We have retained Levene, Gouldin & Thompson, LLP, from Vestal, NY who has teamed up with Peter Hosey, Esq, from with the law firm of Jackson Walker, LLP, San Antonio, TX.
You may ask, "Why does the Coalition need an attorney?"
The attorney for the Coalition would actually be working with the Coalition as a group but representing each landowner individually.
As a group the Coalition Steering Committee along with the attorney will draft a lease that is mutually-agreeable to the vast majority of the Coalition. Certain landowners may have specific needs relative to their particular property that they may need additional addendums added to the lease, separate and apart from the rest of the group landowners.
The attorneys so far who we have spoken to seem to be charging a per-acre fee per landowner for the drafting of the lease and dealing with the gas companies in helping to get bids for the gas leases. So far the average going rate that we've heard is about $20/acre. Prices may vary depending on how much acreage you own. The more acreage you have, the less it may cost you per acre.
The payment for legal counsel would be escrowed and paid out of the sign-on bonus that you would receive from the gas company. You will not have to come up with this money out of pocket. Cost will be $20/acre with a $200 minimum fee. So if you own less than 10 acres, it will be $200.