In June of 2017 Jamie S. Manuel was appointed by Governor John Bel Edwards as the Assistant Secretary of the Office of Mineral Resources and has spent the last 6 years helping to navigate the State of Louisiana into the new era of energy transition we find ourselves today. While leading the Office of Mineral Resources, Jamie was the primary drafter of the new 2019 State Mineral Lease Form, the first Carbon Sequestration Operating Agreement of its kind, and the first ever near-shore Wind Energy Operating Agreements. Prior to his appointment, Jamie’s private practice centered on oil and gas title examination and complex litigation at the law firms of Gordon, Arata, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan and then Mayhall Fondren Blaize.
In January of 2024 Jamie returned to private practice by opening a Baton Rouge office with the Lafayette firm of Randazzo Giglio Bailey Finch and Woods. Jamie now looks to utilize the connections he has established in State government, in addition to his experience in title examination, litigation and drafting, to help solve problems and gain advantages for his clients in the areas of traditional oil and gas, CCUS, solar, wind and whatever else is in store in these changing times.