Aaron Ball
Business / Contracts, Mergers & Acquisitions, Wills, Trusts, & Probate (Transactional)
Houston, Texas
Personal Introduction
Aaron is a corporate, transactional and planning attorney with over 29 years of experience in both private practice and as in-house counsel. He founded BALL PLLC in 2014. Aaron acts as outside general counsel to most of his clients in everything from daily operations to their largest and most important business and personal matters. See https://ballpllc.com/who-we-are/aaron-ball/ and https://ballpllc.com/ for more information
Practice Composition
Transactional
Education
Practice Summary
CONVENTIONAL and ALTERNATIVE ENERGY & NATURAL RESOURCES ●U.S. counsel for international upstream energy company with multinational operations. ●Lead counsel for publicly traded upstream oil and gas company with operations in U.S. and Africa. ●Lead counsel for acquisition of midstream energy infrastructure inspection services company. ●Outside General Counsel to privately held upstream oil and gas company with operations in the Permian Basin. ●Outside General Counsel to privately held upstream oil and gas company with operations in the Gulf of Mexico. ●Advised international energy engineering services company on operations and subcontractor agreements. ●Outside general counsel to global consortium (trade association) that facilitates the development, management, and adoption of data exchange standards for the upstream oil and gas industry. ●Advised U.S. oil and gas company in connection with large, multiparty credit facility for acquisition and operations financing. ●Representation of mining company in connection with the development of project in Colombia including regulatory compliance, corporate and tax structuring requirements. ●Advised upstream oil and gas company in connection with qualification and bidding process for oil and gas concessions in Colombia as well as regulatory compliance, corporate and tax structuring requirements. ●Part of team for the preparation and drafting of the first model mining concession contract for Ecuador. ●Led restructuring of upstream oil and gas technology company with operations in the U.S. and Mexico. ●Advised petrochemical container company in connection with port operations contracts in Brazil. ●Developed strategy for and advised international manufacturing company in connection with leasing of large tracts of U.S.-owned real property for oil and gas development. ●Advised multinational biodiesel and alternative fuels company in connection with operations in Argentina, Brazil and the United States. ●Advised international energy company affiliate concerning EPC dispute concerning cost overruns in connection with the construction of offshore operations facilities. ●Drafted and negotiated domestic and international commercial contracts including procurement-related contracts, master service agreements, joint venture agreements, license agreements, vendor agreements, long-term operating agreements, real estate and oil & gas leases, confidentiality agreements, purchase and sale agreements, for upstream operators, seismic companies, oilfield service companies, pipeline companies, oilfield equipment manufacturers, natural gas storage companies. MANUFACTURING, AUTOMOTIVE & HEAVY INDUSTRY ●Lead commercial, contracts and corporate counsel for international commercial truck and heavy vehicle manufacturer including advising client in connection with U.S. and international motor vehicle manufacturer registration and dealership requirements. ●Advised international automotive manufacturer on motor vehicle manufacturer registration and dealership requirements in over 40 states for expansion of new EV product line through affiliate company. ●Lead counsel in structure and negotiation of manufacturing JV between U.S. and Chinese automotive parts manufacturer. ●Advised automotive manufacturer in connection with contracts related to acquisition and operations of Mexico-based parts manufacturing facility. ●Representation of multinational company in connection with structuring of international joint venture between U.S. and Mexican affiliates. PRIVATE & MIDDLE MARKET COMPANIES ●Lead counsel for purchaser of commercial roofing dealer and distribution company. ●Advise medical services company owner in connection with lockout dispute. ●Outside general counsel for multi-business entrepreneur with holdings in real estate development, nutritional supplements, and construction. ●Representation of purchaser in buyout of commercial concrete company. ●Outside general counsel for middle market accounting services firm. ●Lead attorney for restructuring of numerous private businesses including remote healthcare services, commercial real estate, franchise holding company, among others.
Response Time
2 days
Awards
Houston Business Journal- Houston's Top 40 Under 40 Award
Houston Business Journal Outstanding General Counsel
Latin Lawyer 250
Superlawyers Rising Stars
Affiliations
Leadership Houston
Personal Interests & Charitable Work
COMMUNITY ●Leadership Houston, Graduate and former member of Board of Directors ●Board of Directors, Wesley Academy (2017-2019) ●University of California (Davis), Adjunct Professor “International Oil & Gas Contracts” Davis, California 2011 to 2013 ●DePaul University, College of Law Adjunct Professor “Taxation of Mergers & Acquisitions” Chicago, Illinois 2005 to 2006 AWARDS ●Houston Business Journal Outstanding General Counsel Award “Best Solo General Counsel”. ●Houston Business Journal Outstanding General Counsel Award “Up and Comer”. ●Houston Business Journal “40 Under 40”. ●Nominee, “Five Outstanding Young Houstonians”. ●Texas Superlawyers “Texas Rising Star”. ●Leadership Houston Class XXVI, Board of Directors. ●Latin Lawyer 250 (Recognized as a leading attorney in practice area of international transactions). PUBLICATIONS & SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS ●LexisNexis® Practice Advisor “Upstream Oil & Gas” (2014). ●“Choice of Entity for the Oil & Gas Industry,” Speaker, National Association of Legal Professionals (Houston, October, 2014). ●“Oil, Gas & Money,” Speaker (Houston, 2013). ●“Protecting Intellectual Property Rights in Standard Setting,” Oil & Gas Standards Leadership Summit (Houston, 2012). ●“M&A Trends,” Upstream Oil & Gas Finance Conference (Houston, 2012). ●“Emerging Law of Shale Plays in Eastern Europe, ”Houston Bar Association, Oil & Gas Section (Houston, 2012). ●“How much is a ‘Dead Cow’ worth?” Energy & Mining International (2012). ●“Mining in Ecuador is turning the corner, but how far, and for how long?” Energy & Mining International (2012). ●U.S.-China Energy Summit, Speaker (Houston, 2012). Conference keynote speaker: President George W. Bush. ●“Effective Negotiating: Creating Your Best Deal,” A&D Strategies and Opportunities Conference (Dallas, 2012). ●Testified as an expert in legal and regulatory aspects of hydrocarbons development before the Energy Committee of Polish Parliament (Warsaw, 2012). ●“International Primer for Independents,” Houston Bar Association, Oil & Gas Section (Houston, 2012). ●“Hydrocarbons Development in Colombia and Peru,” Oil Council, Latin American Assembly (Bogota, 2012). Appeared with President of National Hydrocarbons Agency as featured speaker. ●Author “Legally Speaking,” blog on Oil & Gas Financial Journal. ●“Predicting Brazil’s Pre-Salt Wealth,” E&P Magazine, OTC Edition (2011). ●Regular contributor to Houston (KTRH) and Dallas (KRLD) news radio on Energy matters such as GOM drilling moratorium. ●Subject of profile/interview in special edition Oil & Gas Finance magazine on legal issues in energy industry (2010). ●“Current Trends in Energy M&A Environment,” Houston CPA Society (Houston, 2010). ●Legal Developments in Brazilian and Colombian Hydrocarbons Development,” Dallas Bar Ass’n (Dallas, 2010). ●“The Impact of ‘Cap & Trade’ on the Oil & Gas Industry,” Association of Lease & Title Analysts (Houston, 2010). ●“Brazil’s New Pre-Salt Regulatory Framework,” CURRENTS Int’l Trade Law Journal, South Texas College of Law (2010). ●“Two more energy firms establish market presence,” (Interview concerning Ecopetrol) Houston Business Journal (2010). ●“Brazil’s New Pre-Salt Regulatory Framework,” The Energy Law Advisor (2010). ●Client Alerts: “Contracting with PEMEX under New Legal Framework,” “Basic Guide to Doing Business in Brazil,” (2010). ●“Opportunities in Brazil and The New Brazilian Regulatory Framework,” Oil & Gas Investor/Hart Energy Webinar (2010). ●“International Agency & Distribution: Focus on Latin America,” Houston Abogados Corporativos, Association of Corporation Counsel (Houston, 2009), Young Energy Professionals (Houston, 2010), University of Houston Law Center (Houston, 2010). ●“Pre-Salt Legislation,” (Seminar) South Texas College of Law (2010). ●“Pre-Salt Contracts,” Oil and Gas Investor (2009); republished in E&P Magazine (2009). ●“Colombian Mining Projects: A Foreign Investor’s Guide,” Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation Journal (2009). ●“Marcellus Shale, Legal and Policy Developments,” Webinar) OIL & GAS INVESTOR (2009). ●“Energy Provisions of The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009,” The Energy Law Advisor (2009). ●“The Crossborder Tax Solution,” Oil & Gas Investor (2009). ●“Protecting Intellectual Property Rights in Oil & Gas Standard Setting,” Standards Summit (Houston, 2008). ●“House’s Pending Energy Bill: It’ll Increase Dependency,” The National Law Journal (2007). ●“Feel The Heat: Bio Fuels Are A Hot Investment, But Don’t Get Burned,” Houston Lawyer (2007). ●“Oil slick: Companies avoid slips on foreign oil and gas tax rules,” Houston Business Journal (2007). ●“The Sea Clammers Doctrine: Reeling in Private Employment Tax Claims in Worker Misclassification Cases” DePaul Business & Commercial Law Journal” (2003). ●“A Merger Mystery: Outlining a Legislative Solution for the Problem of Distinguishing Deductible Expenses from Capital Expenditures” DePaul Business Law Journal (2001).
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