Matt R. Morrison

Matt R. Morrison examines Texas oil and gas title for E&P companies and prepares the title opinions, curative requirements, and due diligence in-house land teams rely on to drill, pay, and close. He works through decades of conveyances, reservations, and depth severances with the patience of someone who sees title as a puzzle, and he makes sure every piece lands where it belongs. When a land group’s report does not match the true ownership picture, Matt explains why and gets everyone on the same page.

Multi-Depth Title Opinions in Long-Producing Permian Acreage

Matt takes on the Permian’s most layered ownership, where leases are still held by production and decades of depth splits have carved up the interests. He builds opinions which lay out ownership formation by formation, ensuring every depth severance is accounted for. He reads each depth severance on its own terms, whether a mid-century drafter’s or a modern clause tied to stratigraphic equivalents and perforation depths, and gets to a clear answer for each interval. Operators come away knowing who owns what at every target depth, so they can develop stacked pay without second-guessing the title.

Royalty Interpretation Under Shifting Texas Case Law

Few title questions stay as unsettled as whether a royalty is fixed vs. floating. Because of the estate misconception theory, Texas courts keep revisiting what dual fractions mean. Matt interprets these reservations against the current state of the law so operators know who to pay and in what share, and he adjusts quickly when the Texas Supreme Court changes the rules again.

Second-Level Review and Concise Title Drafting

When a technical title question stumps the room, it lands on Matt’s desk. Opinions drafted across the firm, from partners to junior associates, go through his review: he checks the analysis, confirms the math and cuts 20 words down to three. He gives title work from other firms the same scrutiny, catching misread documents and miscalculated interests and correcting ownership. Clients receive opinions which are accurate, direct, and easy for a landman to put to work.

A Real Property Foundation Built Before Oil and Gas

Matt came to oil and gas law with real-world experience already in hand. His years in real estate practice, including real and personal property non-judicial foreclosures, made him fluent in deeds, deeds of trust, liens, and encumbrances before he examined his first chain of title. Earlier work in accounting sharpened his precision with numbers. And his service in the U.S. Air Force gave him the core values he still embodies.