Mr. Eckley's primary area of practice is mineral, commercial and residential real estate law.

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Education

• Rhodes College, B.A., 2004
• West Virginia University College of Law, J.D., 2007
• The Center for Real Estate Law at University of Illinois Chicago John Marshall Law School, LL.M. in Real Estate Law, 2008

Experience

• Negotiating, preparing and interpreting purchase/sale agreements, leases, easements, licenses, rights-of-way, surface damage agreements and other land use agreements
• Serving as counsel for the acquisition and development of two major shopping centers in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia
• Performing coal, oil and gas title examinations and preparing corresponding title opinions to assist a wide variety of clients in acquiring desired property rights, including large-scale title examination projects for natural resource and renewable energy companies
• Represented the purchaser in one of the largest auto dealership acquisitions and refinances to occur in West Virginia
• Counsel in the development, sale and/or financing of five different wind-powered electric generation facilities
• Representing various clients in timber transactions totaling over 1 million acres
• Serving as counsel on the long-term development and sale of a shale operator’s oil and gas development projects
• Serving as counsel on an ongoing coalbed methane development and tax credit project
• Working on numerous general commercial transactions, financings and contracts, including advising parties in secured lending transactions
• Served as in-house counsel on loan at a publicly traded oil and gas company working on natural gas production, transportation and storage issues
• Working on numerous pre-litigation and litigation cases related to contracts and real estate law
• Representing clients in commercial and mineral real estate transactions, including an acquisition of approximately 130,000 mineral acres
• Agent for First American Title Insurance Company, Old Republic National Title Insurance Company, and Fidelity National Title Insurance Company

Reported Cases

• Cunningham Energy, LLC v. Kanawha County Board of Education, No. 20-0346 (W.Va. Supreme Court, March 23, 2021) (memorandum decision)

Distinctions

• Recognized by Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business for Real Estate Law
• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America for Real Estate Law
• Listed by West Virginia Super Lawyers as a Rising Star
• CALI Award, Legal Research and Writing

Admissions

• West Virginia State Bar
• Licensed Real Estate Agent (Inactive)

Memberships

• West Virginia State Bar, Real Estate, Zoning and Land Use Committee, Member
• American Association of Professional Landmen

Publications & Presentations

• Author, “Developing Jurisprudence in the Marcellus and Utica Shale,” Energy and Mineral Law Foundation Annual Institute, 2012
• Contributing author, “Innovative Approaches to Post-Mining Land Use Development,” Energy and Mineral Law Foundation Annual Institute, 2010
• Speaker at 33rd Annual Energy and Mineral Law Foundation Conference

Community Involvement

• Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia, Vice Chancellor
• Attorney Volunteer, Legal Aid of West Virginia Pro Bono Referral Program
• Former Board Member (7 years) and Big Brother (17 years), Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central West Virginia