Burleson Cooke Adds 8 Attorneys in Pittsburgh, Spurring Growth Strategy to Support Companies in Marcellus & Utica

PITTSBURGH, March 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Burleson Cooke today announced the addition of eight attorneys to its Pittsburgh office, further strengthening its litigation practice and reinforcing the firm's commitment to serving companies with interests in the Marcellus and other major U.S. shale plays.

Announcement of these new hires comes on the heels of the energy law firm's recent addition of 10 other attorneys. These include four at its San Antonio location, broadening its scope of services to companies with interests in the Eagle Ford Shale play, and six at its Houston location, which just moved into new offices in the downtown Pennzoil Building, virtually doubling in square footage.    

"The latest expansion of the Pittsburgh office reaffirms our focus on providing the broadest possible range of services to oil and gas companies in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and New York," said Rick Burleson, managing partner. "We have enhanced some key practice areas – including litigation – and will continue to pursue a growth strategy aimed at reinforcing our position as a full-service energy law firm."

"In a little over a year, we have positioned ourselves to meet virtually any legal requirement of oil and gas companies with interests in the Marcellus Shale," added Kevin Colosimo, managing partner for the firm's Pittsburgh office.  "And we have remained the first and only national energy law firm with the bandwidth to cover its entire geographic region as well as the Utica formation."  

Since opening in September 2009, Burleson Cooke's Pittsburgh location has grown from four to 30 attorneys.  Its eight newest lawyers are experienced in a range of practice areas and are licensed in a number of states, including Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia.  

• Heather J. Brandau, licensed in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, concentrates her practice on litigation and dispute resolution, oil and gas law, and title law.  Her experience includes representing clients in commercial litigation matters.
• Michael D. Brewster, licensed in Ohio, has a range of experience in financial matters relating to the oil and gas industry.  He has drafted sections of Regulation D private placement memorandums that have raised from $200,000 to $27 million in funds for the development of wells, and has carried out purchases for corporate clients by assisting with financing negotiations.    
• Steven R. Chadwick, licensed in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, concentrates his practice in oil and gas law, title law, and litigation.  He has handled matters relating to professional liability, product liability, general liability defense, insurance bad faith, and workers' compensation defense.  He has also drafted opinion letters and counseled clients on the interpretation of state and federal regulatory guidelines.  
• Grant H. Hackley, licensed in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, practices in the areas of oil and gas law, title law, and litigation.  His background includes assisting clients with high-value product liability defense claims as well as supporting plaintiffs in product liability, insurance bad faith, and general negligence matters.  
• Nicholas J. Koch, licensed in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, practices oil and gas law and litigation.  He has served as the lead attorney for numerous product liability cases and developed successful defense strategies for a broad spectrum of clients.
• Kristin M. McCormish, licensed in Pennsylvania, is senior counsel and concentrates her practice in oil and gas law, title law, and commercial and corporate litigation in matters relating to real estate and energy/natural resources.  
• Glen E. Puhalla, licensed in Pennsylvania and Ohio, has negotiated and drafted leases, lease amendments, and legal documents associated with company operations.  He has also worked in a range of areas related to general real estate, including due diligence, titles, transfers, and acquisitions.
• John R. Seeds, licensed in Pennsylvania and Ohio, is an experienced trial attorney, defending insured entities and individuals before state and federal courts in matters involving construction defect claims, wrongful death, transportation, premises liability, and commercial contract disputes.  

Burleson Cooke's Pittsburgh office is located at 501 Corporate Drive, Suite 105, in the Southpointe Centre in Canonsburg, and can be reached at (724) 746-6644.

About Burleson Cooke

Burleson Cooke L.L.P. has earned a reputation as the energy law firm the energy industry goes to, and has grown significantly in recent years with over 75 attorneys and offices in Houston, San Antonio, Pittsburgh, and Montgomery County, Texas. Serving clients in the upstream and midstream segments, the firm provides counsel to oil and gas producers, transportation companies, storage and processing businesses, and energy service providers. Burleson Cooke's far-reaching experience includes mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures; finance; private equity; venture capital; securities; corporate governance and compliance; patents and intellectual property; title review; real estate; litigation; bankruptcy/restructuring, land use and environmental law. For further information, visit www.burlesoncooke.com.

SOURCE Burleson Cooke