Gordon Arata is pleased to announce that on Monday, June 20, Cynthia Nicholson and Peck Hayne received the Professional Landmen’s Association of New Orleans’s Special Award in recognition for their many years of support to the organization, including most recently in connection with their efforts in negotiating a new lease form for the Louisiana State Mineral and Energy Board.  PLANO formed in 1953 and its mission is to promote and advance the art and science of the profession of Petroleum Landmen. 

Cynthia Nicholson focuses her practice on oil and gas transactions with respect to lands located within the State of Louisiana as well as those located on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).  She regularly documents and negotiates acquisitions and divestitures of both onshore and offshore properties, and has extensive experience with many types of transaction structures including mergers, asset and stock acquisitions and sales. She regularly counsels clients on a wide range of regulatory issues and has extensive experience counseling clients on issues arising under OCS regulations. Throughout her career, Cynthia has also advised clients on the drafting and interpretation of mineral leases, operating agreements, participation agreements, unitization agreements, servitude agreements and other agreements used in the oil and gas industry.  A significant portion of Cynthia’s practice is also dedicated to the analysis and review of complex land and leasehold titles. She has rendered hundreds of title opinions based on her examination of complex petroleum titles, and she regularly assists clients in the financing of such onshore and offshore properties. Cynthia represents clients before the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). She has assisted clients in obtaining mineral leases and rights-of-way on the OCS and in the creation of units approved by the BSEE.

Peck Hayne concentrates his practice on oil and gas, pipeline and other energy-related transactions and regulation and on appellate litigation in energy- and property-related matters.  Peck regularly negotiates, drafts, and advises clients on complex purchase and sale agreements, operating agreements, mineral leases, right-of-way agreements, master service agreements, master time charters, transportation and interconnection agreements, gas storage agreements and settlement agreements in complex litigation and other disputes.  He also frequently renders title opinions on complex petroleum titles in Louisiana and on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and assists both lenders and borrowers in the financing of onshore and offshore oil and gas properties.  He has represented clients before numerous Louisiana and federal regulators for the oil, gas and energy industries.  This advice and representation includes transportation, gathering, sale, tariff and pipeline safety issues for both oil and gas; LNG and gas storage; accounting audits; audits of unclaimed mineral proceeds; and operations on the OCS for offshore leases and rights-of-way.  He has also given expert testimony in federal and state courts on Louisiana title issues.