Jim Strawn

Jim began his legal career as an administrative oil and gas judge immediately after law school. He spent the next thirty years working in-house for major oil companies, culminating with a key role in starting and building Devon Energy’s legal department as Associate General Counsel, supporting the company’s rapid tenfold growth and working closely with executive leadership.

After his in-house tenure, Jim moved into Big Law, where he spent over a decade handling oil and gas A&D transactions and day to day oil and gas and renewables matters. His career spans nearly every oil and gas producing state in the U.S., as well as six international jurisdictions, and he is well-versed in all phases of the energy business, from prospect identification to the burner tip.

Jim is known for combining legal precision with hands-on industry knowledge—there aren’t many attorneys who can interpret well logs or explain what a Darcy, keyseat, or salt scrape is.
Jim enjoys teaching others and often presents to land professionals and legal audiences. He has authored articles in bar journals and has served as an expert witness in oil and gas transactional matters.
Outside the office, Jim enjoys playing competitive ice hockey and composing music at the piano. Most of all, he treasures time spent with his grandchildren.