Allison Farrell

For more than a decade, attorney Allison J. Farrell has practiced “dirt law” in the Appalachian Basin. This Buffalo native earned her stripes as an oil, gas, and coal attorney litigating complex title and natural resource development issues in both state and federal courts for industry clients.

Over the years, Allison has represented clients in a wide variety of property-based legal matters, including quiet title actions, lease litigation, eminent domain actions, partition claims, surface use disputes, easement and right-of-way disputes, estate contests, land contract enforcement and foreclosure, estate disputes, and judicial sales of real estate, to name a few. She also represents oil and gas producers before the West Virginia Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and has advocated for her clients before the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals.

As a complement to her litigation practice, Allison manages a real estate transaction practice out of the firm’s Clarksburg office. The transaction side of the practice spans both surface and subsurface property interests. Regardless of whether Allison is advising on a “simple” lease negotiation, a mineral title opinion, a title search, or specialized advice on how to best structure a joint operating agreement (JOA) among oil and gas operators, Allison’s clients value her direct and no-nonsense approach.

Allison is a licensed title insurance agent with First American Title Insurance, and is approved as a settlement agent with both Fidelity National Title Group and West Virginia’s Banker's Title. Quick, efficient title searches and closings for property in North Central West Virginia are handled in the firm’s downtown Clarksburg location.

Allison is originally from Buffalo, New York and moved to West Virginia from Montana in 2005. An avid horsewoman, Allison and her family live on a farm in the central part of the state. In her free time, she enjoys trail riding, camping, working on the farm, and traveling.

• Equine Law
• Commercial Litigation Defense
• Energy Litigation Defense

Bar of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Since 2016

West Virginia

West Virginia State Bar

Since 2009

Member

Jenkins Fenstermaker, PLLC

2018 - Current

Member

Steptoe & Johnson LLP

2009 - 2018

Public Relations Director

Glennville State COllege

2005 - 2006

Political Reporter

Lee Newspapers

2002 - 2005

Reporter

The Daily Gazette

2000 - 2002

Reporter

The Leader Herald

2001 - 2001

Associate Editor

The Amherst Bee

2000 - 2001

West Virginia University College of Law

J.D. (2009) | Law

Honors: Order of the Coif

Activities: Served on the West Virginia Law Review

State University of New York - Buffalo

M.A. (2000) | English

University of Montana - University of Montana-Missoula

B.A. (1999) | English

Best Law Firms

Best Lawyers

2020

Best Law Firms for U.S. News & World Report

Rising Star

Super Lawyers

2019

Rising Star

Super Lawyers

2018

Rising Star

Super Lawyers

2017

Rising Star

Super Lawyers

2016

West Virginia State Bar  # 11102

Member

Current

Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia

Member

Current

United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia

Member

Current

United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia

Member

Current

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

Member

Current

One Stick in The Bundle: Characterizing Nonparticipating Royalty Interests Under West Virginia Law

2014

Surface Use in the Age of Horizontal Drilling: Will Horizontal Wells Be Considered a ‘Reasonably Necessary’ Use of the Surface?

North Dakota Law Review

2012

One Man v. “The 800-Pound Gorilla”: An Argument for Truly Just Compensation in Condemnation Proceedings

West Virginia Law Review

2009

“Update on Oil and Gas Law”, WVONGA's fall meeting

October 2016

WVONGA

“Cotenancy in West Virginia: Discussion of New Oil and Gas Statute”, MLBC

September 2018

MLBC

“Lease Shut In Clauses: Keeping the Lease in 2020 and Beyond”, WVU College of Law Shale CLE

November 2020

WVU College of Law