. Here’s what makes us different: we never represent operators, drilling companies, or lease buyers. Ever.
When operators send you a lease offer, they’ve already consulted with their attorneys; lawyers who negotiate hundreds of leases every year. You’re doing this once, maybe twice in your lifetime. That’s not a fair fight.
What This Means for Your Royalties:
The standard lease offer that arrives in your mailbox? It’s designed to minimize your payments. Operators use “at the well” royalty language with extensive post-production deductions. These hidden charges can significantly reduce your actual royalty payments.
You’re probably wondering: “Can I really negotiate better terms?”
Yes. With proper representation, Texas mineral owners often secure:
- Higher royalty percentages (1/4 instead of 3/16)
- Better royalty calculation methods (“at the market” vs. “at the well”)
- Reduced or eliminated post-production cost deductions
- Fair surface damage compensation
- Depth protections preserving deeper formations
The difference between signing an operator’s standard offer and negotiating with experienced representation can be substantial over the life of a producing lease. Results vary based on property location, lease terms, and market conditions.
HOW WE HELP TEXAS MINERAL OWNERS
We provide comprehensive oil and gas representation across five critical areas:
Oil & Gas Lease Review
Flat-fee comprehensive review
Before you sign any lease, we examine every clause identifying unfavorable terms, hidden deductions, and operator-favorable provisions. Most mineral owners don't realize what they're signing away until it's too late
Division Order Review
Payment accuracy verification
Division orders determine how much you get paid. Calculation errors are common—and they always favor the operator. We verify that your royalty payments match what your lease actually requires.
Mineral Title Work
40+ years landman experience
Clouded mineral title prevents leasing and delays payments. Our experienced landman clears title issues, prepares heirship affidavits, and ensures clean ownership documentation before you lease or sell.
Lease Negotiations
Premium representation for high-value properties
When you have leverage: desirable location, multiple offers, large acreage. We negotiate optimal terms through market analysis and strategic positioning. This goes beyond review to active representation in discussions with operators.
Surface Use Agreements
Protecting your land during drilling operations
Mineral leases grant access, but surface use agreements define exactly where operators can go and what compensation you receive for roads, drilling pads, and pipelines. Standard agreements heavily favor operators, we negotiate fair compensation and proper restoration requirements.
WHY MINERAL OWNERS CHOOSE DAUGHTREY LAW FIRM
Insider Knowledge That Works for You:
Nixon Daughtrey spent ten years as a landman for major and independent oil companies before becoming an attorney. He knows exactly how operators structure leases to minimize payments because he used to do it for them. Now that knowledge works exclusively for property owners.
Comprehensive Team Approach:
Our land service director brings 40+ years of title experience. Combined with legal expertise, we handle both the technical mineral ownership issues and the contract negotiation strategy.
Statewide All Counties Texas Coverage:
Whether your minerals are in the Eagle Ford Shale, Permian Basin, or East Texas, we understand regional market conditions and operator practices throughout the state.
Nationwide Service:
You don’t have to live in Texas to work with us. We represent clients throughout the United States. What matters is our familiarity with Texas property law and our ability to apply it carefully to your specific situation.
RELATED RESOURCES
COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT OIL AND GAS LEASE
Can I negotiate my own oil & gas lease, or do I really need an attorney?
You can try. However, operators negotiate hundreds of leases every year with experienced legal teams backing them up. You’re doing this once, maybe twice in your lifetime. That’s not a fair fight. We level the playing field by bringing the same experience operators have, except we use it to protect you.
Standard lease offers arrive with operator-favorable language baked into every clause. Recognizing problematic provisions requires knowing what to look for and knowing what alternatives are even possible. Operators won’t volunteer better terms just because you ask nicely.
Individual results vary based on property location, lease terms, and market conditions.
What's the difference between lease review and lease negotiation?
Lease review means we analyze your lease document, identify unfavorable terms, and explain what each provision means for your royalties. You receive a written summary of our findings and a consultation call. The fee is $750 flat.
Lease negotiation means we actively represent you in discussions with the operator. We handle all communications, propose alternative terms, and negotiate on your behalf until you have an agreement you’re comfortable signing.
Review tells you what’s wrong. Negotiation fixes it.
Not every situation requires full negotiation services. Sometimes understanding the problems is enough to make an informed decision. We’ll be honest about which approach fits your circumstances.
Can you help with a lease I've already signed?
Here’s the hard truth: once you sign an oil and gas lease, those terms are locked in. There’s no renegotiating after the fact.
What we can help with includes:
- Division order review to verify your royalty payments match what your lease actually requires
- Future lease negotiations if your current lease expires or if you own additional mineral interests
- Surface use agreements to protect your land during drilling operations
- Title work to clear ownership issues that might affect future leasing or payments
Prevention costs far less than living with unfavorable lease terms for decades of production. If you’re considering a lease offer right now, get it reviewed before you sign.
How do I know if my royalty payments are calculated correctly?
Most mineral owners don’t know, and that’s exactly the problem.
Division orders determine your payment amount. Errors happen more often than you’d expect: wrong royalty percentage applied, incorrect ownership decimal, outdated title information, or calculation mistakes in pooled units.
These errors don’t fix themselves. Operators aren’t actively looking for ways to pay you more. If your division order contains mistakes, they favor the operator until someone catches them.
Our division order review compares what you’re being paid against what your lease terms actually require. If there’s a discrepancy, you’ll know exactly what needs correcting.
Don't Sign an Oil & Gas Lease Without Expert Review
Operators negotiate hundreds of leases annually with experienced legal teams. You’re doing this once. That’s exactly why you need representation that’s exclusively on your side, never working for the companies trying to lease your minerals.