On March 24, the Energy and Shale practice team of BakerHostetler held its latest Shale Symposium, titled "The State of the Shale Play" at the Royal Sonesta in Houston, Texas. The program was co-hosted with Young Professionals in Energy (YPE). With nearly 400 in-person attendees, and more than 40 webinar participants, attendance at the event exceeded those of prior programs.
The event included presentations from executives who addressed the shale phenomenon in the United States and its implications in the energy industry. Jorge Leis, Partner and Head of Americas Oil & Gas Practice at Bain & Company, discussed the shale gas and tight oil in North America, highlighting major trends in the evolution of the energy landscape and introducing a "non-traditional" strategy to approach the complex and uncertain energy markets. Kenneth M. Fisher, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Noble Energy, provided an operator's view of the opportunities and challenges that the industry, and Noble Energy specifically, has encountered in the booming yet competitive energy markets.
The Shale Symposium series has garnered nationwide participation from major industry players, legislators, and regulatory experts, who provide insights on recent and future changes in the oil and gas industry and discuss the potential impacts of those changes. The format for this event differed from the past half-day functions. It began with a networking reception, followed by one hour of presentations and an additional hour for networking.
"The new format for the Shale Symposium was a great success," said Marty Booher, co-leader of the firm's Energy and Shale practice team. "An important goal of these symposiums is to raise BakerHostetler's profile and highlight the firm's proficiency in the energy space—and this symposium clearly achieved that goal."
"Our goal is to assist clients to grow the global energy economy safely and sustainably. One of the ways we do this is through our Shale Symposium programs, which bring individuals in the industry together to discuss the future of shale development in the U.S. and abroad," added Ray Whitman, Chair of BakerHostetler's national Litigation Group and co-leader of the national Energy and Shale practice team.
A recording of the Shale Symposium is available, here.
In the coming months, BakerHostetler plans to announce additional programs in Denver, slated for early June, followed by Cleveland and Pittsburgh.
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