Houston-based oil and gas law firm Burleson LLP has promoted five of its lawyers to serve as partners.

The firm, which employs more than 130 attorneys in offices in Texas, Pennsylvania and Colorado, calls itself the largest U.S. law practice devoted specifically to the oil and gas industry. Its lawyers have past experience as petroleum engineers, landmen and in-house counsel for oil and gas companies.

"When we hire attorneys, we invest in their future and the future of our firm," Rick Burleson, managing partner of the firm, said in a statement. "We want them to build their careers here by leveraging their talents and continuously honing their practice and leadership abilities."

Two of the new partners currently serve in Burleson's Texas offices. Don Hueske, who joined the firm in 2010, has overseen professional development efforts for the oil and gas title associates in Burleson's Houston location. Wes Sharples has worked for the firm's San Antonio office since 2010, overseeing work flow and assignment of oil and gas title matters.

In Colorado, Brent Chicken, who joined Burleson's Denver location in 2011, is well-versed in oil and gas exploration and production law. He is licensed to practice in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota, which have all been affected by the proliferation of activity in the United States' shale plays.

Andrew Jenkins and Michael Vennum, both of whom work in Burleson's Pittsburgh office, have been with the firm since 2010. Jenkins has represented several oil and gas companies in lease, business and land ownership disputes. Vennum leads Burleson's land-use practice group in Pennsylvania.

All five attorneys have "accomplished a lot in a relatively short amount of time and have played a pivotal role in formulating the strategic direction of Burleson," Burleson said. "They are an asset to our firm and our clients, and I couldn't be prouder to have them as partners."