HOUSTON – Steptoe & Johnson representatives recently took part in one of the largest networking expos relating to the oil and gas industry, the North American Prospect Expo (NAPE), marking the firm’s eight year of involvement with the energy summit.
Steptoe & Johnson, which has six of its 13 offices located in West Virginia, was a premier sponsor of this year’s expo and also sent a team of its associates and lobbyists to participate in the three-day event, which was held Feb. 15-17.
The summit, designed to focus on the power, renewable energy and energy conservation industry, highlights products and services for oil and gas and features hundreds of vendors as well as distinguished speakers, including retired Gen. Colin Powell, who was a guest at this year’s expo.
“As a sponsor, we are placing our support behind an event that we believe has tremendous value for us and the energy industry,” Steptoe & Johnson CEO Susan S. Brewer recently told The West Virginia Record.
Steptoe & Johnson’s attorneys and lobbyists who attended the event are part of the firm’s energy transactions, litigation, mineral title, government affairs, crisis management and environmental and regulatory practices team, according to a release from the firm.
Although many of the firm’s offices are located in West Virginia, Brewer said the Houston event plays an important role in Steptoe & Johnson’s work with the energy industry.
“Steptoe & Johnson operates in some of the largest energy producing regions in the U.S. The companies exploring and producing resources in those areas are the ones who can be found at NAPE,” Brewer said. “It makes sense for us to go where they are, with the right team and learn how we can both benefit.”
“In addition to the personal connections our team members make, NAPE is a place where we can ‘put a finger on the pulse’ of the energy industry,” said Brewer. “We have chances to speak with producers working throughout the nation so we can ask them what’s happening in their areas, what type of issues they’re experiencing, what their regulatory environment is like and what we can do to help.”
Steptoe & Johnson has more than 300 attorneys and 40 areas of practice. According to the release, the firm’s core practice areas include energy, business, employment and litigation. In addition to West Virginia, the firm also has offices in Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas.
According to the firm’s website, Steptoe & Johnson was named as a top listed firm in West Virginia in a combination of areas by The Best Lawyers In America.
“The relationships we’ve been able to build as a result of our participation at NAPE have been extremely valuable,” said Brewer.