Bonnie Cantwell Fraase
Associate
Bonnie is a litigator with a preference for high stakes and hard issues.
Her professional experiences in commercial litigation include trial and pretrial practice for energy, entertainment, and telecom clients. Whatever the legal matter, though, Bonnie studies the fine details to distill a simple, persuasive argument.
Before beginning practice, Bonnie graduated from the University of Virginia Law School in 2019, where she led the Virginia Environmental Law Journal as Editor in Chief. Thereafter, she clerked for the Honorable Jeremy D. Kernodle in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas and Justice Jimmy Blacklock of the Supreme Court of Texas.
Representative Experience
- Secured a $100 million settlement mid-trial in California state court for a bankruptcy trustee suing for harm to an oil producer put out of business by a rupture, spill, and shutdown of the pipeline transporting its oil.
- Represented a mineral interest owner in a royalty dispute and successfully argued a motion for summary judgment resulting in an expedient, favorable resolution for the client.
- Represented an oil and gas operator and successfully recovered amounts owed on a purchase and sale agreement.
- Pro bono: Represented an inmate in a Section 1983 religious liberties case and obtained meaningful injunctive and monetary relief for the client.
Presentations & Publications
- “Texas’ Cactus Ruling Clarifies ‘Produced Water’ Rules,” Law360, July 8, 2025 (co-author)
- “Fireside Chat: Authentic Leadership In A Diverse Workplace,” IEL’s Focus on Leadership, 2023. Presenters: Bonnie Fraase, Precious Williams Owodunni
- “The Terms of the Term: Texas Supreme Court Maintains Textualist Approach to Oil and Gas Leases and Statutes,” 41st Annual Texas State Bar CLE, Advanced Oil, Gas & Energy Resources Law. Presenters: Bonnie Fraase, David Gutierrez, Robert Woods
- “Texas v. New Mexico: Upstream from Here,” 16 Tex. J. Oil Gas & Energy L. 33, 2021
- “The Un-Zoned City and Unplanned Disaster: A Case Study of Hurricane Harvey’s Impact on Houston, Texas,” 38 Va. Envtl. L.J. 232, 2020
- “A Little Birdy Told Me: The Beginner’s Guide to Twitter,” Austin Lawyer, June 2021
- “Practice Pointers: Work Smarter – How to Fully Utilize Your Smart Phone,” Austin Lawyer, June 2020
- “The Downstream Effects of Texas v. New Mexico,” Austin Lawyer, December/January 2020
Credentials
- University of Virginia School of Law
J.D.
Editor in Chief, Virginia Environmental Law Journal - Baylor University
B.A., Philosophy and History, magna cum laude
Phi Beta Kappa - Law Clerk to the
Hon. Jeremy Kernodle,
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas - Law Clerk to the
Hon. Jimmy Blacklock,
Texas Supreme Court - Admitted to Practice:
Texas
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
Professional Honors & Affiliations
- “Ones to Watch” in Appellate Practice & Commercial Litigation, Best Lawyers in America, 2024-2026
- “Texas Rising Star” in Civil Litigation: Plaintiff by Super Lawyers, 2025-2026
- Institute for Energy Law (IEL)
- Advisory Board Member, 2024-present
- Young Energy Professionals: Council Member, 2025
- Young Energy Professionals: Member Engagement/Public Service Subcommittee, 2025 (Chairperson, 2023)
- IEL 5th Leadership Class, 2022-2023
- Board Member: Empowering Women as Leaders (Houston)
- Member: Women’s Energy Network Houston
- Member: Garland R. Walker American Inn of Court