Biography
Having lived in the rapidly growing cities of Sugar Land, Austin, Arlington, The Woodlands, and New Braunfels, Texas, Melissa Munson has witnessed firsthand how communities grow and thrive as a result of entrepreneurism and investment. With every new representation, Melissa’s goal is to empower business owners, executives and investors to seize opportunities, and tackle challenges.
Melissa recognizes the strategic significance of transactions in the lifecycle of a business and the importance of having the right team to help navigate the risks and implications of each deal. Companies rely on Melissa to guide them through capital-raising, formation, operations, growth, and exit.
When clients work with Melissa, they value her innate curiosity and desire to learn, passion for sharing her experience and knowledge, and ability to connect people strategically.
Melissa serves on Steptoe & Johnson’s Strategic Planning Committee and the firm’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Team.
Representative Experience
- Publicly traded oil and gas company in its divestiture of leasehold assets in Ohio
- Oilfield services company in connection with joint development of deep injection disposal wells in Texas
- Oilfield services company in connection with the acquisition of properties for saltwater disposal well sites in West Texas
Education
- J.D. University of Houston Law Center
- B.A. University of Texas at Austin
Memberships
- Returning Co-Chair, Institute for Energy Law’s Doing Deals: Energy Transactions for Young Energy Professionals (2020-2021)
- Co-Chair, Institute for Energy Law’s Doing Deals: Energy Transactions for Young Energy Professionals (2019)
- Secretary, Houston Bar Association Oil, Gas & Mineral Law Section (2020-2021)
- Member, Institute for Energy Law Leadership Class (2020-2021)
- Council, Houston Bar Association Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Section (2019-2020)
- Houston Bar Association
- State Bar of Texas
Speaking Engagements
- “Monarch v. Badlands: Colorado Bankruptcy Court Finds Midstream Agreements Run with the Land Under Utah Law,” Oil & Gas E-Report, Institute for Energy Law, Issue 4, December 2019
- “Case Law Update – a Survey of Recent Texas Oil and Gas Cases” Capital Association of Professional Division Order Analysts, Oklahoma City, June 18, 2019
- “Unrecorded Agreement and the Duty of Inquiry,” National Association of Division Order Analysts, New Braunfels, July 31, 2018
- “A Legal Trip Around the Country: Texas Energy Case Law Update,” Institute for Energy Law, Young Energy Professionals Conference, New Orleans, LA, April 6, 2018
- “The Impact of HB 40 on Texas Drilling Operations,” Houston Association of Lease and Title Analysts, Houston, TX, August 25, 2015
- “Federal Oil & Gas Leases,” Energy Webcast, February 2015
- “Federal Oil and Gas Lease Overview,” North Houston Association of Professional Landmen, February 2, 2015
- “Due Diligence Pitfalls,” Houston Energy Leadership Summit, November 5, 2014
- “Unrecorded Agreements: When to Inquire and Why,” Houston Association of Lease and Title Analysts, Houston, TX, July 22, 2014
- “You Call That a Title Opinion? Texas Versus the World,” Houston Association of Lease and Title Analysts, Houston, TX, June 25, 2013
- “AG Golden v. SM Energy: Assuming Pre-existing Affirmative Obligations,” North Dakota Law School Energy Law Symposium, Grand Forks, ND, October 24, 2013
Announcements
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