Georgina St. Johns concentrates her practice on high-stakes commercial litigation, representing clients across the oil and gas industry in matters of significant complexity and value. Georgina’s experience spans breach of contract disputes, trade secret misappropriation claims, indemnity and royalty payment controversies, operator litigation, and contested title matters. Before joining Vartabedian Katz Hester & Haynes, Georgina interned for the General Counsel of a large health care company, assisting with corporate closings, mergers and acquisitions, and private equity financings. Georgina also served at the Kosovo Specialist Prosecutor’s Office in The Hague, assisting with trial preparation for cases prosecuting international war crimes and crimes against humanity – experience that sharpened her command of complex evidentiary frameworks and high-profile adversarial proceedings.
Locations
Dallas
2200 Ross Ave. | Ste. 5000
Dallas, TX 75201
Fort Worth
301 Commerce St. | Ste. 3635
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Representative Experience
Saltwater Injection Well Dispute (Loving Co., Tex.)
Represents an energy company in a trespass and property damage lawsuit brought by an exploration and production company. Plaintiffs allege that nearby saltwater disposal wells caused subsurface migration, resulting in the washout of reserves from which their wells produced. The case involves technical analysis, oilfield operations, and defense coordination in a venue central to Permian Basin activity.
Viper Energy Partners LLC v RSP Permian, LLC (Loving Co., Tex.)
Represented Viper (a subsidiary of Diamondback Energy) against RSP Permian (a subsidiary of ConocoPhillips) in a dispute regarding valuable Delaware Basin lease rights. Viper prevailed on partial summary judgment on the key issue in the case.
Urban Oil and Gas Partners v. Blackbeard Resource, LLC et al. (Tarrant Co., Tex.)
Represented the primary target of the plaintiffs in a multi-party indemnity dispute regarding the ultimate financial responsibility for claims related to Louisiana oil and gas properties. Blackbeard prevailed on summary judgment and was awarded attorney’s fees.
Trade Secrets Misappropriation Litigation (W.D. Tex.)
Represented national waste management broker against competitor in federal trade secrets misappropriation litigation involving claims under the Texas Uniform Trade Secrets Act and Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
Saltwater Disposal Well Disputes (Texas)
Represents both plaintiffs and defendants in disputes concerning the operation of saltwater disposal wells in West Texas.
Other Representations
- Second-chaired a trial and obtained a unanimous jury verdict for a Midland-based royalty owner for attorneys’ fees incurred in a royalty payment dispute.
- Successfully briefed an argument to the Texas Supreme Court on behalf of the respondent in a case concerning the district’s court’s jurisdiction to issue a protective order. The Texas Supreme Court held that the respondent, a non-resident, did not enter a general appearance, and therefore did not waive his right to challenge the district court’s lack of personal jurisdiction. The Texas Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the court of appeals, which vacated the protective order and dismissed the case.
- Representing clients in prosecuting lease termination disputes, including litigation involving production in paying quantities, retained acreage, and total cessation issues.
- Representing clients in royalty underpayment disputes.
- Representing clients in environmental pollution litigation and indemnity disputes.
Credentials
Admissions
- Texas
- Northern District of Texas
- Western District of Texas
Education
- Vanderbilt University (J.D., 2023)
- Authorities Editor, Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law
- Women Law Student’s Association
- Law and Business Society
- University of California, Los Angeles (B.A., 2019)
- Cum Laude
Memberships
- State Bar of Texas
- Dallas Bar Association
- Vanderbilt Housing Law Clinic, Fall 2021
- Vanderbilt International Law Practice Lab, Spring 2022