Clay K. Keller

Member

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Clay K. Keller

Member

(O) : 234.888.6069

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Clay K. Keller is a Member in the Commercial Litigation Group, with an emphasis on business litigation, oil and gas, and real estate matters. He practices out of the Firm’s office in Akron, Ohio.

Bio

Clay has a broad array of experience in counseling and representing individuals and businesses as trial counsel in commercial disputes and tort matters. A significant portion of his practice involves representing upstream and midstream companies operating in Ohio in litigation and regulatory matters relating to the exploration and development of oil and gas.

Clay also regularly represents clients in transactional and litigation matters involving real estate including handling real estate transactions, drafting and negotiation of solar land leases, easement agreements, deeds and commercial land leases. For real estate litigation, he has represented clients in numerous cases involving a wide variety of matters including disputes over ownership of mineral rights, eminent domain cases, trespass claims, boundary disputes and disputes involving right-of-way agreements and temporary workspace agreements.

He is a frequent speaker on topics related to general litigation and oil and gas law. He has received a peer review rating of AV Preeminent from Martindale-Hubbell and has been named to the Best Lawyers list in Akron in Oil and Gas Law.

Clay enjoys collaborating with clients, and he is proficient in the industries in which he regularly represents companies. He believes that being able to adapt, being focused on practical solutions, and creativity are critical aspects to successfully practicing law and meeting the needs of clients.

In his spare time, Clay enjoys spending time traveling with his family. Clay is also an avid pilot and holds his commercial certificate with an instrument rating and is a member of several general aviation organizations.

Education
  • Notre Dame Law School (J.D., 2000)
  • University of Wisconsin – Lacrosse (B.S. in Political Science, 1997)
Admissions
  • Ohio (2000)
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit (2002)
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of West Ohio (2001)
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio (2000)
Work History
  • Jackson Kelly PLLC (2014-Present)
  • Babst, Calland, Clements & Zomnir, P.C. (2012-2014)
  • Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, LLP (2000-2012)
Professional Organizations
  • Federal Bar Association
  • Akron Bar Association
  • Stark County Bar Association
  • Ohio Oil and Gas Association
  • Southeastern Ohio Oil and Gas Association
  • Builder’s Exchange of North Central Ohio
  • The Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association
Awards
  • Best Lawyers® Akron, Ohio: Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Environmental, Oil and Gas Law (2024-2027)
  • Martindale-Hubbell:  AV Preeminent Rating

 

Emch-AVPreeminent-badge

Speaking Engagements & Publications

Speaking Engagements

  • Speaker, Energy & Mineral Law Foundation 34th Annual Institute (2014)
  • Speaker Energy & Mineral Law Foundation, “Title and Development Issues in the Utica Shale,” (2013)
  • Speaker, Kentucky Mineral Law Conference (2012)
  • Speaker, Energy & Mineral Law Foundation, Special Institute—Ohio Dormant Mineral Act, 2016
  • Panel speaker, Marcellus Shale Coalition, Shale Insight 2017 Conference
  • Speaker, Ohio Buckeye Chapter of International Right of Way Association Law Day Seminar, Trending Legal Issues—Pipeline Acquisition and Mineral Rights

Writings and Publications 

  • Author, “Ohio’s Dormant Mineral Act:  Addressing a Potential Title Problem Created by Severed Mineral Estates,” 35 Energy & Min. L. Inst., § 10 (2014)

Practices