Skip to content

Clark Hill adds three oil and gas litigators

May 29, 2025

Clark Hill announced today that Kerri (Coriston) Sturm has joined the firm’s Litigation group as a Member in the Pittsburgh and Morgantown offices. Joining Sturm are John Whipkey as Of Counsel in the Morgantown office and David Jones as a senior attorney in the Pittsburgh office.

The trio of attorneys focus much of their practice on complex issues in the oil and gas industry.

“I’m thrilled to be back with Clark Hill,” said Sturm, who started her career with Thorp Reed & Armstrong in Pittsburgh before it merged with Clark Hill in 2013. “There’s a special kind of collaborative culture at Clark Hill.”

Sturm, Whipkey, and Jones regularly support landowners and non-operators in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Colorado. Recently, they’ve been assisting clients in disputes over underpayment of royalties and title issues involving production from the Marcellus and Utica shale.

“We’re excited to have Kerri, John, and David expand our reach in the oil and gas industry,” said Clark Hill Chairman Jeff Conn. “They’ve had tremendous success in representing clients in the oil and gas industry, and we’re excited to help them grow their practice nationwide.”

Sturm, Whipkey, and Jones are active in a number of oil and gas landowner associations. Sturm earned her law degree from The Ohio State University College of Law, while Whipkey and Jones graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

Subscribe for the latest

Subscribe

Related

Legal Updates

Long Saga of Colorado AI Act Appears to Have Come to Close With Revised Law

Ever since its initial passage into law in 2024, the Colorado AI Act has been a lightning rod for controversy and calls for change. Over the ensuing two years, multiple attempts to amend the law were floated and proposed by consumer and industry groups. The implementation of the law itself was delayed several times to allow for such changes, with Governor Jared Polis calling a special session of the legislature last August to specifically address potential changes. All of those attempts appear to have culminated in Senate Bill 189 having passed both the Colorado House (57-6) and Senate (34-1) this week. The bill next heads to the desk of Governor Jared Polis where it is expected to be signed into law and to take effect as of January of 2027.

Explore more
Legal Updates

Mexican Ministry Of Finance Issues General Guidelines Aimed At Promoting Investment and Tax Compliance

Note: On May 4, 2026, the “General criteria and operational guidelines of an advisory nature to promote investment and tax compliance” (the “Guidelines”) was published in the Federal Register.

The purpose of the Guidelines is to direct administrative action in tax matters, strengthening legal certainty, efficiency, and trust in the relationship between the tax authority and taxpayers, as well as to promote investment, administrative simplification and voluntary compliance.

Explore more
Legal Updates

CIT Strikes Down Section 122 Tariffs: Big Holding, Narrow Relief, and a Refund Map for Importers

On May 7, 2026, a divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of International Trade (“CIT”) held that President Trump exceeded the statutory authority under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 when he imposed the Administration’s temporary 10 percent “balance‑of‑payments” tariffs earlier this year.

Explore more