Gordon Arata is proud to announce that C. Peck Hayne, Jr., Scott A. O’Connor, Anthony “Tony” Marino, and Cynthia A. Nicholson have been selected to the 2026 Lawdragon 500 Global Leaders in Energy guide. Their selection reflects the depth of the firm’s Energy & Natural Resources practice – one of the Gulf South’s leading energy law practices with nationally recognized strengths in oil and gas transactions, energy litigation, and regulatory matters. The firm represents global, national, regional, and independent energy companies in matters both onshore and offshore.
The firm’s Louisiana and Texas energy lawyers counsel clients on oil and gas transactions, commercial litigation, mineral rights, regulatory compliance, carbon capture, pipeline and midstream infrastructure, renewable energy development, project financing, and related energy matters. The firm’s multidisciplinary Energy & Natural Resources team represents producers, operators, pipeline and midstream companies, oilfield services companies, renewable energy developers, chemical manufacturers, lenders, investors, and mineral owners throughout Louisiana, Texas, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Outer Continental Shelf.
“The energy industry is evolving at an unprecedented pace, and more than ever clients need practical legal advisors who understand both the business of energy and the laws that shape it,” says Scott O’Connor, Chair of the firm’s Management Committee and Oil & Gas Section. “Whether we’re advising clients in connection with traditional oil and gas assets or renewable energy projects, our goal is the same: deliver strategic counsel that helps move their businesses forward.”
The energy attorneys recognized in the 2026 Lawdragon 500 Global Leaders in Energy guide include:
Cynthia Nicholson focuses on sophisticated oil and gas transactions involving Louisiana and Outer Continental Shelf properties. She advises clients on acquisitions and divestitures, mergers, asset and stock transactions, mineral leasing and title issues, production facilities agreements, operating agreements, lien rights, infrastructure decommissioning, and complex issues arising from energy industry bankruptcies. Nicholson also counsels clients on regulatory matters with
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (“BOEM”), Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (“BSEE”), the Interior Board of Land Appeals, and the State of Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources.
Chair of the firm’s Oil & Gas Section, Scott O’Connor is recognized for his extensive experience in oil and gas and complex commercial litigation and arbitration. He represents energy clients in disputes involving onshore and offshore operations and operating agreements, mineral leases and servitudes, royalty and title issues, purchase and sale agreements, pipeline transportation, facilities use and production handling agreements, environmental claims, decommissioning obligations, gas balancing, farmouts, severance taxes, and unitization matters.
Tony Marino focuses on energy transactions and regulatory matters, advising clients on oil and gas agreements, acquisitions and divestitures of mineral properties, energy financings, and regulatory issues affecting both onshore Louisiana operations and offshore state and federal waters. He regularly appears before the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, and the Interior Board of Land Appeals on complex regulatory matters.
Peck Hayne advises clients on a broad range of energy transactions, regulatory matters, and appellate litigation. His practice includes purchase and sale agreements, mineral leases, carbon sequestration agreements, operating agreements, oil and gas financings, title opinions, pipeline and storage matters, and proceedings before state and federal regulatory agencies, including BOEM, BSEE, and the Louisiana Public Service Commission.
For more than 50 years, Gordon Arata has served as trusted counsel to clients operating throughout Louisiana, Texas, the Gulf of Mexico, the Outer Continental Shelf, and beyond. The firm’s nationally recognized Energy & Natural Resources practice advises clients through every stage of the oil and gas and broader energy lifecycle, from acquisitions, financing, and project development to litigation, arbitration, permitting, regulatory compliance, and appeals. The practice and its attorneys are regularly recognized for their work in energy, including Chambers USA, The Legal 500 United States Guide, The Best Lawyers in America, Benchmark Litigation, and Super Lawyers reflecting the firm’s depth, experience, and leadership across the evolving energy sector.
For more information, visit www.gordonarata.com or contact 504.582.1111. For the latest news, follow the firm on LinkedIn.