Jaime S. Rangel
Partner
Mr. Rangel has been litigating various types of complex disputes in courts across Texas for over 20 years. He is a South Texas native, having grown up in Corpus Christi, Texas and his practice focuses upon representation of plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal courts, with an emphasis on energy and business disputes.
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- Email
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- Address4040 Broadway, Suite 430
Biography
Mr. Rangel has been litigating various types of complex disputes in courts across Texas for over 20 years. He is a South Texas native, having grown up in Corpus Christi, Texas and his practice focuses upon representation of plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal courts, with an emphasis on energy and business disputes. Mr. Rangel has also handled numerous personal injury disputes. In the oil and gas context, Mr. Rangel has handled disputes involving breach of contract, lease termination, deed construction and reformation, declaratory judgment, trespass to try title, payment of royalties, surface damages, failure to develop, fraud and negligence. Mr. Rangel has also negotiated numerous transactions on behalf of land and mineral owners, including oil and gas leases and amendments, royalty audits, pipeline right of way agreements, surface use agreements, water use agreements, road easements, wind leases and seismic agreements.
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Rangel clerked for the Honorable Hayden W. Head, Jr., United States District Judge for the Southern District of Texas, Corpus Christi Division, practiced multidistrict litigation in Houston, and maintained a diverse litigation and transactional practice for 13 years as a shareholder with the Rangel Law Firm, P.C. in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Professional Qualifications
Admitted to the Bar
- Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Southern and Western Districts of Texas
Legal Education:
- Texas Tech University School of Law, Lubbock, Texas, J.D.
- Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, B.A.
Representative Experience
- Obtained summary judgment on behalf of McMullen County landowners in an ancient deed construction dispute with a coal mining company, defeating the company’s claims to mine lignite on clients’ lands.
- Obtained summary judgment on behalf of company defendant in a personal injury suit pending in Nueces County, Texas, securing a dismissal of all claims against client.
- Obtained summary judgment on behalf of Pecos County landowner in an oil and gas lease termination dispute with operator lessees arising from the construction of a continuous development operations provision.
- Successful prosecution of claims arising from the termination of a term pipeline easement, Jim Hogg County, Texas.
- Successful defense of breach of contract and declaratory judgment claims arising from ranch sale transaction, Bexar County, Texas.
- Successful defense of client’s interest in contested probate proceeding arising from mineral interest dispute, Presidio County, Texas.
- Successful defense of trade secret claims arising from contract dispute, Bexar County, Texas.
- Successful defense of client’s interest in will contest proceeding, Winkler County, Texas.
- Obtained summary judgment in favor of royalty owners in La Salle County, defeating claims that their interests had terminated; Judgment upheld on appeal; Settlement. Crow v. Lookadoo, 2018 WL 4096400 (Tex. App. – San Antonio 2018, no pet.).
- Obtained partial summary judgment in declaratory judgment action pending in Bee County, establishing rights to over $30 million in assets, including surface and mineral interests; Subsequent directed verdict and jury verdict in favor of client; Judgment upheld on appeal. Hughes v. Hughes, 2017 WL 2705472 (Tex. App. – Corpus Christi 2017, pet. denied).
- Obtained summary judgment for Brooks County landowners defending claims by multiple plaintiffs asserting rights to mineral interests based upon historic deed records; Judgment upheld on appeal. Longoria v. Lasater, 292 S.W.3d 156 (Tex. App. – San Antonio 2009, pet. denied)
- Obtained summary judgment and attorney’s fee award for Duval County surface owner defending claims asserted by operator.
- Obtained jury verdict in favor of client defending employment claims pending in federal district court. Gainan v. Texas Television, Inc., 2007 WL 755403 (S.D. Tex. 2006).
- Obtained favorable ruling on special exception for La Salle County landowners defending declaratory judgment claim asserted by operator; Operator dropped claim rather than amend pleadings; Settlement on landowners’ counter-claim.
- Successfully prosecuted and defended multiple personal injury claims pending in South Texas courts.
- Negotiated successful royalty audit on behalf of McMullen County royalty owner with multiple Eagle Ford Shale wells.
- Negotiated water use agreements for surface owner in McMullen County.
- Negotiated numerous right of way agreements for landowners and related appearances in condemnation proceedings throughout South Texas.
Professional Affiliations and Awards
- American Bar Association, Member (Litigation Section)
- State Bar of Texas, Member (Litigation and Oil, Gas & Energy Resources Law Sections)
- American Bar Foundation, Life Fellow
- Texas Bar Foundation, Life Fellow
- Unclaimed Mineral Proceeds Commission, Member, 2014
- Federal Bar Association – Southern District of Texas, Past Director, 2011 – 2013
- San Antonio Bar Association, Member, 2019-Present
- Corpus Christi Bar Association, Past-Director 2019
- Texas Young Lawyers Association, Past Director, 2007 – 2011
- Corpus Christi Young Lawyers Association, Past Director, 2006 – 2007
- Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit, Member
- Texas A&M University Corpus Christi Foundation, Trustee, 2015 – 2019
- USS Lexington Museum, Director, 2018 – Present
- Listed in Who’s Who in American Law
- Named as a Professional on the Fast Track in H Texas Magazine, 2005
- Texas Super Lawyer – Rising Star in Texas Monthly, 2007, 2009
- TYLA President’s Award of Merit, 2007-2008, 2008-2009
Presentations and Publications
- Member, State Bar of Texas Pattern Jury Charges – Oil & Gas Committee, 2024 – present
- Member, Planning Committee, UT Law CLE Ernest E. Smith Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Course, 2021, 2022, 2023,2024
- Member, Texas Board of Law Examiners Standard Setting Study Panel, 2023
- Damages in Oil and Gas Litigation, in State Bar of Texas Damages in Civil Litigation Course, 2020 (co-author and presenter)
- Update on Post-Production Deductions: Where Are We After Texas Crude, in State Bar of Texas Oil & Gas Disputes Course, 2020 (co-author)
- Jurisdictional & Venue Challenges in Recent Texas Oil & Gas Disputes, in State Bar of Texas, Oil & Gas Disputes Course, 2019
- Member, Planning Committee, State Bar of Texas, Advanced Oil, Gas and Energy Resources Law Course, 2019
- Member, Royalty Disputes and Litigation Panel, State Bar of Texas, Advanced Oil, Gas and Energy Resources Law Course, 2017
- Adverse Possession in the Texas Oil Patch, in UT Law CLE, 40th Annual Ernest E. Smith Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Course , 2014
- Planning Committee, State Bar College Spring Training: Winning Before Trial Course , 2011
- Course Director, State Bar of Texas, Federal Court Practice Course , 2011
- Ethical Issues Facing the New Lawyer, Corpus Christi Bar Association, Ethics Seminar , 2010
- Course Director, State Bar of Texas, Federal Court Practice Course , 2010
- Course Director, State Bar of Texas, Federal Court Practice Course , 2009
- Depositions: Giving, Taking and Procedural Rules, in State Bar of Texas Essential Practice Skills for New Attorneys Course , 2008
- Course Director, State Bar of Texas, Essential Practice Skills for New Attorneys Course, 2008