Brant Miller is a Partner in the Weirton, Pittsburgh, and Ohio offices of GRSM.  Brant is chair of the firm’s national Energy & Natural Resources Group and is also part of the Commercial Litigation, Pharmaceutical & Medical Device, Real Estate, Trucking, Transportation, and Product Liability practice groups.

Brant counsels E&P and midstream clients, as well as mineral investors, on a broad scope of energy matters, including all aspects of title, efficient and creative title curative actions, due diligence, leasing and purchase issues, rights of way issues, joint ventures, operator vs. non-operator issues, title and leasing dispute litigation, and surface use litigation.  Brant also has experience representing solar energy companies.

Brant is a licensed title insurance agent in Pennsylvania and Ohio  who conducts both surface and mineral transactions, in addition to providing related litigation and non-litigation counsel to several national title insurance companies,  regional lending institutions, regional investment groups, national professional liability and general liability insurance carriers, REITs, buyers and sellers, and local realtors.

Brant also represents product manufacturers, including manufacturers of medical devices, in complex product liability and warranty cases.  He has also represented trucking insurance carriers, self-insured carriers, and individual drivers in accidents ranging from minor to fatal accidents.

Representative Matters:

  • Obtained a dismissal of all claims in an oil and gas royalty underpayment case arising out of the Market Enhancement Clause in which Plaintiffs were seeking broad discovery in the hopes of forming a class action matter.
  • Prevailed on a case for an international E&P Company involving complex title and tax sale issues affecting well pad site;
  • Successfully resolved a partnership dispute involving ownership of oil and gas ORRI.
  • Successfully prosecuted/resolved a number of quiet title/declaratory judgment cases involving well plugging, validity of oil and gas leases, rights of way, tax sales and various title curative matters for E&P  and midstream clients. 
  • Successfully represented national title insurance carriers in a variety of title defense matters including general title clearance, access issues, survey matters, deed and mortgage reformation, lien priority, and assisted in a fraud investigation of a defalcated title insurance agent.
  • Established firm’s certified title opinion practice and managed multiple large scale certified title and heirship projects for E&P clients and mineral buyers. 
  • Obtained summary judgment against a mechanics’ lien claimant seeking in excess of $1 million in Bankruptcy Court based upon 2006 amendments to Pennsylvania Mechanics’ Lien Law.
  • Obtained summary judgment on behalf of realty company and realtor for an E&O claim arising out of an alleged residential property condition misrepresentation.
  • Title Agent for a $61 million construction loan involving refinancing of existing debt coupled with new construction money while addressing the protection against mechanics’ liens due to construction work having already begun.
  • Represented corporate buyer of unimproved land along with the oil and gas rights covering in excess of 2,200 acres and involving 34 parcels spread across 3 counties in Ohio.
  • Successfully resolved a multiple fatality and survivor’s bodily injury trucking accident litigation involving disputed liability based heavily upon accident reconstruction with alleged damages well in excess of the SIR, primary and excess policies.
 

Admissions

  • Ohio
  • Pennsylvania
  • West Virginia
  • Supreme Court of Ohio
  • Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
  • Supreme Court of the United States
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of West Virginia
  • U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
  • Pennsylvania Title Insurance Agent

Memberships

  • Allegheny County Bar Association
  • Ohio State Bar Association
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association
  • Pennsylvania Land Title Association
  • Energy & Mineral Law Foundation

Community Involvement

  • Beaver Valley Baseball Club (Assistant Coach)
  • McDonald Volunteer Fire Department (Pro Bono Counsel)
  • North Fayette Zoning Hearing Board Chairman

Education

  • J.D., University of Pittsburgh School of Law, 1998
  • B.A., cum laude, Economics, Washington & Jefferson College, 1995

Honors

  • AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®
  • Pennsylvania Super Lawyers® 2013
  • Pennsylvania Super Lawyers®Rising Stars 2005–2006 and 2010–2012
  • Who’s Who In Energy 2014-2017