Samuel J. Dolan

Sam Dolan is a shareholder at Hall Maines Lugrin, where his practice focuses on insurance coverage and subrogation matters arising from complex energy sector claims. For over a decade, Sam advises clients on coverage matters and recovery strategies across North and South America, handling high-value disputes that demand both technical and legal precision.

Sam’s work spans the full range of energy-related claims, including both onshore and offshore matters, with a concentration in Control of Well incidents, pollution events, and product liability disputes involving complex oil and gas equipment. Sam’s coverage experience includes addressing complex policy wording challenges that arise as new technologies and operational methods emerge in the oil and gas industry.

Sam’s coverage and subrogation practice integrates deep technical knowledge with strategic litigation experience, enabling him to navigate highly specialized issues and deliver results in some of the industry’s most challenging cases. While much of his work involves energy and insurance sector disputes, Sam also handles complex non-energy matters, applying his deep knowledge and attention to detail to lateral sectors.

Beginning his career as a summer associate with Hall Maines Lugrin, Sam quickly immersed himself in the intricacies of technically demanding litigation. Sam’s dedication and professional growth culminated in his election as Shareholder, making him the first attorney in Hall Maines Lugrin’s history to advance from a new law school graduate to shareholder.  Now an established trial, arbitration and appellate practitioner, Sam brings a disciplined solution orientated approach to every matter–leveraging hard work, dedication, and industry insight to place his clients in the strongest possible position for success.

• Appellate
• Commercial Disputes
• Excess Liability & Monitoring
• Energy – Hydrocarbons
• Coverage Opinions
• International and Domestic Arbitration
• Products Liability
• Energy – Renewables
• Subrogation

• Participated in highly technical cases representing insurers and E&P companies in products liability cases against manufacturers of steel tubulars, blowout preventers and down-hole tools resulting in losses of wells.
• On team which handled 32 separate Control of Well coverage analysis for onshore/offshore wells in North America while representing insurer(s) in the ongoing claims.
• Tried to verdict a $50 million dollar subrogation recovery involving a complex downhole recovery action.
• Represented E&P company with respect to a pipeline explosion in West Texas resulting in 18 wells being shut in and significant damage to production facilities.
• Represented insurer(s) regarding claims against the United States for property damage involving the government’s operations of a pipeline.
• Member of team representing E&P company and their insurer(s) regarding control of well event with fracking operations involving a defective product design.
• Represented insurer(s) regarding a significant coverage issues involving application of specific wording clauses involving a named peril exclusion.
• Represented reinsurer(s) in $36 million dollar international arbitration claim involving a gas-powered turbine in South America.
• Represented insurer(s) regarding $18 million dollar control of well subrogation recovery action in Canada regarding workover operations which resulted in the ejection of pressure monitoring equipment.
• Represented insurer(s) in connection with a $71 million dollar control of well subrogation matter involving installation of production equipment.
• On team representing insurers and an E&P company for a multi-million-dollar Texas state court subrogation case against a company involved in negligent plugging and abandonment procedures.
• Member of team representing E&P companies and their insurers in Louisiana state court subrogation case against one of the world’s largest steel producers involving products liability.
• Represented domestic insurer(s) in connection with damage claims arising from workover operations on a Texas well where the turn-key crew activated the blowout preventer on the tool joints of drill pipe.
• Represented excess insurer(s) in connection with a damage claim of $40 million dollars in a personal injury case from oil & gas operations in south Texas state court ultimately resulting in a favorable outcome following mediation.
• Represented excess insurer(s) in connection with a damage claim of $70 million dollars in a personal injury case from oil & gas operations in south Texas state court along with ancillary proceedings in the Southern District of Texas, resulting in favorable settlement following mediation.
• Monitored the status of the defense for London-based insurers in connection with damage claim of $3.2 million-dollar personal injury case from oil & gas operations in West Virginia state court.
• Member of team representing London-based Insurers in connection with damage claim of $38 million dollars in a personal injury and death case from oil and gas operations involving over-fatigue of employees working on fracking operations.

• Best Lawyers in America, Ones to Watch, 2024-2026
• Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation, 2024-2026
• Texas Rising Star (2019-2026) by Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers
• 2nd Best Brief Award, San Diego School of Law’s Appellate Moot Court, University of San Diego, 2013
• Quarter-finalist, J. Braxton Craven Jr. Memorial Competition, University of North Carolina, 2012
• Quarter-finalist, Evans A. Evans Constitutional Law Moot Court Competition, University of Wisconsin, 2012
• Semi-finalist, Veterans Law Moot Court Competition, George Washington School of Law, 2012
• Champion, Spurgeon E. Bell Moot Court Competition, 2011

• Sam Dolan Weighs in on Insuring Risk and Renewables
• Eight Attorneys with Hall Maines Lugrin Selected for Best Lawyers in America   
• Hall Maines Lugrin Attorney Sam Dolan Named to List of Texas Rising Stars for Fourth Straight Year
• Hall Maines Lugrin Attorneys Sam Dolan and Tim Redden Named to the Lawdragon List of 500 Leading Young Lawyers in America  
• Super Lawyers Honors 12 Hall Maines Lugrin Attorneys for 2026
• Hall Maines Lugrin Boasts 11 Attorneys on 2025 Texas Super Lawyers List

What I do when not practicing law
I enjoy spending time with my family, cooking new types of food, and playing golf, rugby and chess.

Favorite vacation spot
Bottomless mimosas on any beach.

Quotes I live by
“I ate a whole rotisserie chicken today.”

“I like turtles.”