Gregory J. Nibert is a resident partner in the Roswell, New Mexico, office of Hinkle Shanor LLP, and is assigned to the firm's Oil and Gas Department. Mr. Nibert's practice is primarily limited to oil and gas law, including title examination, financing, contract preparation, acquisitions and divestitures, division orders, oil and gas administrative agency matters and all other aspects of oil and gas law. He is a New Mexico Board of Legal Specialization recognized specialist in oil and gas law.
Mr. Nibert is the annual update author of Chapter 18, "Unitization and Communitization," of the Law of Federal Oil and Gas Leases and has presented papers and speeches to a number of organizations on oil and gas law topics, including the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation ("RMMLF"); American Association of Professional Landmen ("AAPL"); the State Bar of New Mexico Section of Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law; The University of Texas School of Law Oil, Gas & Mineral Law Institute; New Mexico Landmen's Association; Tulsa Landmen's Association; National Association of Division Order Analysts; Southwestern Association of Division Order Analysts; and the Houston Bar Association. Mr. Nibert, T. Calder Ezzell, and Mona Binion prepared a paper titled "We Know What It says But How Does It Work, Practical Solutions to Tough Operational Questions Under the Form 2 Unit Operating Agreement" for the 54th Annual RMMLF Institute held in July, 2008. He recently spoke at the Mineral Title Examination special institute of RMMLF and presented a paper titled "Title Curve Balls Thrown by Units." Mr. Nibert was the Co-Chair of the Federal Onshore Oil and Gas Pooling and Unitization 2006 RMMLF special institute and presented a paper "The Impact of Unit Events on a Federal Oil and Gas Lease" and is a speaker at the RMMLF's Federal Oil and Gas Leasing Short Course. An article jointly prepared by Mr. Nibert, George Snell, Tim Dowd, Tom Daily, John McDavid, and Richard Revels: "A Comparative Review of Oil and Gas Law in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, New Mexico, Mississippi, and Louisiana" published in Landman, November/December 2002 by the AAPL, was selected as the Best AAPL Published Article at the AAPL annual meeting in June 2003. Other papers for RMMLF special institutes include: "Communitization of Federal Lands: An Overview," "Final Decisions and Appeal Procedures in Drainage Cases," and "Non-Record Title Considerations." His paper for the Center for American and International Law (formerly the Southwest Legal Foundation) Annual Institute on Oil and Gas Law in 2002 was "Federal Unitization: Onshore Oil and Gas Unit Agreements for Unproven Areas" 53 Inst. Oil & Gas L. 10 (2002).
Mr. Nibert is active in the Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico and serves on its Board of Directors and is a past Vice President, and the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association. He is a Trustee of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, and served as Chair of the Oil and Gas Section of the 46th Annual Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute for 1999-2000, and Chair of the Landman's Section of the 38th Annual Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute for the year 1991-92. He also serves as a Research Fellow of the Southwestern Legal Foundation. Mr Nibert served on the Board of Directors of the Section of Natural Resources, Energy and Environment Law of the State Bar of New Mexico from 1985 to 1992, and 1996 to 2004, and was Chair of the section for the year 1990-1991. He is a member of the State Bar of New Mexico, Chaves County Bar Association (current Treasurer), New Mexico Landman's Association, and American Association of Professional Landmen.
Mr. Nibert is active in the community and serves as a Chaves County Commissioner, was President of the Roswell Chamber of Commerce for 2007-2008, currently serves on the Chaves County Economic Development Foundation Board of Directors and Executive Committee, and was Chairman of the Chaves County Republican Party for 2001-2003. He was also District Chairman of the Rio Hondo District, Conquistador Council, Boy Scouts of America from 1997 to 2004 and is an Assistant Scout Master for Troop 2 in Roswell. He is a past member of the Roswell Independent School District Board of Education. He is a member of the Roswell Kiwanis Club and is a past Lt. Governor and a Distinguished Past President.
A Native of Roswell, Mr. Nibert received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New Mexico in 1980 and a Juris Doctor Degree, cum laude, from Pepperdine University in 1983, where he was Editor in Chief of the Pepperdine Law Review for 1982-83. Mr. Nibert has been associated with the Hinkle Law Firm since 1983, and has been a partner in the firm since 1988.
Areas of Practice
Oil & Gas Law
Examination
Financing
Contract Prepration
Acquisitions and Divestitures
Division Orders
Bar Admissions
New Mexico, 1983
U.S. Federal Courts, 1984
Education
Pepperdine University School of Law, Malibu, California
J.D. cum laude - 1983
Law Review: Chief of the Pepperdine Law Review, Editor, 1982 - 1983
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico
B.A. - 1980
Honors: Blue Key and Mortar Board Senior Honors
Published Works
Annual Supplement Author, Unitization and Communitization Law of Federal Oil and Gas Leases - Updated Annually
Honors and Awards
Best Lawyers 2014 - Energy Law
Best Lawyers 2014 - Natural Resources Law
Best Lawyers 2014 - Oil and Gas Law
Professional Associations and Memberships
The State Bar of New Mexico, Natural Resources Section, Board of Directors, 1985 - Present
Chaves County Bar Association, 1983 - Present
Kiwanis Club, 1986 - Present
Roswell Kiwanis Club, Member
Roswell Kiwanis Club, Chairman, 2001 - 2003
State Bar of New Mexico, Member
Chaves County Bar Association, Member
New Mexico Landman's Association, Member
American Association of Professional Landmen, Member
Fraternities/Sororities
Phi Delta Phi
Sigma Phi Epsilon