Biography
Marsha Hudkins pursued a law career after spending several years hiring lawyers in her management capacity at a non-profit organization. The qualities she admired in those lawyers were competence, diligence, and professionalism. Marsha strives to achieve those ideals to help business and energy clients. Marsha oversees the Bridgeport, West Virginia, residential mortgage team to ensure the successful closing of hundreds of residential transactions, including title examinations, title insurance, resolving title defects, and closings for hundreds of transactions per year.
Marsha also continues her energy practice in the Appalachian Basin assisting clients with title issues and mitigating litigation challenges that arise from title disputes, particularly in the area of West Virginia mineral severances and tax deeds. Since joining Steptoe & Johnson, Marsha has drafted thousands of surface, coal, oil, and gas title opinions. She enjoys putting together the puzzle pieces of real estate ownership and investment.
Representative Experience
- Facilitates residential mortgages by providing title examinations and insurance, resolving title defects, and providing closings for hundreds of transactions per year for Harrison, Marion, Taylor, Barbour, Upshur, Lewis, Doddridge, and Ritchie Counties, West Virginia property
- Led initiative during COVID-19 to modify traditional closing procedures to a virtual model for use with loan closings
- Drafted title opinion and assisted litigation team to overturn old tax deed for publicly traded oil and gas company (decision affirmed by WV Supreme Court of Appeals)
- Managed, drafted closing documents, and closed deals for acquisitions of hundreds of leases and wells in North Central West Virginia
- Obtained judicial order for a client to lease mineral interest of minor pursuant to West Virginia Statute on Lands of Infants
- Advised client, and successfully enforced client’s right of way to use surface estate for ingress/egress for drilling operations
- Member of due diligence team for large acquisition projects
- Managed project to draft 300+ title opinions for joint operating venture
- Engaged by a Texas law firm as an expert witness on West Virginia title issues for arbitration proceedings
Education
- J.D. West Virginia University College of Law
- M.P.A. West Virginia University
- B.S. Fairmont State University
Memberships
- Former Board of Directors, The Connecting Link, Inc.
- National Association of Lease and Title Analysts
- Co-chair, NALTA Education Committee 2012
- Former Board of Directors, NALTA
- Past President, GABALTA
- GABALTA Liaison to NALTA
- Chair, NALTA Vendor Fair 2010
- Harrison County Chamber of Commerce
- Marion County Chamber of Commerce
- Moot Court Board and National Moot Court Team
Achievements
- Pro Bono Award for Outstanding Public Service, Center for Law & Public Service
- GABALTA Member of the Year 2011
- NALTA Special Recognition Award 2011
Speaking Engagements
- “Comparison of Oil and Gas Law: North Dakota and the Eastern States” NALTA
- “Proper Execution of Documents” NALTA News
- “West Virginia Tax Sales and Deed” and “West Virginia Missing Heirs Actions,” Antero Resources Corporation Training, 2013
- “Abstracting Mineral Title,” MLB Chapter of American Association of Professional Landmen
- “Obtaining Property Signatory to Transfer Interest in Real Estate,” AAPL Kentucky
- “Obtaining Property Signatory to Transfer Interest in Real Estate,” NALTA
- “West Virginia Circuit Court and Deed Interpretation,” West Virginia Record, The State Journal
Publications
- Co-Editor, Energy Essentials, North Dakota Chapter
