
Leslie Gardner Mason


Leslie is an attorney in Vinson & Elkins LLP’s Austin office. Her principal area of practice is complex commercial litigation.
Experience Highlights
(Tex.) – Obtained 8-0 ruling that local taxing unit did not have statutory authority to retain private attorney on contingent fee to pursue a taxpayer for an alleged $60 million in unpaid property taxes
(AAA/ICDR Arbitration) — Successfully defended Australian energy company against numerous contract and tort claims by holder of contractually reserved revenue interest relating to gas production from Australian oil and gas field and obtained award of attorney’s fees and costs
(AAA Arbitration and Tex. Dist. – Pecos County) — Represented an oil and gas production and exploration company in disputes in state court and arbitration proceedings implicating issues related to royalty payments, lease terminations, and surface restoration obligations concerning property in West Texas
(AAA Arbitration) — Represented an Eagle Ford Shale non-operator in pursuing breach of fiduciary duty, breach of agency and other contract claims against operator relating to operator’s decision to amend gas gathering contract with affiliate prior to sale of midstream assets
(S.D. Tex. Bankruptcy) – Represented oil and gas operator in a complex contractual dispute under a joint development agreement and joint operating agreement over operatorship of over 300,000 acres and 1,800 wells in South Texas; secured complete victory for client after six-day trial in bankruptcy court
(Tex.) – Obtained unanimous ruling that Kinder Morgan timely filed a motion to dismiss under the Texas Citizens Participation Act
Credentials
- The University of Texas School of Law, J.D. with honors, 2016
- Butler University, B.A. 2011
- Judicial clerk to The Honorable Brett Busby, Texas Court of Appeals, Fourteenth District, 2016-2017
- The Best Lawyers in America© (BL Rankings, LLC), “Ones to Watch,” Commercial Litigation (Houston), 2023 and 2024
- Member: Houston Bar Association
- Member: Houston Young Lawyers Association
- Fellow: Texas Bar Foundation
- Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- Rankings & AwardsAugust 21, 2023
- Rankings & AwardsAugust 18, 2022
- Deals & CasesAugust 19, 2021
- InsightJune 30, 2021
- Deals & CasesMay 5, 2021
- InsightApril 27, 2021
V&E Energy Update