Gary J. Younger

Of Counsel

Mineral Title Examination & Due Diligence, Transactional & Corporate

gary j younger

Gary’s roots in the energy industry are deep, as he worked summers as a roustabout for his father’s oilfield service company in Central Kansas. That hands-on experience launched a career that has now spanned three decades, combining land, title, and transactional law with a lifetime of energy industry experience.

After earning his J.D. from the University of Tulsa College of Law in 1983, Gary spent years as a consulting landman and land attorney for companies including Texaco and Chevron. He entered private practice in 1993, where he first worked alongside Mike Wozniak, and has focused ever since on serving upstream and midstream clients across the Rockies and Mid-Continent regions.

Gary Younger has been with Beatty & Wozniak for over two decades, serving as an integral part of the firm’s early foundation. While he is no longer active in a day-to-day capacity with the team, he still advises on large projects as needed.

Gary’s practice includes extensive title examination and transactional work involving drilling, division order, acquisition, and financing opinions for fee, state, and federal lands. He has represented clients before the Interior Board of Land Appeals and played key legal roles in complex energy deals ranging from divestitures and gas storage conversions to midstream asset sales and cogeneration facility expansions.

What sets Gary apart is his deep understanding of the business. “It can be frustrating for clients to have to explain their operations every time they seek legal advice,” he says. “Having an industry background immediately raises the level of trust. All I’ve ever done is oil and gas — and serving energy clients is all we do here.”

Outside of work, Gary is an avid reader of frontier history and enjoys biking, tennis, and exploring the Colorado mountains with his family.

Education

University of Tulsa College of Law, Tulsa, Oklahoma

  • J.D. – 1983

Kansas State University

  • B.A. – 1980
  • Honors: Honors Program
  • Major: History

Bar Admissions

  • Colorado, 1993
  • Oklahoma, 1984

Professional Associations

  • Colorado Bar Association, Natural Resources & Energy Law Section
  • Denver Association of Oil and Gas Title Lawyers
  • Oklahoma Bar Association
  • Denver Association of Petroleum Landmen
  • Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation

Representative Experience

  • Represented E&P company in $600 million divestiture of its Rocky Mountain properties.
  • Represented facility developer and operator in the acquisition and expansion of an existing natural gas-fired, combined cycle cogeneration facility in Colorado, consisting of a 100 MW peaking plant and 20-acre greenhouse operation.
  • Represented E&P company in sale of depleted oil reservoir for conversion to $500 million gas storage facility, in which client retained an equity position. Negotiated and drafted purchase agreement and project limited liability company agreement.
  • Represented management of midstream company in $375 million sale of interests in gathering system and processing plants.
  • Over 40 years’ experience as a landman and title examiner throughout the Rockies and Mid-Continent regions.
  • Prepared drilling, division orders, acquisition and financing title opinions for various clients throughout the Rocky Mountain region.

Classes & Seminars

  • Horizontal Drilling and Subsurface Trespass (2010)