Britt A. Freund

Member

Biography

Britt Freund is a leader in the firm’s Energy & Natural Resources Department, where he serves as co-chair of the Data Center Practice Group. He also leads the Alternative Energy Practice Group, and serves as Assistant Practice Group Leader for the Energy Transactions group. Britt advises clients across the full spectrum of legal issues related to energy resource development, including acquisition and divestitures, finance, permitting and operations, and legal disputes. His work focuses on delivering practical, business-aligned solutions in an ever-evolving energy landscape for coal, oil and gas producers and owners, data center developers, financial institutions, and renewable energy companies.

Britt also serves in leadership roles with the Energy & Mineral Law Foundation and frequently speaks on emerging topics such as CCUS and data center land and energy resource issues.

Representative Experience

Served as land counsel for an international corporation acquiring Haynesville assets valued at $8.5 billion
Awarded judgement on the pleadings to validate oil and gas leases in a claim alleging invalid leases
Represented a publicly traded energy company as local counsel in a $2.9 billion transaction involving over 900 wells and 300,000 net acres in the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania
Directed a large team of attorneys and abstractors in $735 million transaction that involved 100 work-in-progress wells, 125,000 core net Marcellus acres, and ownership in a midstream company
Acted as lead counsel in a complex transaction for a publicly traded energy company in the divestiture of a union coal complex and related assets in Greene County, PA
Received an immediate injunction on behalf of an E&P company to prevent a competitor from drilling horizontal wells on property intended for pipeline construction
Managed a team of 50 lawyers who provided land administration services and title and environmental due diligence in complex transaction for a publicly traded energy company who were expanding into the Appalachian Basin
Outside general counsel for start-up company deploying sustainable closed loop water bottling system, atmospheric water generation technologies and green hydrogen capture
Obtained summary judgement declaring competitors lease had terminated on behalf of E&P company

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Licensed In

Kentucky
Pennsylvania
West Virginia

Education

J.D. Duquesne University Kline School of Law

B.F.A. Ithaca College

Memberships

Judge of Elections, Moon Township Pennsylvania (2020-Present)
President, Energy & Mineral Law Foundation (EMLF) (2023)
Section Chair, Transactional Module, Institute for Energy Law (2022)
Chair, EMLF Kentucky Mineral Law Conference, Lexington, KY (October 15-17, 2019)
Board Member, Western Pennsylvania Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Trustee-at-Large, Energy & Mineral Law Foundation (EMLF)
Commerce Committee, West Virginia Independent Oil & Gas Association
Committee Chair, CFF Corporate Cup of Southpointe (2016-2018)
Oil & Gas Chair: EMLF Kentucky Mineral Law Conference, Lexington, KY (October 21-22, 2015)
Energy Law Committee, West Virginia State Bar

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Achievements

The Best Lawyers in America®, Energy Law (2025-Present), Oil and Gas Law (2025-Present), Natural Resources Law (2026)
Super Lawyers Rising Star®, Energy & Natural Resources Law, Canonsburg, PA (2015-2018)
CALI Awards – Constitutional Law; Advanced Constitutional Law
Finalist, AAJ National Moot Court Competition

Speaking Engagements

Frequent Speaker, Topics Regarding Legal and Business Issues Related to Energy Development
“Data Centers: Early Development Considerations,” Energy & Mineral Law Foundation Fall Symposium (October 2025)
“Data Center Webinar Series: Overview of Data Center Stakeholder and Land Issues,” Steptoe & Johnson PLLC (October 1, 2025)
Moderator, “Joint Operating Agreements and Pitfalls,” Energy & Mineral Law Foundation Annual Institute (June 2025)
“Transaction Module,” 73rd Annual Energy Law Conference, The Center for American and International Law (February 2022)
“The View from Lenders,” American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) Finance Forum (June 2021)

Publications

“Up in the Air: Issues that Arise with Wind Development,” Energy & Mineral Law Foundation White Papers (2018)
“Due Diligence: Pure Play Strategies, Quality Assets Add to M&A Opportunities,“ Editor’s Choice, The American Oil & Gas Reporter (2018)
“Held By Production Leases: When Are They Actually Held?” Energy & Mineral Law Foundation White Papers (2015)
“Multi-State Review of Real Estate Tax Sales and Tax Deeds: The Effect of Tax Deeds on Oil and Gas Leases and Easements in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia,” Energy & Mineral Law Foundation White Papers (2014)
“Carbon Sequestration: Critical Property Rights and Legal Liabilities – Real Impediments or Red Herrings?” Energy & Mineral Law Foundation White Papers (2011)
“Much To be Gained by ‘Pooling’ Together Oil & Gas: Powering Our Future!” Views and Visions, Bowles Rice (Spring 2011)

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