Blog

What Is an Outside General Counsel? [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 47]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On June 12, 2017
  • 0 Comments
Outside general counsel are outside attorneys (who work for law firms) but take on responsibilities similar to those of in-house lawyers (who are the client’s employees).  Some may have served as the chief legal officers of NASDAQ or NYSE corporations but have since moved back to a law firm—often following the merger, acquisition, or dissolution […]
Read More

Do Climate Accords Matter? [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 46]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On June 2, 2017
  • 0 Comments
Talking heads have been complaining about (or alternatively, celebrating) President Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate accord.  Lost in their arguing is a simple question.  Can climate accords make (much of) a difference? We live in a global economy in which goods can be manufactured and sold nearly anywhere in the world.  Energy expenditures amount […]
Read More

Dynamic Profit Sharing for Startup LLCs [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 45]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On May 30, 2017
  • 0 Comments
Energy ventures often begin with the formation of a limited liability company (LLC).  A handful of founders agree to contribute their skills and relationships toward a common purpose—the success of the LLC.  Just like new parents, the founders are giddy with delight over their creation.  Only later does reality set in.  For example, initial expectations […]
Read More

The Oscillation of Negotiations [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 44]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On May 21, 2017
  • 0 Comments
  • energy negotiation
At any given moment in the negotiation of a contract—or in the settling of a dispute—the two parties may be more (or less) predisposed toward concession.  Each party’s willingness to compromise is not flat or linear.  It is ever oscillating at different wavelengths.  The following figure illustrates this concept: From one week to the next, […]
Read More

Handbooks for Energy Contracts [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 43]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On January 19, 2017
  • 0 Comments
Transactional lawyers tend to disengage after the closing. That’s a mistake in the energy industry. Our joint venture agreements endure for decades. Our construction contracts last for years. After the closing, non-lawyers usually assume responsibility for implementing documents spanning hundreds of pages.  These administrators have their own ideas about how each contract works, which may be incomplete—or […]
Read More

Rick Perry’s Energy Policy [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 42]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On December 19, 2016
  • 0 Comments
I first met Rick Perry when I was Legislative Aide to Texas Representative Harvey Hilderbran.  Back then, Perry was a three-term Democratic State Representative—albeit a fairly conservative one.  The Young Conservatives of Texas rates lawmakers on a scale from 0 (most liberal) to 100 (most conservative).  Representative Perry received YCT ratings of 73, 90, and […]
Read More

Teaching Energy with Simulations [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 41]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On December 5, 2016
  • 0 Comments
A decade ago I developed my first energy simulation for Rice University’s Graduate School of Business.  It was designed to teach international energy development using exploration blocks in the Republic of Angola.  My Angola simulation has evolved over the years, but remains a central component of my courses at Rice and The University of Chicago.  […]
Read More

Energy Incubators [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 40]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On November 14, 2016
  • 0 Comments
  • accelerator, incubator, startup
The oil crash has unleashed thousands of accidental entrepreneurs on the energy industry.  Many spent their previous careers safely ensconced at Fortune 500 companies.  Now they are on their own, looking to leverage their experience in startups. Business incubators “help new and startup companies to develop by providing services such as management training or office […]
Read More

Mastering Mega-Documents [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 38]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On October 24, 2016
  • 0 Comments
A few years ago I closed a Division of Assets Agreement at Latham & Watkins’ Houston office.  There was a lot of paper.  It took us more than an hour just to sign all the originals and acknowledgements.  Latham offered to messenger my copy, but I insisted on carrying it. I’ve always liked walking away with […]
Read More

The Decline of College Writing Skills (and the Rise of Social Media) [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 37]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On October 17, 2016
  • 0 Comments
  • decline of writing, social media
I spent Friday morning at the University of Chicago discussing the perceived decline of writing skills among recent college graduates. The business world has echoed this concern, with employers frequently “complaining about job candidates’ inability to . . . write clearly” (Forbes). Several reasons for a writing decline were debated, including: Social Media Displacement of […]
Read More