Mr. Burnham has a diverse practice involving all forms of civil litigation and transactional work.  Much of his practice involves advising and representing oil and gas companies with respect to federal and state litigation.  He has handled claims concerning lease rights, unleased mineral owner rights, mineral servitudes royalty and overriding royalty disputes, production in paying quantities, well control (blowout), subsurface trespass, unitization/pooling, the Risk Fee Act, the Louisiana Oil Well Lien Act, title disputes, water rights, environmental contamination, and local regulations of oil and gas development.  Additionally, Mr. Burnham represents clients with respect to regulatory filings and hearings with the Louisiana Office of Conservation.  Drew regularly drafts and litigates mineral leases, pipeline rights-of-way, servitude agreements, water use agreements, and related contracts. 

Mr. Burnham’s practice also includes the representation of clients in eminent domain claims involving natural gas pipelines and other utilities, as general counsel for an area hospital system, and in general commercial litigation, often involving issues of contractual interpretation, mismanagement of corporate or company resources, unfair trade practices, fraud, bad faith, and indemnity disputes.  Additionally, he has experience in the auction, sale and donation of art, historical artifacts, and items regulated under the Endangered Species Act.

In 2016, he co-authored a paper for the Louisiana Mineral Law Institute with former Commissioner of Conservation Philip N. Asprodites, and in 2022, he again authored an article for the Institute on recent pertinent cases and presented at the MLI’s annual conference.  For the past several years, he has presented at the Ark-La-Tex Association of Professional Landmen’s annual seminar on recent developments in Louisiana mineral law.  Mr. Burnham has authored many articles on mineral law for Biz Magazine, the Institute for Energy Law’s Oil & Gas Report, and the ALTAPL’s Register newsletter, as well been interviewed by local news networks to comment on area oil and gas matters. 

Mr. Burnham received his undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, from Centenary College of Louisiana, in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he was president of the Student Government Association and recipient of numerous awards.  He received his law degree from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he was a published member of the Louisiana Law Review, recipient of several CALI Awards for Excellence, and elected Order of the Coif.  After law school, he served as law clerk to the Honorable Elizabeth E. Foote, United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.  Drew and his wife, Erin, are local foster parents and active members of Broadmoor Baptist Church, where he is a Sunday school teacher, occasional preacher, and deacon.  He has served on several local non-profits boards, including his current role on the boards of Volunteers for Youth Justice and the ALTAPL, where he was Editor of the award-winning newsletter, The Register.  Drew was admitted to practice in Louisiana in 2015 and in Texas in 2016.  He joined the firm in 2016.  His e-mail address is drew.burnham@cookyancey.com.