Julie L. Griffis

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Midland Office

Ms. Griffis is an experienced trial and appellate lawyer, focusing on oil-and-gas and other commercial litigation. She tries cases to judges, juries, and arbitrators, and she frequently represents clients throughout the appellate process.

Full Biography

Ms. Griffis is an experienced trial and appellate lawyer, focusing on oil-and-gas and other commercial litigation. She tries cases to judges, juries, and arbitrators, and she frequently represents clients throughout the appellate process.

She focuses in real property matters, title disputes, deed and contract interpretation litigation, interpleaders, vendor fraud, oil-and-gas lease disputes, surface use disputes, and breach of contract matters. Her clients primarily include operators, working interest owners, and royalty interest owners. Her clients routinely come to her for general advice and counseling, including how to resolve a conflict without litigation, internal investigations, and legal guidance to inform business decisions.

Ms. Griffis lives in Midland with her husband James and two daughters. She is actively involved in her community, currently serving on the Board of the Petroleum Museum, as the Chair of the Paralegal Advisory Committee at Midland Community College, as a Member of the Women in the Profession State Bar of Texas Committee, and as a Trustee of the Lou Rosenberg Scholarship Fund. She is the Past President of the Midland County Bar Association and has previously served on the boards of High Sky Children’s Ranch and the Junior League of Midland.

Education
  • Northwestern University School of Law, J.D.—2009

    Honors: Cum Laude
    Law Review: Managing Editor, Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology (2009)

  • Northwestern University, B.S.—2006

    Honors: Cum Laude
    Majors: Theatre and History

Honors & Recognition
  • 2023-2024 Texas Super Lawyer (Thomson Reuters)
  • 2019 Texas Rising Star Super Lawyer (Thomson Reuters)
Recent Representations
  • Patch Energy LLC et. al. v. Indio Minerals, LLC et. al. (11th Court of Appeals) (represented Appellees)
  • Shumskie v. Finnell (11th Court of Appeals) (represented Appellee)
  • Southern Energy Fund v. Indio Resources, LLC (2nd Court of Appeals) (represented Appellee)
  • Trudy Jane Anderson Testamentary Trust v. Endeavor Energy Resources, LP and Arah Evelyn Holcomb (Texas Supreme Court) (represented Holcomb Respondent)
  • Broadway National Bank v. Yates Energy Corp (Texas Supreme Court) (filed amicus brief for the Texas Oil & Gas Association)
  • Hebbronville Lone Star Rental, L.L.C. et. al. v. Sunbelt Rentals Industrial Services, L.L.C. (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit) (represented Appellant)
  • Multiple representations of operators in lease termination dispute
  • Multiple representations in royalty interpretation and payment disputes
  • Represented working interest owners in breach of contract and financial fraud matter against operator
  • Represented operator in breach of contract and fraud case against contractor
Professional Associations & Memberships
  • Member, State Bar of Texas
  • Member, State Bar of Texas Oil & Gas Section
  • Member, Midland County Bar Association
  • Member, State Bar of New Mexico
Bar Admissions
  • Texas
  • New Mexico
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Scholarship & Speeches
  • Allocation of Risk from Financial Fraud, State Bar of Texas, Advanced Oil, Gas & Energy Resources Law CLE, September 2024.
  • A Discussion of Concho v. Ellison and Broadway Bank v. Yates, University of Texas School of Law, 48th Annual Ernest E. Smith Oil, Gas & Mineral Law Institute, April 2022