Christie, Christie & Wells Landowner Group and Morgan County Landowner Group have joined together to form one county-wide landowner group, which went into effect Jan. 16. The new landowner group will continue to educate the community on oil and gas leasing; develop landowner-friendly lease terms; and negotiate a successful oil and gas lease directly with a major oil company all under one name, Morgan County Landowner Group (MCLG) Inc.
"This merger of landowner groups provides several benefits to landowners, including increased acreage of contiguous land, which makes the group more attractive to oil and gas companies," said Jennifer Ponchak, co-chairperson of the group's steering committee. "Additionally, now there will be two experienced attorneys counseling the group - Dick Emens and John Wells."
Emens is partner at Emens & Wolper Law Firm in Columbus, Ohio. He is a business lawyer whose major areas of practice are Business Planning, Oil and Gas Law and Corporate Law, and Family Owned Business Law. He has counseled numerous clients on business and succession issues, oil and gas leases and other agreements, and represented many clients before state and federal regulatory agencies.
Wells is a partner at Christie, Christie & Wells Law Firm in McConnelsville. He graduated from The Ohio State University with a BA in political science in 1991 and The Ohio State University Law School in 1994. He was past president of Morgan County Chamber of Commerce and former mayor of McConnelsville. He is currently working with other oil and gas landowner groups in Morgan, Washington and Muskingum counties.
