News
Kelly Williams named as a 2015 Top Lawyer in Utah
Kelly Williams, one of our Salt Lake City attorneys, has been named as a 2015 Legal Elite | Top Lawyers in Utah by Utah Business Magazine.
The Muddy Waters Surround the FWS’s Listing of the Gunnison Sage-Grouse
In the 2015 Appropriations Bill (Cromnibus), via a rider, Congress prohibited Interior from writing or issuing any final listing rule under Section 4 of the Endangered Species Act (“ESA”) for several species of grouse. It now looks like that action could result in...
Nevada Association of Counties Sue over Candidate Species Settlement
In a new twist in the ongoing debate between states and the federal government over the management of wildlife, the Nevada Association of Counties sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (“FWS”), arguing that the highly publicized and controversial 2011 settlement of...
EPA Proposes Methane Emissions Cuts for Oil and Gas to Meet Climate Change Goals
On January 14, 2015, the Obama Administration announced a plan to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas operations by 40 to 45 percent by 2025....
Federal Judge Strikes Down County Ordinance Banning Hydraulic Fracturing
On January 19, 2015, in a 199-page summary judgment opinion in SWEPI, LP v. Mora County, New Mexico (CIV 14-0035 JB/SCY), New Mexico U.S. District Court Judge James Browning declared that a 2013 Mora County ordinance banning corporate oil and gas drilling and...
Top Ten Tips for Employment Law
Hire Employees “At Will” - “At will” employment provides your business with maximum flexibility in employment relationships by allowing for termination at any time, with or without notice, and for any reason. Use Employment Agreements - An employment agreement is a...
Nora Pincus appointed as a Bar Examiner Committee for the Utah State Bar
Nora Pincus, who practices in our Salt Lake City office, has been appointed to serve as a member of the Bar Examiner Committee for the Utah State Bar.
Top Ten Tips For Fee Oil and Gas Leases
Pooling Clause - Review the pooling clause to ensure that it is broad enough to allow pooling for the planned spacing unit, communitization and/or unitization. Some pooling clauses may include restrictive language that limits the size of certain units. Pugh Clause and...
Jennifer Cadena Fortier appointed to the Law Committee of the Board of Law Examiners
Welborn Associate, Jennifer Cadena Fortier, has been appointed to the Law Committee of the Board of Law Examiners by the Supreme Court of Colorado. Her term will run from January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2021. The Law Committee consists 11 volunteer attorneys.
BLM Proposes Renewable Energy Leasing and Rights-of-Way Regulations
On December 16, 2014, the BLM closed a comment process on wind and solar competitive leasing regulations. What is equally of interest is that BLM is also using this rulemaking to turn their 2011 renewable energy policies into binding regulation. Wind and solar...
BLM Buries Change to MLA Rights of Way in Wind and Solar Leasing Change
At the end of September 2014, BLM released the proposed rule to create a competitive leasing process for solar and wind energy development on public lands. While most of the proposed rule relates to the renewable energy right-of-way (“ROW”) procedures under the...
Top Ten Tips for Acquiring a Water Supply
Plan Ahead – In Colorado, a complex set of laws and regulations govern when and where water can be taken and used. The process of determining whether water is available for your needs and obtaining a legal water supply can be a lengthy process. Need Water Quickly? –...