Charles R. Willing, Shareholder/Director

Charles Willing’s practice focuses on litigation and regulatory matters involving oil and gas, energy, environmental, and telecommunications issues, as well as a general, commercial litigation practice that includes contract disputes, real estate and commercial leases, and bad faith insurance defense.

Prior to joining the Firm, Mr. Willing served five years as a Senior Administrative Law Judge with the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. At the Corporation Commission, he presided over complex administrative trials related to oil and gas conservation, reimbursement under the Petroleum Storage Tank Release Environmental Cleanup Indemnity Fund, and remediation of oil-field pollution. Prior to law school, Mr. Willing served as a Production Engineer for seven years with Conoco, Inc. in its Oklahoma City Exploration and Production Division, where he worked on oil and gas fields in Oklahoma, Texas, and California.

Practices

• Energy, Environmental and Natural Resources
• Insurance
• Litigation and Trial Practice
• Telecommunications

Education

• Oklahoma City University (J.D., cum laude, 1993)
• University of Oklahoma (B.S. in Petroleum Engineering, 1985)

Bar Admissions

• Oklahoma
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma

Representative Matters & Clients

• In a case first impression in Kansas, successfully defended the oil and gas owners’ claim of ownership to the coalbed methane gas against the owner of the coal seams. Central Natural Resources, Inc. v. Davis Operating Company, 201 P.3d 680 (Kan. 2009).
• Assisted incumbent local exchange carrier’s in obtaining reduced regulatory oversight from state regulatory agency. Cox Oklahoma Telecom, LLC, v. State ex rel. Oklahoma Corp. Com’n, 164 P.3d 150 (Okla. 2007).
• Assisted with state regulatory agency approval of incumbent local exchange carrier’s interconnection agreements with competitive local exchange carriers.
• Successfully litigated incumbent local exchange carrier’s disputes with competitive local exchange carriers before state administrative agency.
• Handled environmental enforcement issues with the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality associated with a product terminal.
• Handled environmental permitting and enforcement issues associated with gas compressor station.
• Handled wide variety of environmental enforcement issues associated with a company’s retained environmental liabilities associated with divestiture of a mid-stream subsidiary.
• Environmental due diligence related to project refinance of gas-fired electric generating plant.
• Environmental due diligence related to acquisitions of oil and gas properties and facilities.

Professional Memberships

• Member, Ruth Bader Ginsburg American Inn of Court (1998-2002)
  • Social Chair (2002)
  • Outstanding Associate (2001)
  • Program Award (1998-99)
• Member, Council Oak/Johnson Sontag American Inn of Court (2003-2005)
   

Awards & Honors

Governor's Commendation (2002)

Speaking Engagements

• Instructor, Oklahoma Corporation Commission Oil and Gas Workshop: Tools, Techniques, and Trials (2001)
• Instructor, John Shipp Memorial Symposium on Professionalism and Ethics (1999 & 2000)
• Instructor, Administrative and Hearing Processes at Work at the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (1999)