(Main Office)

Statement of Practice

General Civil Practice in all Courts. Trials. Oil and Gas, Real Estate, Probate, Trust and Estate Planning, Corporation, Bankruptcy, Insurance, Securities, Banking Law. Federal, State and Local Taxation Law.

Representative Clients:

Exxon/Mobile Production Company
Albermarle Corporation
Phillips Petroleum Corporation
ARAXAS Exploration, Inc.
Wm. Bullen, Inc.
Dan A Hughes Co.
The Hise Company
HS Resources, Inc.
La. Dept of Natural Resources
McRae Exploration & Production
National Energy Group
Spitit Energy 76
Service Master
Samedan Oil Corporation
Mariner Energy, Inc.
Pennington Oil
Century Offshore Management Corporation
Lawton Oil Company
City of Lafayette
CMS NOMECO Oil & Gas Company
Cody Energy, Inc.
Crystal Oil Company
IP Petroleum Company, Inc.
Tejas Exploration Co.
SCANA Exploration Co.
Forcenergy Gas Exploration, Inc.
Greenhill Petroleum Corporation
Compagnie Lafayette, Ltd.
Crossroad Oil Co.
Voyager Oil & Gas
Entex Energy Operating, Ltd.
Enserch Exploration, Inc.
Torch Energy Advisors, Inc.
Petro-Assets Corp.
Mid Louisiana Gas Company
Dantex Oil & Gas, Inc.
Odyssey Partners, Ltd.
Neomar Resources, Inc.
AEDC (USA), Inc.
W.T. Waggoner Estate
Samson Resources, Inc.
Swift Energy Company
S & S Business Systems, Inc.
ProClean of Louisiana, Inc.
Louisiana Insurance Center, Inc.
Cabot Oil & Gas Corp.
Edge Petroleum Corp.
Geode Exploration Co.
Meridian Resource & Exploration
Fairfield Industries.

Clients

APPROVED ATTORNEYS FOR: First American Title Insurance Co.
Lawyers Title Insurance Corp.
Chicago title Insurance Co.
The Travelers Insurance Company
The Home Insurance Company
Hibernia National Bank
Baton Rouge and Lafayette, Louisiana
Union Planters Bank of Louisiana, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Specialties, Inc.
Gulf Waste Systems, Inc.

Address

318 St. Charles Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70802, (East Baton Rouge Parish)

Phone

Phone: 225-343-0100
Fax: 225-343-0344

Website

http://www.sdmblaw.com

Firm/Affiliate Offices

MEMBERS OF FIRM

Daniel M. Barbato (Member) born Houston, Texas, September 28, 1949; admitted to bar, 1975, Louisiana. Education: Louisiana State University (B.S., 1971; J.D., 1974). Member: Lafayette and Louisiana State Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Oil and Gas Law; Real Estate Law.Email: Daniel M. Barbato

James C. Bates (Member) born Memphis, Tennessee, December 11, 1953; admitted to bar, 1980, Louisiana; U.S. District Court, Eastern, Western and Middle Districts of Louisiana. Education: Louisiana State University (B.S., 1977; J.D., 1980). Member: Baton Rouge, Louisiana State and American Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Mineral Law; Civil Law.Email: James C. Bates

Don R. Beard (Member) born Baton Rouge, Louisiana, December 28, 1953; admitted to bar, 1978, Louisiana; U.S. District Court, Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Louisiana; U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit. Education: Louisiana State University and A. and M. College (B.S., 1975; J.D., 1978). Delta Theta Phi. Law Clerk to the Honorable Steve A. Alford, Jr., 1978-1979. Member, Panel of Arbitrators: American Arbitration Association; Better Business Bureau, 1987-1988. Member: Baton Rouge, Louisiana State and American (Member, Sections on: Law Office Economics; Business Law) Bar Associations.Email: Don R. Beard

James L. Bullen (Member) born Lafayette, Louisiana, March 3, 1965; admitted to bar, 1993, Louisiana; U.S. District Court, Middle, Eastern and Western Districts of Louisiana; U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit. Education: Louisiana State University (B.S., 1988); Tulane University of Louisiana (J.D., 1992). Member: Lafayette Parish, Louisiana State and American Bar Associations; Lafayette Association of Petroleum Landmen; Baton Rouge Association of Petroleum Landmen; Petroleum Landmen's Association of New Orleans. Practice Areas: Mineral Law; Business Law; Commercial Litigation; Civil Litigation.Email: James L. Bullen

Howell A. Dennis, Jr. (Member) born Lafayette, Louisiana, December 17, 1938; admitted to bar, 1969, Louisiana; U.S. District Court, Middle and Western Districts of Louisiana. Education: University of Southwestern Louisiana (B.S., 1961); Louisiana State University and A. and M. College (J.D., 1969). Phi Delta Phi. Special Counsel to the Attorney General (State Mineral Board), 1969-1970. Member: Lafayette, Louisiana State (Member, House of Delegates, 1973-1976) and American Bar Associations; Louisiana State Law Institute (Member, Advisory Committee on Property Law). [Lieut. (jg), U.S. Navy, 1961-1964]. Practice Areas: Oil and Gas Law; Real Estate Law; Civil Litigation.Email: Howell A. Dennis, Jr.

Christopher E. Janke (Member) born Monroe, Wisconsin, June 22, 1952; admitted to bar, 1977, Louisiana. Education: Louisiana State University and A. and M. College (J.D., 1977). Member: New Orleans, Louisiana State and American Bar Associations.Email: Christopher E. Janke

Thomas C. McKowen, IV (Member) born Baton Rouge, Louisiana, September 13, 1953; admitted to bar, 1977, Louisiana; U.S. District Court, Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Louisiana; U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit. Education: Louisiana State University and A. and M. College (B.S., 1974; J.D., 1977). Phi Alpha Delta; Order of the Coif; Phi Kappa Phi. Law Clerk to the Hon. C. Lenton Sartain, First Circuit Court of Appeal, 1977-1978. Member: Baton Rouge, Feliciana (President, 1983-1984), Louisiana State (Member, Sections on: Trust Estates; Probate and Immovable Property Law; Civil Law; Mineral Law) Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Oil and Gas Law; Probate Law; Real Estate Law.Email: Thomas C. McKowen, IV

William S. Strain (Member) born Jackson, Mississippi, July 8, 1949; admitted to bar, 1974, Louisiana and U.S. District Court, Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Louisiana. Education: Washington & Lee University (B.A., 1971); Louisiana State University (J.D., 1973). Phi Alpha Delta. Member, Louisiana Law Review, 1972-1973. Author: Note, "The Limits of 'Public Interest'," 33 La. L.Rev. 351, 1973. Member: Baton Rouge, Louisiana State (Chairman, Mineral Law Section, 1988-1989) and American Bar Associations. Fellow: Louisiana Bar Foundation; Louisiana Mineral Law Institute. [Capt., Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army, 1972-1974]. Practice Areas: Oil and Gas Law; General Corporate Law; Civil Litigation.Email: William S. Strain

James L. Williams, IV (Member) born Houston, Texas, July 29, 1947; admitted to bar, 1972, Louisiana. Education: Louisiana State University (B.A., 1969; J.D., 1972). Member: Louisiana State and American Bar Associations; American Association of Petroleum Landmen; Petroleum Landmen's Association of New Orleans. [Capt., U.S Army Reserves, 1972-1980, Ret.]. Practice Areas: Oil and Gas; Title Examinations.

OF COUNSEL

Elliotte M. Harold, Jr. (Of Counsel) born New Orleans, Louisiana, July 27, 1938; admitted to bar, 1975, Louisiana; U.S. District Court, Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Louisiana. Education: Loyola University of the South (B.S., 1960; J.D., 1975); Tulane University (M.B.A., 1962). Delta Theta Phi, Alpha Sigma Nu. Member, Loyola Law Review, 1973-1975. Author: "The Hearsay Rule: The Law of Evidence's Swiss Cheese," 21 Loyola Law Review 279, 1975. Member: Louisiana State (Member, Mineral Law Section; Chairman, 1985-1986) Bar Association. Fellow: Louisiana Bar Foundation; Mineral Law Institute (Member, Advisory Board, 1986-1989). [Capt., Supply Corp., U.S. Navy, 1962-1988]. Practice Areas: Oil and Gas; Regulatory Agency Practice.Email: Elliotte M. Harold, Jr.