Fred M. MacDonald
Of Counsel
fred.macdonald@learlaw.com - 801-538-5007
Fred is one of the most experienced, knowledgeable oil and gas attorneys in the Intermountain West. Fred joined Lear & Lear in 2020 after 34 years of practice with nationally recognized, top-ranked natural resource law firms in Salt Lake City. Fred’s deep expertise strengthens Lear & Lear’s ability to serve its clientele in many aspects of this specialized area of law.
While Fred has experience in many areas of natural resource practice, he primarily focuses on oil and gas law, including title examination of Federal, fee, State of Utah, and Indian lands, title curative including probates, farmout, joint operating agreement and other contract drafting and interpretation, unit formation and operation, and administrative practice before the Utah Board of Oil, Gas and Mining and U.S. Interior Board of Land Appeals.
Fred has assisted in revising Utah’s oil and gas statutes and regulations and has authored many papers. Fred regularly lectures on oil and gas legal issues throughout the country.
Practice Areas
Title Work
Drilling & Division Order Title Opinions
Acquisition Opinions
Financing Opinions
Supplemental Title Opinions
Curative Title Work
Lease Negotiations
Financing Title Matters
Federal Unitization
Transactional & Due Diligence
Purchase & Sale Agreements
Permitting
Environmental Due Diligence
Acquisition & Divestiture
Due Diligence
Title
Contract Issues
Deal Structuring
Transfer of Title
Indemnification
Confidentiality
Lien Priority
Third-Party Consents and Waiver
Consents to Assign
Waiver of Preferential Purchase Rights
Transactional Documents
Letter of Intent
Confidentiality Agreements
Purchase & Sale Agreements
Title Defects
Closing Documents
Curative Title Documents
Commission & Regulatory
Well Siting and Spacing
Pooling, Unitization, and Communitization
Surface and Downhole Commingling of Oil and Gas
Vertical, Directional, and Horizontal Drilling
Gas Flaring
Surface Use & Bonding
Salt Water Disposal & Other Types of Injection Wells
Oilfield Waste Facilities
Dispute Resolution/ Litigation
Surface & Title Disputes
Operational Disputes
Contract/JOS Disputes
Vendor & Subcontractor Disputes
Regulatory Compliance Issues
Rights-of-Way Disputes
Lis Pendens
Quiet Title Actions
Interior Board of Land Appeals Actions
Administrative Appeals
Natural Resources
American Indian Law
Acquisitions of Mineral Interests on Federal, State & Private Lands
Compliance & Regulation
Permitting
Due Diligence
Transactions
Public Leasing & Permitting
Alternative Energy Projects
Mineral Development
Surface Use & Conservation Easements
Admissions
Fred is admitted to practice in Utah (State Court and the United States District Court for the District of Utah)
Professional & Civic Organizations
American Association of Professional Landmen
Chairman – Form 610 JOA Revision Task Force - 2012-2015
Coalbed Methane JOA Task Force – 2002-2005
Utah Association of Professional Landmen
AAPL Director – 2014-2016
Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation
Trustee at Large - 2004-2006
Faculty – Federal Oil & Gas Short Course – 1995 – 2013
Oil & Gas Co-Chair - 48th Annual Institute - 2002
Utah State Bar – Energy & Natural Resources Section
Chair – 1997-1998
Utah Petroleum Association
Education
Valparaiso University School of Law (J.D., 1986)
Purdue University (B.S.E., 1983)
Recognitions
Best Lawyers in America – 2007- Present
Best Lawyers in America – Salt Lake Oil & Gas Lawyer of the Year – 2012 and 2019
Super Lawyers – 2008-Present
Publications
Coalbed Methane Units: Making the Square Peg Fit the Round Hole, Regulation of Coalbed Methane, Paper No. 7 (Rocky Mt. Min. L. Fdn. 2002)
The New AAPL Form 610 – A Coalbed Methane Checklist: Making the List and How to Check It Twice, 27 Energy & Min. L. Inst. Ch. 4 (2006)
Preparing and Finalizing the Unit Agreement: Making Sure Your Exploratory Ducks Are In A Row, Federal Onshore Oil & Gas Pooling and Unitization, Paper No. 3 (Rocky Mt. Min. L. Fdn. 2014)
What’s New in the 2015 Form, Joint Operations and the New AAPL Form 610-2015 Model Form Operating Agreement, Paper No. 1 (Rocky Mt. Min. L. Fdn. 2016)