Philip R. Weems is co-head of King & Spalding’s Global Energy Practice and offices in Houston and Singapore. Mr. Weems formerly served as Managing Partner of the firm’s three offices in the Middle East, based in Dubai from 2007-2010. He specializes in global energy and infrastructure transactions with a concentration on LNG / gas matters, upstream transactions and energy maritime issues.
Mr. Weems served as President of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN) from 2003-2004, and prior to being President served as a member of the Board of Directors from 1999-2005. He was Chairman of the 2002 AIPN International Joint Operating Agreement Revision Committee responsible for the second revision of the form.
Prior to joining King & Spalding as a Partner, Mr. Weems was Senior Counsel for ARCO in Jakarta, Indonesia, where he served as lead attorney for the Tangguh LNG Project from 1997-1999. During 1996-1997, he was responsible for the legal aspects of ARCO's operations in the Middle East and Southern Africa. From 1990-1996, Mr. Weems was Associate General Counsel of Virginia Indonesia Company (a major supplier of natural gas to the Bontang LNG Plant), based in Jakarta. In this capacity he was lead legal adviser to senior management of PERTAMINA on LNG and LPG matters.
Mr. Weems received his J.D., cum laude, from Texas Tech University School of Law in 1982. He holds a Master of Laws from the University of Sydney, Australia (1984) and a Certificate of Advanced Study (1989) from Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management. He is a member of the California and Texas Bar Associations.
Publications and speeches:
- “Mitigating Expropriation Risk for Natural Gas Projects” (2012)
- “Cross-Border Petroleum Reservoir Development Tactics” (2012)
- “The Top 10 Issues Facing the LNG Industry in 2012”, Oil & Gas Journal, March 2012
- “Coal Bed Methane to LNG Projects”, Australia Gas, Sydney (2011)
- “Price Reviews under Asian SPAs: Current Challenges”, CWC Australia Gas, Sydney (2011)
- “LNG and Natural Gas Contracts,” 2 Day Course, part of International Oil & Gas Law, Contracts and Negotiations Short Course: Part 2, Midstream Issues and Agreements, Houston, 1999-2011
- Co-Chair, 62nd Annual Oil and Gas Law Conference, Institute for Energy Law (CAIL), Houston (2011)
- “LNG: Looking Back at the Last 20 Years” (AIPN Singapore, 2010)
- “Participating Agreements, Dispute Resolution, and Gas Contracts”, AIPN Core Course, Singapore, 2010
- “The Future of Middle East LNG in the Global Market,” Pipeline Magazine, 2010
- “LNG Contracts”, Gas Arabia Conference, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 2010
- “Top 10 Challenges Facing the LNG Industry in 2008” (AIPN Singapore, 2008)
- Co-Chair, 3rd and 4th Law of LNG Conferences Houston (2006-07)
- “Multi-User LNG Terminals: Will the Trend Penetrate the Asian Market,” LNG Supplies for Asian Markets, Singapore (2007)
- “Middle East Gas at a Crossroads”, Middle East Petroleum & Gas, Dubai (2007)
- “Atlantic Basin LNG Sees Rapid Growth; Mideast Capacity Plays Major Role,” LNG Observer (2007)
- “Key Factors Affecting the Success of Gas Pipeline Projects, AIPN International Conference, Perth, Australia (2006)
- “Upstream Government Petroleum Contracts,” Two Day Seminar, Dubai (2006), Rio de Janeiro (2005) and Singapore (2004 and 2007)
- “LNG Marketing Workshop, Two Day Course, Jakarta, Indonesia, January 11-12, 2006 (sponsored by AIPN, BPMigas, Chevron and ConocoPhillips)
- “The Evolution of LNG Sales Contracts,” LNG Journal (2006)
- “Agreements for LNG Terminal Services,” 6th World LNG Summit, Rome (2005)
- “Evolution of LNG Sales Contracts: Trends and Issues,” 2nd Annual of Law of LNG Conference, Houston, Texas, 2005
- “Sparring Session: Head-to-Head on Gas Sales Agreements,” AIPN Spring Conference, Houston, 2005
- “HNS Convention and Its Effects on the LNG Trade,” GasTech, Bilbao, Spain, 2005
- “LNG Purchase Alternatives in Today’s Marketplace,” BNAmerica’s LNG Roundtable, Santiago, Chile, 2004
- “Potential Liabilities for Casualties in LNG Shipping,” Society of International Gas Tanker and Terminal Operators, San Francisco 2004
- “A Ship in Port is Safe…,” Petroleum Economist: Fundamentals of the Global LNG Industry 2004 (co-author with K. Keenan)
- “Key Issues in Gas Clauses Affecting Export Projects,” The Production Sharing Contracts Roundtable III, 2003, Houston
- “Highlights of Key Revisions - 2002 AIPN Model JOA,” International Energy Law and Taxation Review (2003) (co-author with M. Bolton)
- “Time Charter Parties in the LNG Trade,” LNG Journal (2001)
- “Overview of Issues Common to Structuring, Negotiating and Documenting LNG Projects,” International Energy Law and Taxation Review (Issue 8, 2000)
He also serves as arbitrator of international oil and gas and other energy disputes. He is a Fellow of the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators, listed as an arbitrator for Dubai International Arbitration Centre disputes, and has served as arbitrator of energy disputes before the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (International Division of the American Arbitration Association) and the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA).
He created, edited and co-authored Enforcement of Money Judgments Abroad, a two volume book published by Matthew Bender and Juris Publishing (1998-1997). His commentaries on structuring LNG projects were quoted in International Petroleum Transactions (3rd Edition 2010).
