Brian A. Annes

Brian Annes is Of Counsel in the Energy & Mining Group at Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP. Serving as a strategic advisor, Brian counsels clients seeking to thrive in complex exploration and development projects within the extractive and carbon industries. His practice spans a broad range of areas, including upstream and midstream oil and gas, carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS), geothermal, helium, hydrogen, mining, and water rights operations.

Brian advises on acquisitions, divestitures, and joint ventures of natural resource projects and represents clients in administrative appeals. He regularly negotiates asset and equity purchase agreements as well as exchange, farmout/farmin, carry to earn, participation, and drilling and financing agreements. During the development and operational phases of energy projects, Brian negotiates a variety of contracts, including master service agreements (MSAs), drilling contracts, leases, surface use agreements, engineering contracts (EPC and EPCM), joint operating agreements (JOAs), interconnection agreements, and midstream agreements, such as purchase, gathering, processing, transportation, marketing, and disposal agreements for gas, oil, liquids, and water. He also provides effective dispute resolution related to these agreements, ensuring that his clients’ projects proceed smoothly and successfully.

Before rejoining Davis Graham, Brian served as counsel for a Denver-based Quantum Energy Partners portfolio company, concentrated on acquiring, developing, and exploring oil and gas assets, primarily focused on heavy oil development in California. He navigated complex and unique transactions, negotiating and implementing various agreements and deal structures. Brian collaborated with diverse internal teams, providing strategic advice and legal support. Earlier in his career, Brian was an associate in the Davis Graham Natural Resources Department, where his practice had an emphasis on oil and gas transactions and production royalties.

Brian received his J.D. from the University of Wyoming, where he served as editor-in-chief of Volume 15 of the Wyoming Law Review and concurrently received his M.A. in Environment and Natural Resources. Brian graduated with distinction from the University of Virginia, where he earned a B.S. in Systems and Information Engineering.

Publications and Presentations

• Brian A. Annes and Rachel Lechner, Presentation, Knock It Off– The Overuse of the Knock-for-Knock Indemnity Structure, Wyoming State Bar Annual Meeting (September 2024)
• Brian A. Annes and Kathleen C. Schroder, Presentation, Federal Oil and Gas Title, The Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law Special Institute (May 2024).
• Brian Annes, “Full Steam Ahead with Geothermal Resource Development,” Davis Graham Renewable & Alternative Energy Newsletter, January 2021.
• Brian Annes, Craig Gleaton, and Rachael Lechner, Presentation, Master Service Agreements, Davis Graham Webinar (October 2020).
• Brian Annes, Presentation, Everything you ever wanted to know about Wellbore Assignments, Denver Association of Lease and Title Analysts (November 2019).
• Connie Rogers and Brian Annes, “NEPA Strategies: Legal Companies and Process Efficiencies,” NEPA Special Institute, Rocky Mtn. Min. Law Fdn. (RMMLF), November 2017.
• Brian Annes, Presentation, Unbundling — Steps and Strategies, Permian Basin Association of Division Order Analysts (Annual Seminar 2017).
• Brian Annes, The Value of Water in the Colorado River Basin: A Snapshot of a Fluid Landscape, COLO. RIVER GOVERNANCE INITIATIVE (2015).
• Brian A. Annes, Note, WATER LAW — Cooperation Abandoned to Allow Hoarding of Water: The Supreme Court Denies Right to Divert Water Across State Borders Under the Red River Compact, 14 WYO. L. Rev. 1 (2014).