Saunders Law LLC - Scranton, PA

Associated Press Interviews Saunders for Article “Fight Possible Over Pennsylvania Drilling Rules on Zoning”

saunders — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 23:11:34 +0000

After nearly two years of discussion and debate, Pennsylvania’s legislature adopted and Governor Corbett has signed into law “Act 13″ of 2012 which amends the Oil & Gas Act to impose a host of environmentally-based requirements on the conduct of oil and gas development activities. The new law also limits municipal authority to enact zoning ordinances regulating drilling activities and imposes an impact fee to be assessed on wells drilled in Pennsylvania. Steve Saunders was interviewed by the Associated Press for an article that focused attention on Act 13′s zoning restrictions and impact fee and the mixed reaction these aspects of the new law are receiving from local governments across the Commonwealth. He supplied background information and was asked to comment on the prospect of legal challenges to the law by municipal governments opposed to the requirement to adopt “model” langauge limitng the reach of zoning ordinances in order to receive a portion of the impact fees generated by operators within their communities. Saunders addresed attendees last November at the 2011 Marcellus Summit on the status of seperate bills making their way through the House and Senate at that time which with some modification were embodied in Act 13. The AP story was picked up by over 200 media outlets (newspaper, tv and radio) across the U.S. A link to the article as carried in the online version of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review can be found here.

Saunders Published in March/April 2012 Edition of The Pennsylvania Lawyer

saunders — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 01:07:14 +0000

The Pennsylvania Lawyer magazine, the bi-monthly publication of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, has released an issue entitled, “Special Report on the Impact of Pennsylvania’s Natural Gas Boom” which includes an article by Steve Saunders, “Weighing the Risks and Rewards – The Impact of Leases and Natural Gas Development on Real Estate Transfers in Pennsylvania” in which he explores the intended and unintended consequences of developing the oil and gas found in Pennsylvania’s vast natural gas deposits. Now that the leasing craze in Pennsylvania has peaked and low natural gas prices are here for the foreseeable future, the focus of lessees has shifted to the type of activities that will insure the continuation of leases in their exisitng portfolios. Saunders explores the challenges that lawyers will face when clients present plans to buy or sell land in the Marcellus Shale region.

The Pennsylvania Lawyer magazine has a circulation of nearly 30,000 and is distributed to all members of the Pennsylvania bar including private practice and government attorneys, judges and law school professors.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Interviews Saunders on Increased Need for Oil & Gas Law Experts

saunders — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:08:12 +0000

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published an in-depth article about the tremendous growth in the field of oil and gas law in Pennsylvania and how the legal community is reacting. The Post-Gazette spoke with a number of industry attorneys from the Pittsburgh area who gave their perspectives on how large law firms representing exploration and petroleum companies are responding. Saunders was sought out for his opinion as a leading oil and gas lawyer whose practice is limited to counseling land and mineral rights owners. The story’s author highlighted Saunders’ role as the Course Planner, an Author and Presenter for an upcoming Pennsylvania Bar Institute continuing legal education conference on the Fundamentals of Oil and Gas law that will be presented across the Commonwealth in March. Read the Course Brochure.

The PBI has a goal of increasing awareness in and knowledge of oil and gas law by attorneys who are new to the field. Saunders was quoted as saying “One of the big messages that we’ll convey is that this isn’t an area in which people should dabble. It takes a lot of work to learn any area of law and people who want to practice in this area for a career really need to be willing to put in the time to learn the full scale of oil and gas law.” The Pennsylvania Bar Institute is the continuing legal education arm of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and according to the PBI, its programs are “taught, and our books are written, by practicing lawyers, judges, and law professors who are widely recognized as the leading experts in their field, and who have proven their abilities as teachers, public speakers, and writers.”

Philadelphia Inquirer Cites Saunders as “Pipeline Expert” in “Eminent-Domain Questions Divide Even Pipeline Companies”

saunders — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:43 +0000

The Philadelphia Inquirer has published a series of articles focusing attention on significant issues associated with natural gas pipelines and interviewed Steve Saunders for a story on the attempt by a gathering pipeline company to obtain “public utiilty” status to invoke the power of emminent domain, the taking of private property for a public purpose. Read the article: Phila Inquirer Eminent Domain. The Inquirer staff is also preparing an article on Pennsyvania’s long-debated and still pending Impact Fee legislation, a subject on which Saunders spoke at the Marcellus Summit 2011-Real Issues, Balanced Perspectives in November.

Saunders Course Planner and Speaker for PBI Conference “Fundamentals of Oil and Gas Law”

saunders — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:22:32 +0000

The Pennsylvania Bar Institute has asked Steve Saunders to serve as the Course Planner for a new program entitled “Fundamentals of Oil and Gas Law” to be presented at four locations in March: Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Willamsport and Philadelphia. Saunders and the excellent staff attorneys at the PBI have selected a series of topics to educate Pennsylvania lawyers on the basics of oil and gas law in a field which has become one of the hottest practice areas for Pennsylvania attorneys. The program will feature a series of presentations authored by some of the most experienced practitioners in the area of oil and gas law. Saunders will also be a speaker at the program and will be presenting an overview on the law of mineral rights (see the course brochure for Fundamentals of Oil & Gas Law). The Pennsylvania Bar Institute is the continuing legal education arm of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and according to the PBI, its programs are “taught, and our books are written, by practicing lawyers, judges, and law professors who are widely recognized as the leading experts in their field, and who have proven their abilities as teachers, public speakers, and writers.”

Saunders to Present at “Best of the Oil & Gas Law Colloquium”

saunders — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:59:19 +0000

Steve Saunders will be presenting at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute’s reprise of the most timely and interesting topics discussed at PBI’s annual Oil and Gas Law Colloquium, a two-day conference which took place in Pittsburgh last September. The “Best Of” program will be held on January 24, 2012 at the PBI Conference Center in Harrisburg (see course description Best of the Oil and Gas Law Colloquium). Saunders will be speaking on the subject of determining whether a gas lease has terminated. The Pennsylvania Bar Institute is the continuing legal education arm of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and according to the PBI, its programs are “taught, and our books are written, by practicing lawyers, judges, and law professors who are widely recognized as the leading experts in their field, and who have proven their abilities as teachers, public speakers, and writers.”

Steve Saunders to Speak Before Pennsylvania Bar on Natural Gas Pipeline Agreements

rmc — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 18:15:43 +0000

Steve Saunders, who was a presenter at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute’s annual Oil and Gas Law Conference in September, has been asked to speak on natural gas pipeline agreements at another PBI event to be held on January 25 at the PBI Conference Center in Harrisburg. Mr. Saunders’ presentation will be Webcast and Simulcast to sixteen locations across Pennsylvania and will available to hundreds of lawyers seeking to gain knowledge about this developing and complex area of oil and gas law. Read the Course Brochure for more information about the program. The Pennsylvania Bar Institute is the continuing legal education arm of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and according to the PBI, its programs are “taught, and our books are written, by practicing lawyers, judges, and law professors who are widely recognized as the leading experts in their field, and who have proven their abilities as teachers, public speakers, and writers.”

Saunders has also been part of the team of presenters for the Penn State Cooperative Extension’s Marcellus Education Series team which brings information on natural gas issues to the general public throughout the Marcellus Shale region of Pennsylvania, including some of the programs listed below. Information about upcoming Penn State Cooperative Extension educational programs is available at: http://extension.psu.edu/naturalgas/events/upcoming

Wayne County 9-8-10
Tioga County 9-9-10
Lackawanna County 11-16-10
Sullivan County 12-15-10

Steve Saunders Frequent Media Source for Information on Natural Gas Issues

rmc — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:59:29 +0000

Steve Saunders was interviewed by the Scranton Times for two separate news stories on developments in the Marcellus Shale gas play. Saunders was asked to comment on the controversial application of Laser Marcellus Gathering LLC (now Laser Northeast LLC) for a certificate of public convenience from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to operate gathering lines to transport natural gas to a federally-regulated interstate transmission line in New York State. The possibility of the use of eminent domain by state or federally certificated companies as an alternative to negotiating for easements for gathering lines is a topic of public concern. Read the full article at http://saunderslawllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/scranton-times-laser-marcellus-510.pdf. Saunders was also asked to comment on a recent ruling in a federal lawsuit Kropa v. Cabot Oil & Gas involving claims of fraud and violation of Pennsylvania’s Minimum Royalty statute in the negotiation of natural gas leases. The article can be found at http://saunderslawllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/scranton-times-kropa-case-610.pdf. Steve is representing clients in litigation involving lease disputes and mineral rights claims in both federal and state courts.

Saunders Hired as Special Environmental Counsel to Joint Municipal Authority

rmc — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 12:25:44 +0000

When the Clarks Summit South Abington Joint Sewer Authority was issued a renewal of its NPDES permit by the Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) which contained discharge limits that would have required costly upgrades to its system and was cited for numerous alleged violations of its permit, it turned to Steve Saunders to represent its interest and assist with a resolution. Acting as the Authority’s Special Environmental Counsel, Saunders developed and led a coordinated legal effort spanning nearly two years which included an appeal of the NPDES permit to the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board. Ultimately, a settlement was achieved resulting in the issuance of an NPDES permit with reasonable discharge limitations and no monetary penalties which the Authority’s outside engineering consultant conservatively estimated saved the client and the customers it serves over $5,000,000. Steve has counseled and continues to represent municipal sewer and water authorities in navigating the in the often complex labyrinth of environmental regulations associated with this industry.

Pipeline Right of Way Agreement Nets Clients Four Times Original Offer

rmc — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:25:21 +0000

After initially being told to “sign or we’ll just go around you,” residents of Wyoming County retained Steve Saunders to negotiate monetary and non-monetary terms of a proposed natural gas pipeline easement with a major pipeline gathering company. After several months of negotiation and despite the company’s insistence that it would never increase the financial terms above what it initially offered, Saunders secured a payment of nearly $120,000 for the easement – almost quadruple the initial offer – and far more favorable non-monetary terms than the pipeline company had originally proposed. The clients’ payment included reimbursement from the pipeline company of 100% of their legal fees as part of the agreement.