Bill is a founding partner of Childers Hewett Slagle PLLC. His transactional practice focuses on real estate and business matters for clients both inside and outside of the energy industry.Bill’s energy practice covers the wide range of matters that his clients face in their acquisition, exploration, and production of oil, gas, and other mineral assets. After cutting his teeth conducting title examination for assets in the Barnett Shale right out of law school, he has since garnered considerable oil and gas experience in virtually every onshore play in Texas in the last decade as well as in the Marcellus and Utica Shales in Appalachia. His experience in Appalachia includes advising clients on coal ownership and rights in the context of natural gas operations. Outside of the energy industry, Bill assists business owners, developers, and investors through multiple phases of their acquisition, development, and management of urban, farm, and ranch properties. This practice includes entity formation and governance, drafting and review of purchase and sale agreements, title and due diligence, negotiation and drafting of lease agreements, and document preparation. Bill has experience assisting clients in the acquisition and development of multi-million dollar single family lot developments and vacation rental properties in qualified opportunity zones.

Primarily represent oil and gas companies in their exploration and production operations. Practice focuses on oil and gas transactional matters as well as title examination rendering acquisition, drilling, and division order opinions. In addition, practice involves:• Counseling clients on the applicability of oil and gas law on their operations• Formation of limited liability companies and drafting of the related company agreement• Drafting wills and related testamentary trusts• Drafting deeds, correction deeds, and stipulations of interest• Drafting leases and lease amendments, extensions, and ratifications• Drafting production sharing agreements• Negotiating and drafting oil and gas leases, surface use agreements, letters of intent, purchase and sale agreements, escrow agreements, salt water disposal agreements, master service agreements, and other transactional documentsFreeman Mills PC consists of 37 attorneys focused on representing the energy industry in a wide variety of litigation, title, and transaction matters. Our clients include exploration and production companies, midstream companies, oil and gas service companies, and banks. In addition to our Texas practice, our attorneys are licensed in California, Colorado, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. We have offices in Dallas, Fort Worth, Longview, and Tyler.

As a law clerk, progressed from drafting drilling and division order title opinions from attorney notes and researching basic title issues to independently examining chains of title and compiling memoranda and overviews of title law in multiple jurisdictions.• Examined chains of title and drafted drilling and division order title opinions• Researched legal issues and drafted memoranda addressing complex title issues• Prepared maps and exhibits in connection with drilling and division order title opinions• Spearheaded research, summary, and implementation of oil and gas law for title examination in new jurisdiction (PA).• Experience in Texas, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, and Ohio oil and gas law

Performed title work in Smith and Panola Counties.