G. Coates Roberts
Associate*
Coates enjoys assisting land and mineral owners in a range of oil and gas, wind, solar, real property, and environmental matters.
- Phone
- Email
- Website
- Address4040 Broadway, Suite 430 San Antonio
Biography
Coates guides clients through the transactional and regulatory challenges within oil and gas, wind, solar, water, and carbon. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Government from the University of Texas at Austin, he obtained his law degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law. There, he served as President of the Society of Oil and Gas Students and Senior Associate Editor of the St. Mary’s Law Journal.
During law school, Coates spent his summers as an intern for Commissioner Jim Wright at the Railroad Commission of Texas and as a law clerk for the Lower Colorado River Authority general counsel. These roles shaped his understanding of regulatory frameworks in the resolution of energy and environmental disputes.
Professional Qualifications
* Not yet admitted to the Texas Bar.
Legal Education:
St. Mary’s University School of Law (J.D., 2024); Senior Associate Editor, St. Mary’s Law Journal
Undergraduate Education:
The University of Texas at Austin (B.A., 2020)
Representative Experience
- Advises mineral owners on oil and gas deeds, mineral title instruments, leases, production sharing agreements, pooling agreements, and collective development agreements.
- Drafts and negotiates surface use agreements, pipeline easements, transmission easements, and produced water disposal agreements.
- Structures wind leases, solar leases, and battery energy storage system agreements to prioritize surface owners’ property interests and equitable compensation.
- Analyzes division orders and royalty audits to verify operator royalty calculations and address payment discrepancies.
- Resolves competing interests between mineral and surface estates through the negotiation of accommodation agreements, subsurface easements, and surface use waivers.
- Engages with operators to ensure compliance with regulatory obligations for plugging orphaned and abandoned wells.
Professional Affiliations and Awards
- State Bar of Texas Oil, Gas and Energy Resources Law Section, Member