David Gross

David Gross was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, May 3, 1955. During his childhood Mr. Gross lived in New Orleans, Louisiana, Denver, Colorado, and Conroe, Texas where he graduated from high school. He attended the University of Texas at Austin for both his undergraduate and legal studies. Mr. Gross received his B.A. with honors from the University of Texas in May, 1977. He received his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law, and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1981. Mr. Gross is a member of the Travis County Bar Association, and the Administrative Law and Energy Law Sections of the State Bar of Texas.

During the sixteen year period from 1981 through 1997 Mr. Gross was employed in the Austin, Texas Office of the international law firm Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P. In 1988 he was named a partner in that Firm. During the period 1997 through 2005 Mr. Gross was a partner in the firm of Carroll, Gross, Reeder & Drews, L.L.P. From 2005–2007, Mr. Gross was engaged in the solo practice of law; in 2007 he was very pleased to have his longtime friend and mentor David Nelson join him to form Gross & Nelson.

Since 1980 Mr. Gross’ law practice has focused primarily on oil and gas legal matters. He routinely represents clients in oil and gas regulatory matters and contested hearings before the Texas Railroad Commission which is the administrative agency that regulates Texas oil and gas production. He routinely represents clients in Railroad Commission proceedings such as drilling permit disputes (Rule 37 exception permit applications), field rule applications, Mineral Interest Pooling Act “MIPA” involuntary pooling applications, disposal well permitting applications, and the formation of fieldwide units for the implementation of secondary or tertiary (enhanced recovery) operations. The Railroad Commission also has jurisdiction pursuant to its Statewide rule 76 to designate “Qualified Subdivisions” in certain counties of the State, whereby the Commission can restrict surface operations for oil and gas development to certain designated drillsites. He also routinely reviews oil and gas leases in order to advise clients concerning the requirements of those leases, particularly pooling provisions, retained acreage provisions and continuous development requirements. The Railroad Commission also has environmental jurisdiction over oil spills and other environmental matters relating to the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas. Mr. Gross also represents clients before the Railroad Commission in those environmental cleanup matters.

Mr. Gross has also represented generators, power marketers and retail electric providers in contested cases and rulemaking proceedings before the Public Utility Commission of Texas (“PUC”). He has also successfully represented clients before the PUC in several electric transmission line certification applications (known as “Certificate of Convenience and Necessity” or “CCN” Applications) in which electric utilities seek authority to construct and operate electric transmission lines. The routing of such electric transmission lines is often contested in those proceedings.

David Gross is married with two daughters. His wife Tammy is an Elementary Special Education Teacher in the Lake Travis School District. Daughter Courtney graduated from Texas A&M University in 2008 and is studying to receive a Masters Degree in Counseling at the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest in Austin. David’s daughter Haley is a sophomore at the University of North Texas. His interests include sports car racing, sailing, golf, guitar, The Blues and spending time with his family. David and his family are members of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Austin.

Representative clients include: XTO Energy Inc., ChevronTexaco, Shell Trading Gas and Power Company, Hess Corporation, Comstock Resources, Inc., Newfield Exploration Co., Ballard Exploration Company, Inc., Valence Operating Company, Ergon Exploration, Inc., and Pioneer Exploration, Ltd. While representing many oil and gas operators Mr. Gross also represents mineral owners, land owners and oil and gas lessors.

David Nelson

David Nelson was born and raised in Austin, Texas, attending public schools and graduating from the University of Texas in 1967 with a degree in finance. He received his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 1969 and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1970. After two years with the legal department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Mr. Nelson returned to Austin where he has practiced law for over 30 years.

Beginning in 1972, Mr. Nelson joined the firm of McGinnis, Lochridge & Kilgore, practicing in the firm’s oil and gas section. Among its many energy clients, the firm represented Exxon in all of its state regulatory matters that included hearings before the Texas Railroad Commission and the General Land Office. Mr. Nelson became a partner in the firm in 1976 and his practice grew to include the representation of oil and gas production companies of all sizes along with oilfield service companies, pipelines, and royalty and mineral interest owners. In addition to the regulatory practice, this representation included some litigation as well as the purchase and sale of oil and gas interests along with company mergers and acquisitions.

In 1979 Mr. Nelson joined the Austin office of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, an international law firm with offices throughout the world. This firm also has a large oil and gas division, representing almost every type of energy related client in both domestic and international matters. The Austin office was founded in 1978 by former Railroad Commission Chairman James C. Langdon and grew to more than 85 attorneys. Mr. Nelson served as the Managing Partner of the office during the 24 years he was employed there, was a member of the firm’s management committee, and was a partner in the firm’s energy section. While at Akin Gump, Mr. Nelson continued his oil and gas practice, representing energy clients in litigation, state and federal regulatory compliance, mergers and acquisitions, and the purchase and sale of oil and gas royalty and mineral interests. This representation also included the drafting of oil and gas leases, operating agreements, pooling agreements, mineral and royalty deeds and assignments, and other similar documents typically used in the oil and gas industry. In addition, Mr. Nelson has served as an expert witness in numerous oil and gas cases and has been a frequent speaker at oil and gas conferences and at programs sponsored by the State Bar of Texas. He is a member of the Travis County Bar and the Energy Law Section of the State Bar of Texas. In 2007, Mr. Nelson joined with his longtime friend and former Akin Gump partner David Gross to form Gross & Nelson. Mr Nelson is married and has four children, two boys and two girls, ranging in age from 31 to 10.