Christopher J. Haselhoff is a Partner in the Pittsburgh office of GRSM and a member of the firm’s Energy & Natural Resources, Real Estate, and Commercial Litigation groups. He serves as Director of Upstream Asset Development and Title for the firm’s Energy Group and concentrates his practice in both litigation and transaction-based oil and gas and real estate matters.
Litigation
- Representation of several private and publicly traded natural gas exploration and production companies, including the country’s largest natural gas producer, mineral buyers, and private equity funds in various commercial and real estate disputes that involve all aspects of title, oil and gas ownership, leasing, and payment of royalties.
- Representation of a publicly traded renewable natural gas producer in royalty litigation and as general counsel in connection with regulatory and permitting issues.
- Representation of national commercial developers, data centers, and a privately-owned national lumber company on real estate and development issues, including advocacy at zoning and land use meetings and formal hearings.
- Representation of a publicly traded transportation and logistics company in commercial lease disputes in several jurisdictions across the country.
- Representation of one of the nation’s largest title insurance carriers, including litigation involving survey matters, lien priority, deed and mortgage reformation, and general title clearance.
- Representation of several healthcare systems and hospitals in connection with complex commercial and corporate litigation matters, including medical billing and claim reimbursement, contract disputes, and construction matters.
- Representation of a national textile company regarding a complex contract dispute.
- Obtained dismissal on Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings on behalf of an E&P Company in a case involving a title dispute related to oil and gas ownership in southwestern Pennsylvania. The Plaintiff/Company claimed over $15 million in damages for Quiet Title, Declaratory Judgment, Trespass, Conversion, and Ejectment claims. The decision was appealed to the Pennsylvania Superior Court, which granted the E&P Company’s Application to Quash Appeal in a precedential decision: Cavallo Mineral Partners, LLC v. EQT Production Company et al., 2023 PA Super 115, 2023 WL 4167875 (2023). After additional proceedings at the trial court, the Plaintiff appealed for a second time to the Pennsylvania Superior Court (decision pending). At all stages, managed the litigation team, set case strategy, and handled key oral arguments.
- Won Summary Judgment on behalf of an E&P Company in a case involving a complex title issue affecting oil and gas ownership to property in southwestern Pennsylvania and successfully argued the appeal before the Pennsylvania Superior Court, resulting in a precedential decision: Hunnell as Tr. of Hunnell Fam. Revocable Living Tr. v. Krawczewicz, 2022 PA Super 166, 284 A.3d 1192, 1202 (2022).
- Briefed and successfully argued a Motion to Dismiss on behalf of an E&P Company in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, resulting in dismissal with prejudice of all claims against the E&P Client, including Declaratory Judgment, Quiet Title, Unjust Enrichment, and Accounting, arising out of a dispute involving ownership of oil and gas rights (JJK Min. Co. II, LLC v. Morris, No. 2:20-CV-2025, 2021 WL 4594675, at *1 (W.D. Pa. Oct. 6, 2021)).
- Obtained summary judgment in a high-exposure insurance coverage/contract interpretation case on behalf of an insurance client and successfully argued an appeal before the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, resulting in a non-precedential opinion featured as a “Top News” article by Law360 on May 5, 2022. (Neville Chem. Co. v. TIG Ins. Co., No. 21-1616 (3d Cir. Apr. 26, 2022)).
- Aggressively defended litigation arising out of a failed business transaction and secured voluntary dismissal of all claims against a private equity client and its principal after filing a motion to dismiss on substantive and jurisdictional grounds.
- Successfully enforced an arbitration clause and obtained dismissal of all claims improperly filed in state court on behalf of a publicly traded renewable natural gas company (Nau, et al. v. Montauk Energy Holdings, LLC, et al., Case Nos. 2023-50639 and 2023-50691 (C.C.P. Somerset Cty. 2024)).
- Obtained dismissal of an E&P Company after filing Preliminary Objections to a Complaint that asserted Quiet Title and Declaratory Judgment claims related to the interpretation of an oil and gas exception and reservation clause under a deed.
- Assisted in a week-long trial and defended bad faith trespass claims asserted against a publicly traded midstream company in connection with a pipeline project in Belmont County, Ohio.
- Obtained a Preliminary Injunction on behalf of an E&P Company against landowners seeking to prohibit the plugging of a well located on their property.
- Obtained a voluntary dismissal with prejudice of an E&P Company after filing Preliminary Objections in a matter where the Plaintiff alleged Declaratory Relief, Promissory Estoppel, Breach of Contract, and Fraud claims regarding an alleged failure to pay royalties under an oil and gas lease in southwestern Pennsylvania.
- Negotiated a favorable settlement after years of litigation in a bet-the-company partnership dispute involving the ownership of oil and gas interests by prevailing at an evidentiary hearing and securing partial summary judgment on key issues.
- Successfully defended a Midstream Company against multiple landowners seeking a Preliminary Injunction to halt operations related to the construction of a pipeline.
- Successfully obtained a Permanent Injunction on behalf of an E&P Company against an individual causing damage to property surrounding a Well Pad.
- Achieved favorable results for mineral buyers against landowners in breach of contract and specific performance cases.
- Successfully defended and mediated multi-million dollar breach of contract and bad faith title insurance cases involving coverage disputes related to oil and gas interests under a title policy, undisclosed restrictive covenants affecting a large residential development, and the validity of an easement restricting a company’s use of commercial property.
- Obtained Judgment on the Pleadings for an International E&P Company in a case involving complex title and tax sale issues affecting a Marcellus Shale well pad site.
- Successfully obtained various orders securing an E&P Company’s leasehold interest in Sheriff’s Sale and Tax Sale proceedings throughout southwestern Pennsylvania.
- Obtained numerous favorable settlements for E&P and Midstream Companies in lawsuits related to Breach of Contract, Trespass, Quiet Title, Ejectment, Negligence, Specific Performance, Nuisance, and Declaratory Judgment in state and federal courts in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia
Transactions/Corporate
- Representation of several private and publicly traded natural gas exploration and production companies, including the country’s largest natural gas producer, mineral buyers, and private equity funds in various acquisitions and divestitures, due diligence projects, lease swaps/acreage trade agreements, and other transactional matters.
- Development and management of the certified title opinion practice, overseeing multiple large-scale certified title, due diligence, and heirship projects for E&P clients, mineral buyers, and private equity funds. Responsibilities included preparing title curative documents, conveyance documents, leases, assignments of leases, ratifications, midstream agreements, and handling all aspects of due diligence and closing processes.
- Representation of commercial developers, data centers, a national lumber company, and a billboard company in drafting and negotiating purchase and sale agreements, letters of intent, easements, asset purchase agreements, and all aspects of title review and due diligence in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia.
- Regularly serve as local counsel for GRSM’s corporate finance opinion practice, including due diligence, contract review, evaluation of operating documentation, and preparation of transactional documents for commercial finance transactions.
- Representation of a corporate buyer acquiring acreage from a bankrupt debtor through a free and clear sale in a Chapter 12 bankruptcy proceeding.
- Representation of a national, privately owned data center development company, assisting with all aspects of development projects, including land use, permitting, power generation, and related issues.
- Negotiation and preparation of surface use agreements, surface purchase agreements, and handling closings for a prominent midstream company.
- Negotiation of purchases and sales of commercial office buildings, industrial buildings, warehouses, and commercial lease agreements.
- Management of national wireless communication company’s public recording in several key states.
- Serving as local counsel for a national telecommunication company’s PUC and regulatory filings.
Admissions
- Pennsylvania
- West Virginia
- Ohio
- Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania
Memberships
- Allegheny County Bar Association
- Pennsylvania Bar Association
- Pittsburgh Technology Council
- Energy & Mineral Law Foundation
Community Involvement
- Pirates Charities Miracle League of the South Hills – Buddy Program Volunteer
Education
- J.D., cum laude, University of Pittsburgh School of Law, 2009
- Senior Topics Editor, Pittsburgh Journal of Environmental and Public Health Law
- Member, Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity
- Member, Sports and Entertainment Law Society
- Participant, Health Law Clinic
- Recipient, CALI award in Judge Wettick’s Pennsylvania Practice
- Recipient, The Robert Maxwell DeBroff Prize (annually presented by the faculty to the student who has shown the greatest motivation, interest, and achievement in the area of corporate law)
- B.A., summa cum laude, History, Duquesne University, 2006