Randall Pais

Randall M. Pais is Of Counsel in the Houston office of GRSM and is a member of the Environmental/Toxic Tort, Energy, Energy Infrastructure and Construction practice groups. He provides strategic legal counsel and transactional expertise across a broad range of business, legal, and geographical areas. Randall retired from Exxon Mobil Corporation in 2000 and Kinder Morgan, Inc. in 2019. Randall also retired as a Colonel from the United States Army Reserve in 1997.

In 2021, Randall was awarded the United States Military Academy/West Point Association of Graduates Distinguished Graduate Award.  The graduates selected for this award have distinguished themselves over a lifetime of service to the Country and West Point, and exemplify the Academy’s motto “Duty, Honor, Country.” Only a total of 150 Graduates have received the Award from over 54,000 living graduates eligible for consideration.

Admissions

• Texas
• Tennessee
• North Carolina
• Washington
• U.S. District Court, Southern, Northern and Western Districts of Texas
• U.S. District Court, Western District of North Carolina
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington
• Supreme Court of Texas
• Supreme Court of Tennessee
• Supreme Court of North Carolina
• Supreme Court of Washington

Memberships

• Former member, American Bar Association (Sherman Act Committee)
• Member, Houston Bar Association

Community Involvement

• Appointed Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for Texas, 2001 to Present; Report directly to the Secretary of the Army.
• Appointed by President of Texas State Bar to serve as a member on the Texas Disciplinary Rules on Professional Conduct Committee from 1995 to 2002
• Trustee, AOG Board of Trustees, United States Military Academy, 1990 to 2005, Emeritus from 2005 to Present
• Head of West Point Association of Graduates West Point Society Committee 1990 to 2005. Served as nine-time member of Distinguished Graduate Committee and Four-time member of Nominating Committee.
• Vice President, Class of 1967, United States Military Academy, 1992 to Present
• Selected in 1991 as The Woodlands Community’s People of the Year
• President, 75th MAC Officers Association, 1990
• Program Chairman, Houston Military Affairs Committee, 1990, 1991, 1995
• President, West Point Society of Houston, 1989
• Chairman, West Point Admission Support Committee, Houston, Texas, 1985 to Present
• Regional Finalist, White House Fellowship, 1984
• Chairman, Committee for Sensible Energy Policy, Seattle, WA, 1981-1983. Group successfully prevailed before the US Supreme Court which held Washington’s ban on transporting or storing low level radioactive waste in Washington was unconstitutional.
• Member, Association of the United States Army, 1995 to Present
• Member, US Army Ranger Association, 2005 to Present
• Member of Military Child Education Coalition, 2006 to Present
• Member, Mayor White's Committee for Veterans, City of Houston, 2007
• Co-Chairman, Military Committee for Freedom Fest Houston, 2007
• Member, US Army Houston Recruiting Battalion, Community Board of Advisors, 2010 to Present
• Selected Distinguished Graduate, West Point Society of Greater Houston, 2013
• Member of the Board of Directors, The Folded Flag Foundation, 2014 to Present
• Member of Saints Simon and Jude Parish 1984 to Present
• Guest Speaker for Woodlands Township Memorial Day Veterans Program 2018
• Member of Exxon Mobil’s Veterans Council. 2019 to Present

• Provided legal advice to senior management of a multinational transportation and energy corporation involved with natural gas pipeline construction, land acquisition, environmental, regulatory and litigation throughout the United States.
  • Lead legal support in constructing over 1500 miles of natural gas and liquid pipelines in states from Texas to East Coast including the day to day legal advice for the various Kinder Morgan entities operating these pipelines.
  • Lead procurement, negotiations, permitting, land acquisition/eminent domain and post contract litigation efforts for a 500 mile $2.2B interstate natural gas pipeline crossing five states. One matter concluded at the Texas Supreme Court with a $28M judgement and recovery against vendor located in India.
  • Lead legal team in constructing a 14-mile pipeline through NY, MA and CT in face of intense environmental and regulatory opposition. Negotiated the procurement, land acquisition, and permitting contracts to place pipeline in service by November 1, 2017. Successfully lead team in challenge of MA constitution restricting transfer of public lands for private use. In case of first impression State District Court concluded federal supremacy clause preempted state constitution.
  • Lead legal effort to build a 425-mile liquids transmission pipeline in Ohio resulting in filing over 400 condemnation petitions and numerous landowner disputes.
  • Served as lead attorney for the construction and contract negotiations for a 414-mile Gulf Coast Express pipeline currently under construction in Texas.
  • Resolved numerous disputes involving pipeline operations and construction throughout the country.
  • Developed standard procurement, construction, and general services agreements for Kinder Morgan reallocating pipeline construction risk strategies.
  • Lead Enron legal team in development of four power plant projects in United State prior to bankruptcy.
  • Negotiated power plant and gas construction contracts on Enron projects in Brazil, Central America, India, Mexico, and Venezuela.
  • Negotiated and sold 11 Enron assets post-bankruptcy totaling over $300M.
  • Closed $50 million steel plant loan for Enron prior to bankruptcy.
  • Coordinated Enron’s domestic and international construction litigation and arbitration proceedings pre and post-bankruptcy.
  • Concluded sale of Enron’s water business in Argentina holding a $183M international arbitration award (ICSID) award against the Government of Argentina.
  • Post-bankruptcy member of legal team that sold all of Enron’s domestic and international power plants, water, wind, retail energy, real estate and trading assets.
  • Negotiated Exxon’s nuclear fuel and uranium supply contracts with domestic and international entities between 1978 to 1984.
  • Led Exxon’s legal team that contracted with the Department of Energy to operate the Department’s Idaho Nuclear Laboratory and related Navy’s nuclear fuel reprocessing facility. Negotiated increase in contract award from $1M to $4M dollars annually plus a significant increase in the performance incentive award.
  • Led legal team which challenged a Washington state ban prohibiting the disposal and storage of low level radioactive waste. Case subsequently resolved by US Supreme Court holding Washington’s ban was unconstitutional.
  • Drafted nuclear supply, chemical and petroleum contracts for providing services, equipment and intellectual property rights.
  • Worked on Exxon-Mobil legal team which acquired Mobil Corporation. Post entry FTC Consent Decree, led Exxon’s requirements to divest designated domestic marketing assets.
  • Developed Exxon’s procedures regarding premises liability, franchisee selection and service station compliance requirements for the Americans with Disability Act (ADA).
  • Negotiated first ADA settlement in petroleum industry with Department of Justice. Settlement established industry standard for retail service stations.

Education

J.D., University of Tennessee, College of Law, 1974

• Tennessee Law Review (Research Editor)
• Order of the Coif
• Phi Kappa Phi

B.S., United States Military Academy, 1967

U. S. Army War College, 1988

Honors

West Point Distinguished Graduate Award (2021)