David Cias

David specializes in commercial transactions for the acquisition, divestiture, and development of oil and gas assets. He also has extensive experience with commercial oilfield water arrangements and operational matters.

David began in the oil and gas business as a petroleum landman, negotiating the acquisition of oil and gas leases and related agreements, researching land titles, and performing title curative. Later, as a student at SMU Law, he had the privilege of working as research assistant to Professor John Lowe, assisting with Professor Lowe’s numerous writing projects, including an update of the Oil & Gas Law in a Nutshell (6thed.).

After several years of transactional oil and gas private practice, he joined the legal department of a publicly traded E&P, where he took a practical and business-minded approach to complex legal matters while helping Operations, Land, Water, and Supply Chain staff achieve the company’s commercial and operational goals.

He lives in the Houston area with his wife and three children.