Consensus Building

During nearly three decades at the American Petroleum Institute, the oil industry’s premier trade association, I managed consensus building among the Institute’s company members on key legislation, rulemaking and litigation issues affecting industry, principally EPA major source permitting and transportation fuels under the Clean Air Act and Department of the Interior royalty management under various federal statutes.

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David Deal testifying on behalf of the Department of the Interior Royalty Policy Committee at March 2008 House of Representatives hearing with DOI Inspector General and Government Accountability Office.

This consensus building experience includes managing multi-party private meetings, participating in public consensus building fora, such as federal advisory committees under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, and regulatory negotiations under the federal Negotiated Rulemaking Act, and serving as lead negotiator in the settlement of several multi-million dollar litigations.

As a senior lawyer at the American Petroleum Institute, I managed several  committees of API members charged to serve the association’s myriad committees participating legislation and agency rulemaking on Environmental Protection Agency Clean Air Act facility siting and transportation fuels issues and Department of the Interior land access and royalty management issues. During this time I was very active in American Bar Association environmental or natural resources Sections and organizations, such as the Rocky Mountain Mineral Foundation, by crafting published authoritative materials and participating in myriad issue-oriented conferences and training events.

Illustrative of my strong role in policy matters was my April 2003 Minerals Management Service Corporate Leadership Award for years of service on royalty management efforts on Department of the Interior royalty management issues. 

  • DEALWORK EVENTS


    2021

    Guest speaker for “Introduction to Restorative Justice” presentation for George Washington University law School ADR class, an annual event since 2012.
    March 2021

    Participate in London-based Forgiveness Project skill-based course “Working with Stories of Lived Experience” focused on using storytelling as  a transformative tool for change. Comprising four 3.5 hour online sessions (and and micro-experiments between sessions) for a class capped at 22 members during February and March 2021, the online course, accredited through the National Council for Psychotherapists, is directed at practitioners in fields such as Criminal Justice, Conflict Resolution, Restorative Justice, and Restorative Peace Building, which employ storytelling to address issues like forgiveness, trauma, shame and resilience.
    February 2021

    2020

    As guest speaker offered for the third time  “Introduction to Restorative Justice” presentation for George Mason University graduate class “Conflict Analysis and Resolution for Prevention, Reconstruction, and Stabilization Contexts”.
    October 2020

    Served as joint facilitator in demonstration case handled by Arlington County, Virginia’s progressive “RJ Arlington” restorative justice program.
    September 2020

    Delivered 90-minute Zoom webinar for Kentucky Bar Association, “Introduction to Restorative Justice,” for 80-participant group of lawyers and mediators; materials include a recently revised 14-page “Restorative Justice Primer,” 2-page outline, and Power Point slides, all of which are available upon request.
    September 2020

    Delivered most updated version of “Introduction to Restorative Justice” presentation for George Washington University law students, a presentation delivered every Spring since 2012.
    April 2020

    Began remote mediation of small  claims cases in Washington, DC.
    March 2020

    2019

    Facilitated myriad small claims and truancy cases for District of Columbia Superior Court Multi-Door Dispute Resolution Division.

    Delivered practice-oriented presentation at Virginia Mediation Network Fall conference, “Managing Forgiveness Issues in Mediation: Respecting Self-Determination.”
    September 2019