Practice area – Mining
I have worked (arbitrator, mediator, facilitator, counsel) in disputes involving, among others, the following:
- Coal royalty (mining, transportation costs)
- Coal facilities design and construction
- CERCLA: Mine reclamation
- Mine slope stability
- Validity of claims
- Contract mining
- Private condemnation for mining
- Exploration and development
- Environmental compliance
- Minerals – gold, silver, moly, coal, talc and industrial use minerals
Example engagements
- Facilitator, Mine site remediation, Design Review Process, Failure Mode Analysis (2011-2014).
- Facilitator, Mining environmental disputes/CERCLA), 2009 and 2011.
- Facilitator, Mill site; agency and community relations, 2008, 2013.
- Arbitrator, coal mining and delivery dispute, 2010.
- Mediator, mining claim dispute, 2009.
- Served a mediator in disputes over validity of disputed mining claims.
- Arbitrator, dispute over design and construction of coal mining and processing facilities. 2009
- Arbitration, Panel Chair, Mining Agreement dispute, 2003.
- Mediator, Joint venture dispute between mining and non-mining railway traffic, 2002.
- Trial counsel, disputed mining condemnation rights.
- Served as trial and appellate counsel in Montana dispute over rights to condemn for access to minerals.
- Trial counsel, right to stake claims.
- Trial counsel, contracting mining dispute.
- Trial counsel in dispute over claimed breach of contract mining dispute for industrial minerals.
- Trial counsel, dispute over geologic data.
- Trial counsel over disputed access and possessory rights to core samples.
- Legal Counsel (1978-2001). Was legal counsel for various entities in mining and mineral disputes including coal, precious metals (gold, silver, zinc), industrial minerals, exploration agreements, rights to geophysical data, option agreements, the validity of mining claims.
Natural Resources/Mining presentations or associations
Improving ADR in Natural Resource and Energy Disputes, Colorado Bar Natural Resource and Energy Section meeting, March 2004, Denver
Negotiating and Drafting Agreements-Lessons from the Courthouse, 41 Proceedings of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute 4-1 (1995).