John K. Keller

Practice Areas

• Commercial, Finance, and Real Estate
  • Acquisitions, Sales/Dispositions, and Leasing
  • Commercial and Residential Development
  • Real Estate
  • Zoning and Land Use Planning
• Corporate and Business Organizations
  • Mergers and Acquisitions
• Energy and Utilities
  • Oil and Gas
    • Utica/Marcellus Shales
• Litigation
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • Appellate Practice
  • Business and Commercial
  • Class Actions
  • Eminent Domain and Real Property
  • Energy and Utilities Litigation
  • Environmental and Natural Resources

Industries

• Energy and Utilities
• Oil and Gas

Education

• Duke University School of Law, J.D., 1975
• Indiana University, A.B., 1972

Bar & Court Admissions

• Ohio

Mr. Keller is a partner in the Vorys Columbus office and a member of the commercial, real estate, energy, environment and utilities practice.  He provides general business representation, primarily to persons engaged in natural resources industries.  He has significant experience in operational issues, real estate, litigation and arbitration, acquisitions, zoning, banking, and business planning.

Career highlights include:

• Acting as lead trial counsel in gas contract arbitration against a Fortune 100 company resulting in an award of more than $100 million
• Defending and negotiating favorable settlements in two Ohio gas royalty class action cases
• Counseling lenders and borrowers in hundreds of millions of dollars in loans secured by Appalachian Basin petroleum reserves

Mr. Keller is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association, the Columbus Bar Association, the Energy and Mineral Law Foundation, the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation and the Mountain States Legal Foundation.

Mr. Keller is a frequent speaker on topics related to oil and gas leases and curative procedures, local regulation of mineral production, the governmental taking of mineral rights, creditor’s rights in mineral industries and seismic operations.

Mr. Keller received his J.D. from Duke University School of Law and his A.B. from Indiana University.

Professional and Community Activities

• Energy and Mineral Law Foundation, Executive Committee, 1998-2001; Oil & Gas Committee, Chair; Annual Institute, Chair
• Ohio State Bar Association, Natural Resource Committee, Chair

Honors & Awards

• Columbus CEO, Top Lawyers in Columbus, 2010-2012
• Ohio Super Lawyers, Energy and Natural Resources, 2012
• Ohio Super Lawyers, Alternative Dispute Resolution, 2004 & 2009-2011
• The Best Lawyers in America, Oil and Gas Law, 2008-2012

News

• 75 Vorys Attorneys Recognized as 2012 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
• More than 100 Vorys Attorneys named on 2012 The Best Lawyers in America® List
• 72 Vorys Attorneys Recognized as 2011 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
• Vorys Ranked #1 Law Firm in Ohio on 2011 Best Lawyers in America® list
• 54 Vorys Attorneys Recognized as 2010 Ohio Super Lawyers
• Vorys ranked #1 law firm in Ohio on 2010 Best Lawyers in America® list
• 70 Vorys Attorneys Recognized as 2009 Ohio Super Lawyers
• Vorys named the "2008 Leading Ohio Law Firm" by Best Lawyers

Events

• Ohio Oil and Gas Law Symposium
• Development of the Utica Shale in Ohio: Regulation, Preservation of Rights and Competing Interests
• 2011 Real Estate Law Institute
• Oil and Gas in Ohio Current Developments

Publications

• Crude Awakening
• "Legal Aspects of Geophysical Exploration," Eastern Mineral Law Institute, 1992 (Vol. 13)
• "Representing Unsecured Creditors in Oil and Gas Collection Matters," Ohio Legal Center Institute Publication, 1984 (No. 144)
• "Drafting the Modern Oil and Gas Lease," Eastern Mineral Law Institute, 1981 (Vol. 2) 
• “Basic Revision in the Ohio Oil & Gas Law,” Ohio Bar, December 1, 1980 (Vol. LII, No. 46)