meet our attorneys
Alex Kuiper
Managing Partner
Mr. Alex Kuiper counsels a variety of energy industry clients in multiple legal facets. He is Board Certified in Oil, Gas and Mineral Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
Jackie MacAfee
Partner
Prior to joining Kuiper Law Firm, Jackie also spent several years working as an in-house landman for a large E&P company, covering active drilling programs in the Uintah Basin in Utah as well as the Eagle Ford and Wolfcamp Shales in Texas.
- Phone:832-626-0218
- Email:jackie.macafee@kuiperlawfirm.com
- Website:https://kuiperlawfirm.com/jackie-macafee/
Lori Ferguson
Partner & General Counsel
Lori is an experienced civil litigator focused on contractual disputes and negotiation. Her expertise is backed by a decade of litigation and transactional experience and five years of title practice.
Laura Schwarz
Partner
Laura Bennett Schwarz is an experienced oil and gas professional.
Throughout her nearly 20-year career, she has worked at several oil and gas companies in various roles including in-house landman, director of asset management, and title attorney.
Bresee Carlson
Partner
Lori is an experienced civil litigator focused on contractual disputes and negotiation. Her expertise is backed by a decade of litigation and transactional experience and five years of title practice.
Beau McMillin
Managing Associate
Beau M. McMillin is an experienced attorney concentrating in the areas of oil and gas, real property, and contract law. He regularly advises clients involved in the acquisition, development, and exploration of oil and gas properties, with an emphasis on title examination.
Diana Woodcock
Managing Associate
Diana Woodcock is an experienced oil and gas attorney and is licensed in both Texas and New Mexico. Diana has over 6 years of experience in original and supplemental acquisition, drilling and division order title opinions covering lands in both Texas and New Mexico.
- Phone:281-982-0238
- Email:diana.woodcock@kuiperlawfirm.com
- Website:https://kuiperlawfirm.com/diana-woodcock/
Matt R. Morrison
Managing Associate
Matt counsel's clients on title matters and associated areas of law and prepares acquisition, base, drilling, division order, and other title opinions and supplements thereto. He also prepares title curative and other instruments affecting surface, mineral, and leasehold estates, negotiates and prepares oil and gas leases, performs legal research regarding specific title issues and other areas of law, performs due diligence, and calculates complex divisions of revenue interests.
Patrick Garner
Managing Associate
Patrick Garner’s practice is focused primarily on oil & gas title examination.
Prior to joining the oil & gas industry in 2010, Patrick practiced Criminal Defense and Family Law. His experience includes original and supplemental title opinions in Texas as well as curative and land work in Texas, New Mexico, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Montana.
Russell Oxford
Managing Associate
Russell Oxford is an experienced attorney concentrating in the areas of oil and gas, real property, and probate law.
He regularly advises clients involved in the acquisition, development, and exploration of oil and gas properties, with an emphasis on title examination.
Kip Plankinton
Staff Attorney
Kip is Board Certified in Oil, Gas and Mineral Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and has rendered numerous Title Opinions covering federal, state, tribal and fee lands in the lower 48.
Brandon Daggett
Senior Associate
Brandon Daggett’s practice is focused primarily on Oil and Gas Title Examination.
Brandon received his B.S. in Finance from Texas Tech University in 2011 and his J.D. from Texas Tech University School of Law in 2014. He was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 2014.
- Phone:682-214-0711
- Email:brandon.daggett@kuiperlawfirm.com
- Website:https://kuiperlawfirm.com/brandon-daggett/
Cassidy Thompson
Senior Associate
James West
Senior Associate
James has experience as both a landman and title attorney with various Oil and Gas companies and law firms.
He grew up in Lubbock, Texas and is a devoted Red Raider fan. After earning his Bachelor’s degree in Energy Commerce from Texas Tech in 2012, he began his career in Midland Texas working for one of the major oil companies. He then returned to Texas Tech and acquired his JD and MBA degrees in 2016.
Joshua Murphy
Senior Associate
Josh provides clients with a pragmatic and solutions-oriented approach based on his extensive background in mineral title examination, oil and gas transactional work, and regulatory matters.
He received his J.D. from the University of Denver. Prior to joining Kuiper, Josh worked as a title landman, analyzing mineral and leasehold interests on federal, fee, and state lands across the West. Josh also worked for a boutique natural resources firm handling oil and gas title matters.
Katie Pfau
Senior Associate
Katie assists clients in oil and gas transactional matters.
She works on a variety of matters such as, title examination and the preparation of Original and Supplemental Drilling Title Opinions, Division Order Title Opinions and Curative and Title Updates. Prior to joining Kuiper Law Firm in 2022, Katie worked in financial services regulatory compliance.
Kevin Seal
Senior Associate
Kevin brings a wealth of experience in the oil and gas industry to his legal practice, drawing on a background deeply intertwined with the sector.
With both his father and brother being Petroleum Geologists, Kevin’s roots in the industry run deep. He holds a B.S. in Petroleum Land Management and earned his law degree from LSU’s Paul M. Hebert School of Law.
Malori Flaniken
Senior Associate
Malori R. Flaniken is a skilled attorney with a practice focused on oil and gas, asset management, estate planning, and trusts.
Her career began as an in-house landman, responsible for the development of assets in Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas, Wyoming, and North Dakota. More recently she has been managing extensive minerals and working interest positions for private equity companies in basins nationwide, as well as drafting drilling and division order title opinions and curing complex title issues.
- Phone:(405) 578-6142
- Email:malori.flaniken@kuiperlawfirm.com
- Website:https://kuiperlawfirm.com/malori-flaniken
Nicole Blair
Senior Associate
Nicole graduated magna cum laude from the University of Oklahoma in 2002, with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, after which she earned her Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2008, with an emphasis in litigation and alternative dispute resolution.
Angelica Garcia Cantu
Associate
Angelica is currently a 3L at South Texas College of Law Houston.
At South Texas, Angelica is an associate editor for the Corporate Counsel Review and an active member of the Phi Delta Phi Fraternity, the Oil and Gas Law Society, and the Women’s Law Society.
Brissa Rosa
Associate
Brissa is an attorney with a practice focused on Oil and Gas.
She began her career as an in-house Landman for a large, Oklahoma City based exploration and production company. She worked in this role for over seven years managing various assets and is an AAPL Certified Petroleum Landman.
Bryan G. Carlson
Associate
Prior to law school, Bryan began his career in the oil and gas industry as an inhouse title landman with a focus on fee and state lands in New Mexico, Texas, and Wyoming.
While attending University of San Diego School of Law, Bryan was on the San Diego Journal of Climate and Energy Law and served as Co-President of the Environmental Law Society.
Daniela Villafani
Associate
Daniela Villafani is currently a rising 3L at South Texas College of Law Houston.
She is an Associate Editor for the Corporate Counsel Review. Daniela is currently a member of the Oil and Gas Law Society as well as the Hispanic Law Students Association. She is a candidate for the Transactional Law Practice Certificate Program at South Texas.
Elizabeth Scruggs
Associate
Elizabeth Scruggs’s experience includes civil litigation, corporate and labor law, insurance, indemnity, compliance, government procurement, and all other aspects of contract work relevant to the energy and construction fields.
Her litigation experience is focused on contractual disputes and negotiations as well as complex insurance and jurisdiction disputes. She currently assists with the firm’s litigation practice, commercial transactions practice, and government contract practice.
Jacob Frisbee
Associate
Jacob Frisbee graduated from South Texas College of Law Houston in the spring of 2023.
Prior to law school he graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Anthropology, he has worked as a research and field Archaeologist, and a Supply Chain/Operations Manager.
- Phone:346-385-2774
- Email:jacob.frisbee@kuiperlawfirm.com
- Website:https://kuiperlawfirm.com/jacob-fresbee
James Parker
Associate
James Parker has over a decade of experience working in the oil and gas industry.
After graduating with his B.A. from Oklahoma Christian University in 2009, James began his career working for several oil and gas companies in a variety of roles. In 2013, he continued his career as an in-house landman while attending Oklahoma City University School of Law, earning his J.D. in 2017.
Katherine Rosendahl
Associate
Kate Rosendahl graduated from South Texas College of Law Houston in 2023.
She was a part of Law Review and CURRENTS: Journal of International Economic Law.
Prior to law school she was an 8th grade U.S. History teacher. Katherine has a Bachelor of Arts in History with a minor in Geography and Political Science from Texas State University.
Kianna Udenze
Associate
Kianna is an East Texas native, born and raised in Tyler, Texas.
Her interest in working in the Oil & Gas industry peaked after interning with the General Counsel of an Oil and Gas Company. She joined Kuiper Law Firm as a Summer Associate in 2022, and continued clerking until she transitioned into an Associate in October 2023.
She received her bachelor’s degree in Spanish, with a minor in International Studies, from Texas State University with honors. Afterwards, she received her Juris Doctor from the University of Oklahoma College of Law where she excelled on the Moot Court and Negotiations teams, receiving the David Swank Award for her professionalism.
Kisa Freyre
Associate
Kisa is a native Oklahoman and a graduate of Oklahoma State University where she earned her B.S. in Business Administration
She earned her JD and MBA from Oklahoma City University School of Law and Meinders School of Business. Kisa is licensed to practice law in both Texas and Oklahoma. Her experience includes litigation, policy and regulatory compliance, Oil & Gas lease and mineral interests as well as curing of Oil & Gas title.
Leah Payne
Associate
Leah is a recent South Texas College of Law Houston graduate where she was awarded a J.D.
During law school, Leah interned for a prominent Houston firm specializing in personal injury and wrongful death litigation. She also participated in STCL’s award-winning advocacy program and placed as a regional finalist in the 2024 ABA Representation in Mediation Competition.