News
Welborn Elects New Shareholders and Special Counsel and Adds 5 Associates
Welborn Sullivan Meck & Tooley elects 3 New Shareholders – Sam Bacon, Sarah Sorum, & Alaina Stedillie – 2 Special Counsel – Patrick Tolley & Nancy Peterson – and adds 5 Associates – Geoffrey Storm, Mallory Hasbrook, John Hegarty, Josh Murphy, and Grace...
Mandatory Reporting and the Rise of Elder Abuse
The number of elderly people continues to rise across the nation. In fact, it is projected that approximately 1 in 5 Coloradans will be 65 years of age or older by the year 2030. Unfortunately, with the rise in the number of elderly people, the frequency of elder...
Wyoming Supreme Court Punts on Potential BLM “First in Time, First in Right” Interpretation of Competing Mineral Developers
A recent case before the Wyoming Supreme Court failed to clarify what, if any, remedies are available to conflicting developers of federal mineral rights on overlapping lands. Rather, the Court’s ruling in Berenergy Corporation v. BTU Western Resources, Inc.; School...
What Changes Does the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” Make to Estate Planning?
There are a variety of tax law changes as a result of the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” (the “Act”). However, the following is a brief summary of the specific changes that will impact estate planning issues. Although only approximately 0.2% of the population was subject to...
Welcome Grace Fox
Welborn is pleased to announce Grace A. Fox has joined the firm as an associate in our litigation department. Read the Press Release here.
Welcome Nancy Peterson
Welborn is pleased to announce the addition of Nancy L. Peterson as Special Counsel. Ms. Peterson specializes in estate planning, probate, trust administration, guardianships, and conservatorships. Read the Press Release here.
IBLA Upholds ONRR $3 Million+ Penalty For A Company’s Delay In Correcting Royalty Report Forms
A recent decision of the Interior Board of Land Appeals (IBLA) vividly makes the point that the Department of the Interior considers accurate royalty reporting to be equally if not more important than payment of the proper amounts. In Quinex Energy Corp., 192 IBLA 88...
Interior Reins in the MBTA to Remove a “Domestic Energy Burden”
Mining, oil and gas, wind, solar and transmission companies who have struggled to comply with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (MBTA) received an early Christmas present from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s lawyer. On December 22, 2017, the Principal Deputy...
Welborn Attorneys Named Top Lawyers in Denver for 2018
Welborn attorneys Carolyn Burr (Water), and Rebecca Watson, Steve Sullivan, Laura Lindley (Natural Resources), were included in Denver's Top Lawyers List for 2018 compiled by 5280 Magazine. Read more at https://www.5280.com/denvers-top-lawyers-2018/.
Community Land Trusts and the Effort to Implement Affordable Housing
Community land trusts (“CLTs”) are gaining popularity across the country as many communities and city leaders search for ways to develop and maintain affordable housing. Although CLTs are not a new tool, they are becoming more widespread with over 200 now in operation...
The Surge in DUC Wells Begs the Question: How Long Can a DUC Well Hold a Lease?
Just over a year ago, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (“EIA”) began including a supplement to its Drilling Productivity Report that contains monthly estimates of the number of drilled but uncompleted (“DUC”) wells in seven key oil and gas producing basins...
Russia Fails to Defeat Fracking
Gazprom, Russia’s government owned natural gas company, has for decades supplied many Eastern European countries with most or all of their natural gas. It has also had a habit of using its dominant market position to bully its customers into paying more, often by...