F. Thomas Rubenstein

Partner

Tom has more than 37 years of experience as a coal and energy lawyer with both substantial in-house and private practice experience representing public and private operating and land holding companies. He is skilled in all legal and business matters pertaining to the coal industry, including transactions, mergers and acquisitions, corporate record keeping and compliance, coal sales, mine safety and health, including supervisory training, and lease, sublease, operating and contract mining agreements. He is also experienced with oil and gas leasing matters including Marcellus and Utica Shale leasing and project development matters. He is an experienced arbitrator and mediator for coal and commercial disputes. Tom also has significant in-house coal industry experience having served in a corporate counsel role with Carbon Industries/Carbon Fuel Company; and with Westmoreland Coal Company.  With Westmoreland he held various positions which included assistant general counsel for the company’s West Virginia, Virginia and Kentucky operations; secretary and general counsel for Westmoreland Coal Sales Company; and director of Employee and Media Relations for the West Virginia and Virginia operations.

In recent years, Tom has represented a coal company in a little more than $750 million of coal operations/properties acquisitions and an oil and gas client in a $140 million transaction.

Credentials

Education

West Virginia University College of Law (J.D., 1981)

  • Order of the Coif
  • Law Review

West Virginia University (B.A., magna cum laude, 1978)

  • Mathematics
  • Pi Mu Epsilon

Bar admissions

  • West Virginia

Court admissions

  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia

Affiliations and memberships

  • American Bar Association
  • West Virginia State Bar
  • WVU Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Board of Directors, vice chairman
  • The Foundation for Mon General Hospital, Board of Directors
  • Compass Women’s Center Ministry, Morgantown Advisory Committee
  • Energy and Mineral Law Foundation, past trustee
  • West Virginia Coal Association
  • Chestnut Ridge Community Church, board member

Distinctions

  • Peer Review Rated AV in Martindale-Hubbell
  • Best Lawyers® (2007 – present)
    • “Lawyer of the Year” in Morgantown for Mining Law (2013)
    • “Lawyer of the Year” in Morgantown for Energy Law (2019)
    • “Lawyer of the Year” in Morgantown for Natural Resources Law (2020)
    • Energy, Mining and Natural Resources Law (2021-2024)
  • Chambers USA®: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Natural Resources

News
  • August 21, 2025

    260 Dinsmore Attorneys Listed as 2026 Best Lawyers®, Ones to Watch

  • August 15, 2024

    250+ Dinsmore Attorneys Named 2025 Best Lawyers ®, Ones to Watch

  • June 10, 2024

    Dinsmore Expands its Chambers and Partners Rankings with Top Honors Across Multiple States and Practice Areas

  • August 17, 2023

    200+ Dinsmore Attorneys Named 2024 Best Lawyers®, “Ones to Watch”

  • June 6, 2023

    Dinsmore’s Chambers USA 2023 Rankings Show Continued Growth Across the Firm

  • August 18, 2022

    2023 Best Lawyers® List Recognizes 190 Dinsmore & Shohl Attorneys

  • August 19, 2021

    Best Lawyers® Recognizes 191 Dinsmore & Shohl Attorneys

  • May 24, 2021

    Dinsmore’s Chambers USA 2021 Rankings Increase as Firm Grows Nationwide

  • August 20, 2020

    Best Lawyers® Recognizes 180 Dinsmore & Shohl Attorneys

  • May 6, 2020

    27 Dinsmore Attorneys Receive Top Rankings in Chambers USA 2020