John Thompson III

BIOGRAPHY

John Thompson is a partner in the firm’s Oil and Gas/Energy practice. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Vanderbilt University in 1997 and graduated from the University of Texas School of Law in 2000, where he actively participated in the law journal called The Review of Litigation.

Mr. Thompson represents clients in litigation involving a wide variety of oil and gas matters before state and federal courts at both the trial and appellate levels. His litigation experience includes the representation of operators, working interest owners, and royalty owners in various matters, including:

• Lease termination
• Bad faith pooling
• Failure to develop
• Failure to protect against drainage
• Implied lease covenants
• Title disputes involving mineral interests
• Post-production costs
• Joint operating agreements
• Joint interest billing and audits
• Environmental contamination
• Conversion, trespass and nuisance
• Enforcement of dominant mineral estate rights
• Surface damages
• Temporary restraining orders and injunctions
• Spacing rules and other railroad commission regulations
• Partition of oil and gas interests
• Underpayment of royalty
• Overriding royalty interests
• Adverse possession
• Operations to maintain leases
• Production in paying quantities
• Area of mutual interest agreements
• Executive rights
• Farmout agreements

He also assists clients with oil and gas transactional matters. His experience in transactional matters includes the negotiation of oil and gas leases, easements, surface use agreements, purchase and sale agreements, and other oil and gas industry contracts.

AFFILIATIONS

• Texas Bar Foundation, Life Fellow

• Tarrant County Bar Foundation, Fellow
• Eldon B. Mahon Inns of Court, Past Associate
• State Bar of Texas
• Tarrant County Bar Association
• Westover Hills Town Council
• Fort Worth Country Day School, Alumni Council, Past President; Board of Trustees, Past Ex Officio Member 
• Boy Scouts of America, Eagle Scout

HONORS

• Best Lawyers in America®, U.S. News & World Report, 2021-2025
  • Energy Law
  • Oil & Gas Law
• Top Attorney in Oil and Gas Law, 360 West magazine, 2017-2024
  • Oil & Gas Law
• Top Attorney, Fort Worth Magazine, 2013-2023
  • Oil & Gas Law
• The 400 Most Influential People, Fort Worth, Inc. magazine, 2019
• Texas Super Lawyers Rising Star, Thomson Reuters, 2006-2008, 2010, 2014
• 40 Under 40 honoree, Fort Worth Business Press, 2009

EDUCATION

• The University of Texas School of Law, J.D., 2000
  • The Review of Litigation
• Vanderbilt University, B.S., cum laude, 1997

ADMISSIONS

• State Bar of Texas, 2000
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas

SPEECHES & PUBLICATIONS

• Co-Author, “Regulations Proposed for Hydraulic Fracturing,” Fort Worth Business Press Energy Report, 2010
• Co-Author, “Don’t Go Awry, Know Your Royalty Interest Rights,” Fort Worth Business Press, 2009