Nicholas P. Laurent
Top rated Eminent Domain attorney in Austin, Texas
Barron, Adler, Clough & Oddo, PLLC
Practice Areas: Eminent Domain
Licensed in Texas since: 2008
Education: The University of Tulsa College of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2021, 2023 - 2024 
Selected to Rising Stars: 2017 - 2018 Call today:
844-890-1925
Barron, Adler, Clough & Oddo, PLLC
808 Nueces StAustin, TX 78701 Visit website
Details
Nicholas P. Laurent joined Barron, Adler, Clough & Oddo, PLLC in 2015 and exclusively represents landowners in eminent domain, inverse condemnation, land use, and real property transactions and litigation. He has represented landowners in all phases of the condemnation process, including pre-suit negotiations, in special commissioner hearings, before state and federal trial courts, and on appeal before Texas intermediate appellate courts and the Supreme Court of Texas. His clients range from individual landowners to publicly traded Fortune 500 companies.
Mr. Laurent’s eminent domain practice covers all of Texas including El Paso, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, the Panhandle, and the Rio Grande Valley, in addition to Oklahoma, North Dakota, Virginia, Georgia, and Colorado. He has represented landowners in eminent domain matters pursued by the federal, state, county and city governments, regional mobility and toll road authorities, oil/gas pipeline companies, and utility providers. His broad experience covers a variety of real property takings that range from border wall takings to billboard leases.
In addition to handling statutory eminent domain matters, Mr. Laurent has litigated the breadth and scope of utility easements on behalf of landowners in injunction proceedings following upgrades and other projects and has pursued inverse condemnation claims on behalf of landowners as well as claims under the federal “Big” Tucker Act and the Texas Tort Claims Act. He also represents landowners in contested cases on power line routing before the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the State Office of Administrative Hearings.
Prior to joining Barron, Adler, Clough & Oddo, Mr. Laurent was a partner with McGinnis, Lochridge & Kilgore, LLP where he represented clients in state and federal appellate courts and presented oral arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans and the Texas Third Court of Appeals at Austin.
Mr. Laurent graduated with a B.B.A. in Finance from Southern Methodist University in 2005. He graduated with honors from the University of Tulsa College of Law in 2008 where he served on the Energy Law Journal and was awarded the Order of the Curule Chair, the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation Joe Rudd Scholarship, and the Energy and Mineral Law Foundation Scholarship.
Mr. Laurent was selected as a top attorney in Super Lawyers in 2021 and 2023 and was named as one of the top eminent domain lawyers in Austin Monthly in 2022 and 2023. He is a member of the State Bars of Texas and North Dakota and has been admitted to practice in the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth and Eighth Circuits, the Federal Court of Claims, and the U.S. District Courts for the Western, Eastern, Southern and Northern Districts of Texas. He has been appointed Vice-Chair of the Land Use and Environmental Group of the American Bar Association’s Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law for the 2022-2023 term. He is also a member of the Real Estate Council of Austin and the Oil, Gas & Energy Resources Law Section of the State Bar of Texas.
Practice areas
Eminent Domain- 100% Eminent Domain
First Admitted: 2008, Texas
Professional Webpage: https://www.barronadler.com/attorneys/nick-laurent/
- State Bars of Texas
- American Bar Association, Chair of the Condemnation Committee, 2018-2022
- Vice-Chair of the Land Use and Environmental Group of the American Bar Association’s Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law for the 2022-2023
- United States District Courts for the Northern Districts of Texas
- United States District Courts for the Southern Districts of Texas
- United States District Courts for the Eastern Districts of Texas
- United States District Courts for the Western Districts of Texas
- United States Court of Federal Claims
- United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuits
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuits
- United States Supreme Court
- North Dakota
- Member of the Real Estate Council of Austin and the Oil, Gas & Energy Resources Law Section of the State Bar of Texas
- Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation Joe Rudd scholarship, University of Tulsa College of Law
- https://www.austinmonthly.com/attorneys/nicholas-p-laurent/, Top Eminent Domain Attorney, Austin Monthly, 2023
- https://www.austinmonthly.com/attorneys/nicholas-p-laurent/, Top Eminent Domain Attorney, Austin Monthly, 2022
- Energy and Mineral Law Foundation scholarship, University of Tulsa College of Law
- Order of the Curule Chair, University of Tulsa College of Law
- J.D., The University of Tulsa School of Law, 2008
- B.B.A., Finance, Southern Methodist University, 2005
- Spoke at a continued learning education course for ALI Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation evaluating current state of utility easement acquisitions, Speaker, Utility Easements: A Look at New Acquisitions and Existing Easements, ALI Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation CLE, Utilities, 2023
- Co-chaired this annual event hosted by Barron, Adler, Clough & Oddo, PLLC and discussed current eminent domain issues, Co-Chair, Where Progress and Property Rights Coverage and speaker, Cutting-Edge Eminent Domain Issues, Texas Eminent Domain Conference, 2023
- Interviewed for a news article on a particular piece of property in west Austin, Interviewee, Austin property fight: Who owns $3M Tarrytown lot, and who owes its $670K in unpaid taxes?, Austin American-Statesman, 2022
- Discussed multi-party representation between clients and attorneys for the Austin Bar Association, Speaker, Attorney/Client Issues in Multi-Party Representation, Austin Bar Association Eminent Domain Section, 2022
- Served as an eminent domain subject matter expert on the US-Mexico border wall, Interviewee, Levee system’s integrity questioned as crews begin fixing more prominent breaches in South Texas, BorderReport, 2021
- Spoke for easements and right-of-way seminar, Speaker, Participating in the Condemnation Process, HalfMoon Education’s Texas Easements, Rights-of-Way, and Eminent Domain Webinar, 2021
- Moderated panel discussion on the Cedar Point Nursery v. Hassid case for a continued learning education course, Moderator, Cedar Point Nursery v. Hassid: Supreme Court Weighs in on the Definition of Private Property, American Bar Association’s Real Property, Trust and Estate Law eCLE, 2021
- Talk with Austin Bar Association Oil, Gas & Mineral Law Section, Speaker, Eminent Domain in the Oilfield, Austin Bar Association Oil, Gas & Mineral Law Section, Oil, Gas, 2021
- Spoke for easements and right-of-way seminar, Speaker, Participating in the Condemnation Process, HalfMoon Education’s Easements, Rights-of-Way, and Eminent Domain Webinar, 2020
- Spoke for easements and right-of-way seminar, Speaker, Participating in the Condemnation Process, HalfMoon Education’s Easements, Rights-of-Way, and Eminent Domain Webinar, 2020
- Discussion at Annual Eminent Domain Superconference in Austin about current eminent domain issues, Co-Speaker, Cutting-Edge Issues in Utility Easement Acquisitions, 19th Annual Eminent Domain Superconference, 2020
- Spoke for easements and right-of-way seminar, Speaker, Participating in the Condemnation Process, HalfMoon Education’s Easements, Rights-of-Way, and Eminent Domain Seminar, 2019
- Presentation on eminent domain and impacts on the US-Mexico border, Speaker, Special Presentation: Eminent Domain and the Border Wall, Political and Legal Perspectives, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Conference, 2019
- Debate on oil and gas eminent domain rights, Speaker, Debate: Danny Vu and Nick Laurent | Eminent Domain and Landowner Rights, Texas Oil & Gas Podcast, 2019
- Sat down with Texas Tribune as a subject matter expert on eminent domain for the US-Mexico border wall , Interviewee, Legal experts: Emergency declaration may not be quickest way to build wall, Texas Tribune, 2019
- This panel, along with Roy Brandys, disccussed the complex legal, environmental and eminent domain issues present at Texas’ border zones, Panelist, This Land is Whose Land?, University of Texas Hispanic Journal 2019 Symposium, 2019
- Online seminar on the border wall and eminent domain , Co-Presenter, Eminent Domain and the Border Wall: Political and Legal Perspectives, Thomson Reuters Practical Law Public Sector Webinar, 2018
- Spoke to a statewide members meeting in San Antonio about utility condemnation issues, Speaker, Pipe(line) Dreams: Common Utility and Other Condemnation Issues, Texas Land and Mineral Owner’s Association, 2018
- Co-wrote with Roy Brandys and Blaire Knox, Co-Author, United States-Mexico Border Wall: The Past, the Present, and What May Come, American Bar Association Real Property, Trust & Estate Law Journal, 2018
- Co-Author with Roy Brandys, Co-Author, Utilities, Inverse Condemnation and More – Point/Counterpoint on Key Eminent Domain Issues from Landowner’s Perspective, CLE International Eminent Domain Superconference, 2017
- Co-wrote with Chris Oddo, Co-Author, Pipe(line) Dreams Post-Denbury Green, St. Mary's University, 2017
- Moderated panel on the Trans-Pecos Projects for the American Bar Association, Panel Moderator, Do Acquisitions by Private Pipeline Companies Pass Constitutional Muster – North Dakota and Trans-Pecos Projects: Can They Really Do That? What is the Public Purpose?, American Bar Association, Real Property, Trust & Estate Law Section’s 29th Annual Spring Symposia, Oil, Gas, 2017
- Talk on federal border wall acquisitions process, Co-Presenter and Author, Federal Border Wall Acquisitions: Political and Substantive Condemnation Law Perspectives, CLE International Eminent Domain Conference, 2017
- Discussion on compensation in power line and pipeline cases and new thoughts on the U.S./Mexico border wall, Author and Speaker, Recent Condemnation Issues: Compensation in power line and pipeline cases—new thoughts on an old subject and U.S./Mexico border wall: the past, the present, and what may come, 41st Annual Page Keeton Civil Litigation Conference, 2017
- Spoke to a CLE San Antonio Real Estate Discussion Group about eminent domain case law updates, Speaker, 2014-2015 Condemnation/Eminent Domain Case Law Update, CLE San Antonio Real Estate Discussion Group, 2016
- Wrote and participated in a panel discussion about pipeline condemnation, Author and Panel Participant, Pipeline Condemnation Post Denbury, Texas Bar CLE Advanced Oil, Gas & Energy Resources Law, Oil, Gas, Energy, 2016
- Moderated a panel to the Woodlands/Springwoods Village near Houston, Panel Moderator, Future of The Woodlands/Springwoods Village, Growing Through the Downturn, 2016
- Co-Presenter with Blaire Knox, Co-Presenter, Pipe(line) Dreams Post-Denbury and Other Pipeline Valuation Issues, Austin Bar Association Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Section monthly meeting, Oil, Gas, 2016
- Co-Author with Roy Brandys, Co-Author, Just Compensation in Utility Takings: Thinking Outside the Box, CLE International’s National Eminent Domain Conference, Utilities, 2016
- Provided a case law update for eminent domain and condemnation, Author and Speaker, 2014-2015 Condemnation/Eminent Domain Case Law Update, Eminent Domain CLE — Right to Take Issues & Challenges, 2015
- Wrote a piece for South Texas College of Law on joint operating agreements , Author and Speaker, A Day in the Life of a JOA- Selected Daily Operational Issues, South Texas College of Law 2011 Energy Law Institute, Oil, Gas, 2012
- Discussion on private land owner water rights for a course with the Star Bar of Texas in San Antonio, Author and Speaker, Condemnation of Private Property for Water Projects from the Landowner’s Perspective, State Bar of Texas 18th Annual Changing Face of Water Rights Course, 2011
- Participated in panel on how property owner counsels prepare for the courtroom in a continued learning education course , Panel Participant, How Condemnor and Property Owner Counsel Prepare for the Battlefield, ALI Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation CLE, 1997
These comments were made by fellow attorneys during the annual nomination process.
“Nick is a pleasure to advocate against. He is sharp and keeps me on my game at all times.”
“Nick is the most professional and courteous attorney I know who still manages to fight for his clients as good as any other”
“Up and coming star in the eminent domain field.”
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2021, 2023 - 2024
- Rising Stars: 2017 - 2018
