Eastern Pennsylvania Law Firm Establishes
Gas Leasing and Development Practice Group To Help Affected Property Owners in Northeast Pennsylvania

December 1, 2009, Lansdale Pennsylvania: Hamburg Rubin Mullin Maxwell and Lupin, one of Eastern Pennsylvania’s leading law firms, is pleased to announce the formal formation of its "Gas Leasing and Development Practice Group" reflecting the firm’s established experience in this developing industry. The Group was designed to particularly assist landowners in Northeastern Pennsylvania on whose property gas reserves have been found in both securing the most favorable leasing and development agreements possible with gas companies and in protecting their property rights and value.

Thousands of acres and homeowners in Bradford, Susquehanna, Tioga, Lycoming, Sullivan, Lackawanna and Wyoming Counties are affected by this rush to explore and harvest the natural gas found in these areas of the State. Two timely factors are driving this rush for gas exploration — new technologies that have recently been developed to extract gas from deep bedrock and the national desire to find alternative energies domestically. Technology and self-sufficiency have combined to make Pennsylvania one of the leading states in the nation for natural gas exploration.

According to HRMML’s Kermit Rader, a former Associate Regional Counsel of the EPA’s Philadelphia Regional office and coordinator of the new practice group, "potentially thousands of landowners need to understand their rights vis-à-vis the gas companies. We have an interdisciplinary team of lawyers who can be highly effective in assisting property owners facing multiple issues and decisions. Our team can help in: 1) negotiating/reviewing leasing/development agreements with the gas companies and evaluating claims for their violation; 2) insuring that environmental permits are complied with and pursuing claims on behalf of property owners when incidents occur; 3) exploring favorable tax and estate planning options involving leases; 4) insuring that any litigation that may result is handled expeditiously and more."

In addition, the group will advise municipalities with respect to the appropriate scope and manner of regulation they may impose on gas development activity.

Rader believes HRMML is one of the only law firms in Eastern Pennsylvania or elsewhere to be able to offer a multi-pronged level of assistance to property owners supported by significant experience in each of these aspects of gas leasing and development.

"Based on our experience in this field, we have a very keen sense of the full range of issues confronted by landowners and municipalities and we know how to help people with them. We have literally been watching this area of the law develop for years and understand how it affects property owners in this region."

The Group’s members include Jon Samel, Kermit Rader, Diane Foxman, Mark Himsworth and Merle Ochrach — all senior members of the firm.

Hamburg Rubin Mullin Maxwell and Lupin is one of the leading law firms in Eastern Pennsylvania providing legal counsel to businesses, municipalities and individuals in such areas as business law, litigation, real estate matters, municipal law, trusts and estates, family law, criminal law and personal injury matters. The firm’s singular focus is on achieving the best possible result for its clients.