Bridget D. Furbee

Member

Biography

Bridget Furbee focuses her practice in the area of energy law. She has extensive experience in major transactions as well as litigation and regulatory proceedings in the oil and gas industry. She has represented production and midstream clients in transactions, operations, and litigation matters, including litigating and settling class action royalty claims. She is the former in-house counsel for Fortune 500 energy companies where she was responsible for legal issues related to gas exploration and production, including the development of major new geologic plays in West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. With over 30 years in the industry, Bridget brings a practical perspective to find legal solutions to various types of contract disputes, including joint operating agreements, farmouts, leases, and gas contracts. She has assisted operators in successfully obtaining unitization orders from the West Virginia Oil & Gas Conservation Commission.

Representative Experience

Negotiated and drafted various master services agreements, drilling contracts, and operating agreements
Experienced in pooling and unitization issues, including representation of clients before the West Virginia Oil & Gas Conservation Commission
Represented sellers and buyers in various oil and gas acquisitions, including the corporate sale of one entity worth $3.75 billion, and multiple transactions, each exceeding $100 million
Litigated class action royalty claims
Resolved disputes and litigation between landowners and operators
Represented various parties in E&P asset sales
Acted as counsel for a seller of E&P company (stock and assets) for $3.47 billion
Negotiated and drafted various agreements involved in farmouts, joint ventures, sales, and acquisitions of E&P properties, including stock and asset sales
Experienced in negotiating, preparing, and analyzing various types of gas sales, marketing, transportation agreements, and gas storage agreements
Worked with industry to draft proposed legislation for horizontal wells and road bonds

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Licensed In

Ohio
Pennsylvania
West Virginia

Education

J.D. West Virginia University College of Law

B.A. West Virginia University

Memberships

Legal Committee, Gas and Oil Association of WV, Inc. (GO-WV)
Director, Legal Aid of West Virginia
Bridgeport Development Authority
American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL)
Michael Late Benedum Chapter AAPL (MLBC)
Former Trustee, Energy & Mineral Law Foundation
Harrison County Bar Association

Achievements

Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business – Energy & Natural Resources (2016-Present)
The Best Lawyers in America®, Commercial Litigation (2024-Present), Energy Law (2017-Present), Oil and Gas Law (2024-Present)
Fellow, West Virginia Bar Foundation (2025)
Business Today News: Top 10 Influential Energy & Natural Resources Lawyers in West Virginia (2023)
Best Lawyers® Morgantown, WV Energy Law, Lawyer of the Year (2021)
Who’s Who in Energy, Pittsburgh Business Times (2017)

Speaking Engagements

Co-Presenter, “Pooling in West Virginia? – The Water’s Great, but Lessons are Recommended,” AAPL/EMLF Joint Land Institute (November 15, 2024)
“Pooling and Unitization in Appalachia: The Status and the Legal Issues You Should Know,” IEL, 14th Appalachia Energy Law Conference (September 7, 2023)
Co-Presenter, “Carbon Capture and Sequestration: Legal and Drafting Considerations,” IEL/EMLF 13th Appalachia Energy Law Conference (September 7-8, 2022)
Co-Presenter, “Carbon Sequestration and Storage: An Overview,” Steptoe & Johnson PLLC Webinar (October 27, 2021)
“Be Careful What You ‘ASSUME’ – Risks Associated with Oil & Gas Contracts,” IEL Transactions Conference (October 2019)
“Getting Old and Finding a New Lease on Life” IEL/EMLF (September 2019)
Co-Presenter, “Energy Midstream Land Issues,” Steptoe & Johnson PLLC Webinar (May 9, 2018)
“Appalachian Basin Royalty Litigation Update,” IEL Oil & Gas E-Report (January 2018)
“Ohio Dormant Mineral Acts & Ohio Forced Pooling”
“Holdouts and Houdinis: Partition Actions, Missing Heir Petitions & Dormant Mineral Acts”
“The Future of the U.S. Oil and Gas Industry”
“Partition Actions & Missing Heirs”
“Farmouts & JOAs”

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Publications

Co-Author, “District Court Dismisses Challenge to West Virginia Unitization Act,” Steptoe & Johnson PLLC E-Alert (March 25, 2024)
Co-Author, “Sonda Decision: The Fourth Circuit Sends Motion to Dismiss Challenge to West Virginia Pooling Act Back to Federal Court,” Steptoe & Johnson PLLC E-Alert (February 2, 2024)
Co-Author, “Pennsylvania Court Upholds Cross-Unit Drilling Under Act 85,” Steptoe & Johnson PLLC E-Alert (January 26, 2023)
Co-Author, “Pennsylvania Adds New Royalty Payment Reporting Requirements and Deadlines for Unconventional Oil and Gas,” Steptoe & Johnson PLLC E-Alert (December 1, 2022)
Co-Author, “West Virginia Legislature Passes Two Significant Bills Impacting Oil and Gas Development,” Steptoe & Johnson PLLC E-Alert (March 11, 2022)
Co-Author, “West Virginia Oil & Gas Conservation Commission to Issue Emergency Rule for Horizontal Deep Wells,” Steptoe & Johnson PLLC E-Alert (April 25, 2019)

Related Services

Related News & Resources

Press Release

Chambers USA Rankings Include 27 Steptoe & Johnson PLLC Attorneys

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – Steptoe & Johnson is proud to announce that 27 of its attorneys have ...

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