BrianSullivan

UT PGE Professor of Practice Brian Sullivan
Professor of Practice

Research Areas
Research Interests

Oil, gas and mineral law

About

Brian Sullivan graduated with honors in petroleum engineering from The University of Texas at Austin in 1976 and subsequently graduated from the University of Texas Law School.

Sullivan is a Licensed Professional Engineer in Texas in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering (66213), and is Board Certified in Oil, Gas, and Mineral Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He is a founding partner in McElroy, Sullivan, Miller Weber, LLP, a law firm focused on energy, environment and water. Prior to entering private practice, he was a legal (now titled administrative law judge) and technical examiner in the Oil and Gas Division of the Railroad Commission of Texas, staff counsel to Commissioner Buddy Temple, an adjunct assistant professor at UT Austin, a consulting engineer with Max F. Powell, PE and a production engineer with Amoco Production Company. Now a partner emeritus at McElroy, Sullivan, Miller & Weber, he practices law on a reduced basis and is a grader for the Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Certification Examination.

Sullivan was appointed by Governor George W. Bush to the Regulatory Affairs Committee of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission. He is the past chairman of the Oil, Gas and Energy Resources Law Council of the State Bar of Texas, as well as a past chairman of the Visiting Committee of the Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering Department of UT Austin. He has served as a trustee at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Austin, Texas, as a trustee at Schreiner University in Kerrville, Texas and as an elder at Westminster Presbyterian Church.

Educational Qualifications

J.D., University of Texas Law School, 1979
B.S., Petroleum Engineering, 1976

Select Awards & Honors

  • E. E. Smith Lifetime Achievement Award in Oil and Gas Law (2026)
  • UT PGE Distinguished Alumni Award (2023)
  • Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Attorney
  • Go To Lawyers for Energy Law – Texas Lawyer Magazine
  • Super Lawyer – Thompson Reuters (2007–2021)

Related News