Paul J. Goodwine (PJ) co-founded Looper Goodwine in 2014 and leads the firm’s Energy Regulatory Practice and Acquisitions & Divestitures Practice groups. Based in New Orleans, PJ manages diverse energy and traditional oil and gas matters in Louisiana, Texas, and the Gulf of Mexico. Well-known in industry circles, PJ represents clients in energy matters including regulatory compliance, complex contract negotiation and drafting, acquisitions and divestitures, litigation, bankruptcy, and joint interest accounting issues. PJ also actively supports when needed and supports the Energy and Commercial Litigation Practice, Bankruptcy & Restructuring Practice, and Renewable Energy & Carbon Capture Practice groups.
PJ acts as a general corporate counsel for energy clients without in-house counsel and routinely manages all areas of a company’s lifespan. His services range from overseeing the negotiation and drafting of energy and oil and gas agreements, including service and maritime contracts, to representing companies in bonding and the posting of alternative financial security agreements. PJ works with a full range of oil and gas companies, from the super majors down to small operators. He has served as special counsel to trustees and debtors-in-possession involved in several notable oil and gas bankruptcies, successfully navigating them through Chapter 11 and Chapter 7 proceedings while remaining in compliance with state and federal agencies.
Although traditional oil and gas are strong components of PJ’s portfolio, he also has a growing practice of carbon-sequestration initiatives, wind, alternative energy growth, and LNG projects.
PJ is a regular speaker at events held by key industry groups including the OCS Advisory Board, the Houston Bar Association, and The Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law among others. In 2018, Texas Lawyer named PJ a “Top Dealmaker” in its annual Professional Excellence Awards.
Representative Matters
- Representation on various financings and support company acquisitions in the Gulf of Mexico.
- Representation of Marubeni Shale Investments LLC in a Barnett Shale acquisition.
- Representation of Taylor Energy Company, LLC in federal proceedings culminating in a comprehensive consent decree pertaining to Mississippi Canyon Block 20, concluding a process that lasted over several years involving the USCG, BOEM, BSEE, and other federal agencies.
- Lead counsel in Marubeni Oil & Gas (USA) v. Total E&P USA, Inc, a complex lawsuit dealing with predecessor liability, bankruptcy, COPAS accounting, and operating agreement issues.
- Represents alternative energy and traditional E&P clients seeking alternative use permits on the OCS.
- Represented ATP Oil & Gas Corporation as special oil and gas and regulatory counsel in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding.
- Represents companies in proceedings before the Louisiana State Mineral and Energy Board and the Louisiana Office of Conservation in a variety of matters.
- Consistently represents oil and gas borrowers in various complex oil and gas financings, both onshore and offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.
- Represents a wide range of clients in negotiating and drafting various energy and oil and gas contracts, including service and maritime-related contracts.
- Represents a wide variety of oil and gas companies in various regulatory matters associated with the regulations, policies, and procedures of the Department of Interior, BOEM, BSEE, ONRR, and the IBLA.
- Represents co-working interest owners and service companies possessing claims against Chapter 11 and Chapter 7 bankrupt debtors, successfully asserting lien rights.
- Represents companies in filing, perfecting, and prosecuting liens and claims arising under the Louisiana Oil Well Lien Act, the Louisiana Private Works Act, and pursuant to maritime law.
Court Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- All Louisiana state and federal courts
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas
Education
- Loyola University New Orleans College of Law J.D., 1995
- University of Notre Dame, B.A., Economics, 1992
Presentations
- Panel moderator at the 2024 OSC Advisory Board with a session on BOEM financial assurance
January 2024 - Boomerang Assets & Legal Clarity / D&A 2022 GOM: Gulf of Mexico’s Leading Decommissioning Conference
May 2022 - Effectively Managing COPAS Audits and COPAS Litigation / UNO Energy Accounting & Technology Conference
May 2022 - Federal Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing and Development: Bankruptcy and Decommissioning / The Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law
February 2022 - Today’s Legal Landscape: An Update on Recent Interesting Cases, Financial Assurance and Predecessor Liability, and Other Regulatory and Policy Matters Impacting the OCS / OCS Advisory Board Workshop
January 2020 - Creative Approaches to Offshore A&D Transactions: What Forms of Security and Performance Guarantees Work Best? / OCS Advisory Board Workshop
January 2018 - Environmental Issues Arising in Recent Oil and Gas-Related Bankruptcy Cases / UTexas Law Westbrook Conference
November 2016 - Offshore Oil and Gas Bankruptcy Issues / OCS Summer Seminar
June 2016 - A Few Anticipated Hot Topics for Oil and Gas Bankruptcies / Houston Bar Association Seminar
March 2016 - Upcoming Changes to BOEM’s Financial Assurance Requirements and Their Impact on the Surety Market / Wortham Insurance Market Update Seminar
January 2016 - Purchase and Sale Agreements. Production Handling Agreements for the Deepwater and on the OCS. Treatment of E&P Contracts in Bankruptcy. Offshore Operating Agreements / EUCI Offshore Contracts Seminar
January 2015 - Abandonment Agreements, Production Handling Agreements, and Treatment of Offshore E&P Contracts in Bankruptcy / EUCI Offshore Contracts Seminar
May 2014 - BOEM/BSEE P&A Liability Estimates and Resulting Financial Security Requirements / Oil & Gas Symposium
November 2013 - Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Adjudication Section Procedures: Qualification, Assignments and Transfers, and Designation of Operator / Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation Seminar
January 2013