Deborah E. Fortune is a native Oklahoman. Her family lived and farmed outside of Pawnee, Oklahoma, before moving to the Oklahoma City area. Deborah paid for her law school education by what she earned as an elementary school teacher.
Like her father before her, Deborah first practiced oil and gas law after graduating from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. She was hired by Kerr-McGee in 1979 to work in the natural gas division. She was responsible for regulatory filings with state and federal agencies, as well as negotiating gas contracts.
In 1980, Deborah was appointed as an Administrative Law Judge for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission in its oil and gas division. In 1982, she was appointed as an Administrative Law Judge for the Oklahoma Land Commission.
During this time, Deborah was also General Counsel for the Oakland Drilling and Robert Gordon Oil companies. She handled business matters for the companies, as well as representing them in regulatory matters and civil litigation.
In 1983, Deborah became Vice-President and General Counsel for the Far East Equipment Corporation, a company that purchased oilfield equipment for refurbishing and resale to international markets. She conducted negotiations with international vendors, and was actively involved with all of the aspects of the international business transactions, including letters of credit and funding issues. That same year, Deborah opened her law practice, focusing in the areas of oil and gas law, civil litigation, estate planning, bankruptcy, and family law. While other areas of the practice expanded or narrowed, over time, Deborah’s family law practice continued to grow. In 2012, Deborah joined Donelle and Darquita to form Ratheal, Maggard & Fortune, PLLC.
Through the years, Deborah E. Fortune has volunteered her time to provide estate planning services to church and civic organizations. She has served as a Guardian ad Litem for children of divorcing parents, throughout the state. She is a mother, a grandmother and the proud owner of three Silky Terriers and a Standard Poodle, most of whom are rescued dogs.
