Israel R. Silvas

Member


Few industries involve as much risk and reward as the oil and gas sector. Minimizing the former and facilitating the latter is at the heart of Israel Silvas’ practice. A seasoned and successful litigator and consummate problem-solver, Israel leverages his deep and diverse oil and gas industry knowledge to help his clients navigate the challenges they face every day.  

Israel’s clients turn to him after issues or disputes arise, knowing that his extensive trial experience, advocacy skills, and strategic decision-making position them for positive outcomes in their most complex and consequential matters. His clients have relied on him to represent them in high-stakes litigation—from obtaining restraining orders through trial. But he also prides himself on his ability to identify and address potential problems well before they become actual liabilities. Invested in his clients and their success, Israel delivers honest, accurate, and actionable counsel that forms the bedrock of his long-term industry relationships.

Israel’s experience extends to almost all aspects of the oil and gas industry, including the acquisition of mineral interests, litigation, and bankruptcy matters, and his clients include mineral buyers, operators, and service providers. 

In the field and in the courtroom, Israel gives his clients the confidence they need to pursue lucrative endeavors or parry threats to their operations. He provides game plans that consider all possible contingencies and executes on those plans expeditiously and efficiently.

With a litigation background that extends across every type of forum, Israel represents plaintiffs and defendants in environmental, energy, class action, antitrust, tortious interference, deceptive trade practices, unfair competition, qui tam, contract, probate, securities, and fraud matters including forgery matters.

A native Spanish speaker, Israel also represents clients with business disputes in Mexico. His approach to conflict and litigation is in part a product of his time spent as a law clerk for a federal judge, where he learned that effective advocacy isn’t a matter of being showy or the loudest voice in the room. Rather, it is a product of hard work, well-crafted and logical arguments, and the ability to anticipate and counter your opponent’s next moves.

I recognize how much trust and confidence my clients invest in me to help them find a path forward or solve a problem. They know that I can be counted on to develop—and execute on—a winning strategy.
    • Harvard Law School, J.D., 2004
    • University of Texas at El Paso, B.A., summa cum laude, 2001
  • Bar Admissions

    • Texas
  • Court Admissions

    • United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
    • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
    • United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
    • United States District Court for the Western District of Texas
    • United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
    • United States Supreme Court
    • Recognized in Texas Super Lawyers® for Business Litigation and Energy & Natural Resources, 2019-2020

    • Selected as one of the "Top 50 Multicultural Lawyers in Dallas" by the National Diversity Council, 2017
    • Selected to the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers 2013 Leadership Program; served as the Marketing Co-Chair for the 2014 DAYL Charity Ball benefiting EPIC and Habitat for Humanity (which raised $50,000 and helped to build a home through the Carter Work Project)
    • State Bar of Texas
    • Dallas Bar Association
    • Institute for Energy Law, Advisory Board Member

    • Clerk for Hon. Judge Philip R. Martinez of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas

    • Spanish

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