Gas leases may seem to be simple contracts.  Many people make the mistake of signing what the gas company will give them.  This makes two mistakes.  1) You cannot sign the company’s lease without making changes, and 2) before the company makes you an offer you must do some tax and estate planning.  We regularily guide owners through the planning process so that once the lease is signed, no one needs to say “I wish I had thought of that!”  We form the business entity that should hold the mineral rights.  We direct clients to estate planning specialists to create the planning entities that will acquire the interests in the business entity before the value of the property is appreciated by virtue of a “gas deal.”