Our Team

 Jason maintains a business-minded legal practice focused on meeting the wide spectrum of legal needs of businesses and individuals throughout Texas and New Mexico, ranging from civil litigation to transactional services to property and real estate matters to estate planning and trust work. Jason strives to protect the interests of his clients, assist his clients through difficult situations, and to ultimately help his clients achieve their desired goals. Jason represents clients engaged in a wide array of industries, although many of his clients are involved to some degree in the oil and gas industry.

Jason is licensed and experienced in the state courts of both Texas and New Mexico, as well as in federal courts, and his clients range from individuals to privately and publicly held companies of various sizes. Jason has substantial knowledge and experience to successfully handle all types of complex and routine disputes and litigation matters. Recently, he has represented his clients, on the sides of both the plaintiff and defendant, in numerous complex litigation disputes, including lawsuits relating to contracts, fiduciary duties, business torts, partnership relationships, real property, oil and gas ownership, leasing and drilling issues, employment relationships, and collections. Jason is very experienced in all aspects of the litigation process, including in the lead role at trial.  Over the past year, he has represented multiple clients in the appellate courts, including his recent argument before the Texas Supreme Court.

Jason provides experienced representation to clients in transactional and business matters, both simple and complex, including serving in an outsourced general counsel role for many businesses and individuals. Jason handles all aspects of business transactions and business needs, ranging from entity formation and planning, through growth and expansion, to the preparation and review of everyday contracts and transaction documents, to acquisition or divestiture of stock and assets. 

Jason additionally counsels and represents mineral, royalty, and working interest owners, in both Texas and New Mexico, on acquisition, ownership, leasing, development, production, and lease termination issues. Jason also assists landowners in leasing and sales transactions, dealing with oil companies, negotiating surface use agreements, and other matters affecting the surface estate of a landowner. In recent years, Jason has become heavily involved in the water aspect of the oilfield, with significant experience in issues and agreements pertaining to the sourcing, transferring, and selling of freshwater and the disposal, reclamation and recycling of wastewater produced in the oilfield. 

Jason is actively involved in the Midland and West Texas communities and gives a significant portion of his time to supporting various organizations and charitable causes. Jason has served as an officer in both the Midland County Bar Association and the Midland County Young Lawyers Association and is a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation. Jason currently serves as a Director for the First Tee West Texas and contributes his time and resources to multiple organizations supporting our troops and wounded warriors.  Jason graduated from Fort Stockton High School (Fort Stockton, Texas) and was a football letterman at the University of Texas. Jason is married to Mindy, and they have a son, Braden (10 years), and a daughter, Delaney (8 years).

Education:

Texas Tech University School of Law (J.D., 2008)

The University of Texas at Austin (B.S., 2004)

Bar Admissions:

Texas, 2008

New Mexico, 2015

Nick’s work encompasses oil and gas litigation, land and title issues, as well as corporate transactions.  Nick assists land and mineral owners in leasing, surface use agreements, contract disputes, and contract negotiations.  He also advises companies in the oil and gas industry and other businesses as outside general counsel.  Nick assists companies and individuals with entity formation, purchase and sale agreements, employment contracts, MSA reviews, and acquisitions. 

Nick is a Midland native who attended the University of Alabama he earned his Bachelors degree. Nick stayed in Alabama for law school, receiving his Juris Doctor from Thomas Goode Jones School of Law.  After law school Nick returned to Midland and began doing land work.  Following his admission to the State Bar of Texas, and prior to joining the Hamm Law Group, Nick worked as general counsel at a small local oil and gas operating company. 

Nick is active in the Midland community, and serves on the Midland Airport Board.  Nick and his wife Holli, have a son, Nick (6), and a daughter, Harper (3).    In his free time, Nick enjoys hunting, flying, and spending time with his family at his family ranch in Blackwell, Texas.

Education:

Thomas Goode Jones School of Law (J.D., 2012)

The University of Alabama (B.A., 2008)

Bar Admissions:

Texas, 2013

Rick Strange joined the team at Hamm Law Group in 2021. Rick started his career with a large oil and gas law firm in Midland, Texas, where he became a shareholder and headed the litigation section.  Rick was appointed to the Eastland Court of Appeals in 2005 and served there until 2011.  He returned to his previous firm for several years until becoming General Counsel for a large oil and gas service company in Midland in 2017.  Rick has an extensive litigation background and in recent years has gained significant transactional experience.  Rick has spent his professional career working in the oil and gas sector and has been responsible for legal and regulatory affairs including contracts, Human Resources, and international compliance.

Rick obtained a BBA from Hardin Simmons University and a law degree from the University of Texas.  Rick is board certified in oil, gas, and mineral law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Education

Hardin Simmons University -  Accounting ( BBA, cum laude, 1982)

University of Texas School of Law (JD, with honors, 1985)

Professional

Board Certified, Oil, Gas & Mineral Law, State Bar of Texas

Super Lawyer 2016 and 2017

Fellow, State Bar Foundation

Past Member ABOTA

Member, State Bar Association, Midland County Bar Associations

Past Director, Texas Judicial Center

Past Council Member, Oil, Gas, and Mineral Law Section, State Bar of Texas

Past Member Texas Supreme Court Historical Society

 Member, Interstate Oil & Gas Compact Commission.

Member, Western, Northern, & Southern Districts of Texas; Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals; and admitted to practice before United States Supreme Court

Young Lawyer of the Year, Midland County Young Lawyers’ Association, 1993

Publications

Application of Voting Rights Act to Communities Containing Two or More Minority Groups - When Is the Whole Greater than the Sum of the Parts? Texas Tech Law Review 1989

Weaving A Tangled Web: The Intersection of Energy Policy and Broader Governmental Policies, Texas Journal of Oil, Gas, and Energy Law, 2010

Rights of First Refusal and Package Oil and Gas Transactions, South Texas Law Review, 2011

Other Activities

Trustee, Hardin Simmons University

President, Midland Country Club

Sunday School Teacher, Finance Committee Member, First Baptist Church.

Graduate, U.S. Army Jump School and Ranger School, Summer 1981

 USGA Golf Rules Official 

Cassi graduated from Midland High School then went to Midland College for 2 years where she was awarded with the Dean’s Honor Roll before transferring to UTPB where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Child and Family Studies. She then went on to get her teaching certification and teach 4th grade reading, writing, and social studies for a year before deciding to make a career change into the legal field. Cassi has now received certification from the National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc. as a CORE Registered Paralegal and has been working with Jason since 2013. Cassi is also a Notary Public for the State of Texas. Cassi has a 5 year old son named Bryson, a German Shepherd named Marley, and a Golden-Doodle named Cricket. 

Education:

B.A. – Child and Family Studies (2012) University of Texas of the Permian Basin

National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc. – CORE Registered Paralegal

Notary Public, State of Texas

Shirley Cleere is a professional paralegal with more than 27 years of experience in the legal industry and judicial system. Shirley holds several certifications in her field, as well as she is a member of various paralegal organizations and is a Notary Public for the State of Texas. Shirley’s extensive experience, abilities, commitment, energy, work ethic and team focus have greatly enriched the ability of Hamm Law Group to provide its clients with an unmatched service experience.

Before earning her degree in Paralegal Studies, Shirley was the Chief Deputy District Clerk for Winkler County, Texas for approximately 10 years. In her position as Chief Deputy, Shirley gained extensive knowledge pertaining to the judicial system and the innerworkings of what is required to properly take a case from the initial filings to a successful jury verdict.

After many years working in Winkler County, in 2004, Shirley moved to Andrews, Texas, where she served as the 109th Judicial District Court Administrator. Shirley’s exceptional organizational skills and knowledge of the judicial system allowed her to manage and coordinate hearings, bench trial settings and jury trial settings, as well as maintain and manage the criminal and civil dockets for all three counties comprising the 109th Judicial District (Andrews, Winkler and Crane). While working as the District Court Administrator, Shirley completed a rigorous 4-year training program and became one of the first in Texas to earn the accreditation of Certified Court Administrator on a national level.

Since moving to Midland in 2011, Shirley has transitioned into private practice as a Paralegal. Shirley’s extensive experience in many areas of the law have served her very well as a Paralegal, and her exceptional abilities are a great compliment to the focused services offered by Hamm Law Group. In particular, Shirley is able to assist the clients of Hamm Law Group in civil litigation and personal injury matters, with some of her strongest abilities consisting of performing real property title research and review, working on collection and lien matters, managing and organizing discovery and document production, assisting with jury selection and trial preparation, and obtaining and organizing medical and business records. Shirley has participated in and assisted with many jury selections, civil jury trials and motion hearings in counties throughout Texas. Shirley is also experienced in the preparation of visual aids, editing of videos and deposition transcripts, presentation of electronic exhibits, organizing and tracking of trial exhibits, and coordinating with witnesses.

Since joining Hamm Law Group, Shirley now provides support to the transactional and operational needs of our many business clients, including assisting with the preparation and review of corporate records, contracts and different types of agreements, as well as helping to manage debt collection efforts and the lien process for the firm’s clients. Shirley also provides support to the personal injury clients at Hamm Law Group. Shirley’s real property research experience has also served the firm’s clients well in the areas of oil and gas title examination, interest disputes, and real property title curative work, in both Texas and New Mexico.

Shirley is actively involved with her church and in the community, and she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.  Shirley graduated from Kermit High School and went on to attend Midland College and University of Texas of the Permian Basin.