Senior Counsel

Formentera Operations, LLC.; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 320,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual Bonus Eligibility

100% Employer covered health insurance

401K with 4% employer match

Job summary

Formentera Operations LLC is seeking a Senior Counsel in Austin, Texas to provide transactional and compliance support across oil and gas activities and internal departments, reporting to the General Counsel. This role offers opportunities to influence deal execution and governance in a growing energy company.

You will draft and negotiate complex oil & gas agreements, manage due diligence, coordinate with land, finance, and operations teams, and advise on regulatory and financing documents while

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school.
• Licensed to practice in Texas (or ability to obtain).
• 5–10+ years of relevant oil & gas legal experience, preferably in-house or in a law firm.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate oil and gas agreements, including leases, farmouts, JOAs, and participation agreements.
• Surface use agreements, easements, water agreements, rights-of-way, and landowner agreements.
• Purchase and sale agreements (PSAs), Exchange Agreements, and related documents.
• Joint operating agreements (JOAs) and related upstream contracts.
• Support acquisitions, due diligence, title review coordination, and closings.
• Advise on mineral, water and surface transactions with landowners and counterparties.
• Support midstream agreements, including gathering, transport, and processing arrangements.
• Review financing documents and credit facilities with finance and external counsel.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Land, Finance, Accounting, HSE, Regulatory, and Operations.
• Coordinate with outside counsel on specialized matters.
• Provide practical, business-oriented legal advice to support objectives.
• Assist with internal legal processes, templates, and governance matters.

Skills

Transactional drafting

Negotiation skills

Legal research

Regulatory compliance

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Written communication

Verbal communication

Education

Juris Doctor (J.D.)

Job description

The Senior Counsel provides transactional and compliance support across Formentera’s private equity affiliate, Accounting, Regulatory, Land, Marketing, Operations, and Legal Departments. This is an opportunity for an individual to collaborate across multiple departments within a growing organization that will report directly to the General Counsel. Formentera encourages individual and collaborative innovation, implementation and operation of new processes, technologies, and procedures that support and add value to the company.

Responsibilities:

• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of oil and gas agreements, including oil and gas leases, farmouts, joint exploration agreements, and participation agreements
• Surface use agreements, easements, water agreements, rights-of-way, and other landowner agreements
• Purchase and sale agreements (PSAs), Exchange Agreements, and related transaction documents
• Joint operating agreements (JOAs) and related upstream contracts
• Support the management of all acquisitions, exchanges and divestitures, including due diligence, title review coordination, and closing processes
• Advise on mineral, water and surface transactions, including negotiations with landowners and counterparties
• Provide legal support for midstream agreements, including gathering, transportation, processing, and related commercial arrangements
• Review and negotiate credit agreements, reserve-based lending facilities, and other financing documents in coordination with finance, other internal parties, and external counsel
• Work cross-functionally with Land, Finance, Accounting, HSE, Regulatory, and Operations teams to ensure alignment on deal execution and risk management
• Manage and coordinate with outside counsel on specialized matters, including regulatory and complex transactions
• Provide practical, business-oriented legal advice to support operational and strategic objectives
• Assist with development and implementation of internal legal processes, templates, and best practices
• Support corporate governance and general corporate legal matters as needed
• Perform special projects and additional duties as assigned
• Strong background in transactional drafting and negotiation skills
• Deep understanding of upstream and/or midstream oil and gas operations
• Ability to balance legal risk with commercial objectives
• Excellent organizational and project management skills
• Strong written and verbal communication
• Ability to work independently, collaboratively, and proactively in a fast-paced environment
• Flexibility to work beyond core hours when projects demand
• High level of integrity, dependability, trustworthiness, professionalism, and sound judgment

Required Qualifications:

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school
• Licensed and in good standing to practice law in Texas (or ability to obtain)
• 5-10+ years of relevant legal experience, preferably with a law firm or in-house role focused on oil and gas
• Demonstrated experience in upstream and/or midstream transactions, surface and landowner agreements, mineral transactions and oil & gas leasing, credit agreements, lending transactions, or finance-related documentation
• Strong experience drafting and negotiating complex commercial agreements

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting private equity-backed energy companies
• Familiarity with multi-basin and international upstream oil and gas asset portfolios
• Experience of working directly with land, marketing and operations teams
• Knowledge of regulatory and health and safety frameworks affecting upstream and midstream operations

Physical Requirements (with or without reasonable accommodation)

• This position is primarily sedentary, with regular requirements to communicate verbally and listen. The employee will frequently need to stand, walk, handle objects with their hands, and reach with their arms.
• Close visual acuity is required to view a computer screen, read, transcribe, and analyze data.
• Occasional lifting of up to 25 pounds may be necessary.
• Sufficient manual dexterity is needed to operate a computer keyboard and related equipment.

• Annual Bonus Eligibility
• 100% Employer covered health insurance premiums.
• 401K with 4% employer match

About Us:

Formentera Operations LLC is the operator for Formentera Partners, which is an energy focused, private equity strategy founded by Bryan Sheffield, Blake London, and Paul Treadwell in 2020, based in Austin, Texas. Formentera responsibly acquires and optimizes producing oil and gas assets in onshore United States basins.

Formentera is intentional and deliberate in cultivating our culture. We seek people who are not only exceptional within their own skills and aptitudes, but who also care deeply about supporting each other’s growth and embracing the value that diverse teams, ideas and opinions create. Operating with integrity and treating each other well at all times are foundational pillars at Formentera.

Formentera provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other characteristics protected by federal, state, or local law where we employ. Formentera will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.

NOTE: Formentera is not able to consider candidates requiring Visa sponsorship at this time.