Please join Davis Graham for the Friday morning March Madness games at Ball Arena.

Event Information
Friday, March 17
11:00 AM

Ball Arena
Suite 74
1000 Chopper Circle
Denver, Colorado 80204

Join us for a Law Firm Coalition for Racial Equality dinner at Chad and Lisa Williams’ home.

Event Information

Friday, September 16 | 6-8 PM

Home of Lisa and Chad Williams
5759 Green Oaks Drive
Greenwood Village, Colorado 80121

Join Davis Graham for an Ovintiv Client Appreciation Dinner at Tavernetta.

Event Information

Tuesday, November 15 | 6-8 PM

Tavernetta
1889 16th Street Mall
Denver, Colorado 80202

Event Information

Wednesday, October 13 | 5-7 PM

54Thirty
1475 California Street
Denver, Colorado 80202

Event Information

Wednesday, October 12 | 5-7 PM

54Thirty
1475 California Street
Denver, Colorado 80202

In the last few weeks, the Bureau of Land Management has seen a flurry of litigation activity over oil and gas leasing and permitting. Once BLM settled lawsuits over decisions to lease federal lands for oil and gas development, it almost immediately was served with a lawsuit challenging 3,500 permits to drill in New Mexico’s Permian Basin and Wyoming’s Powder River Basin. BLM was then served with another lawsuit over its procedures for permitting oil and gas wells drilled from off-lease, non-federal surface (Instruction Memorandum No. 2018-014 or the “Fee/Fee/Fed IM”). And, BLM faces new litigation over its recent lease sales. These lawsuits present new uncertainties to operators that already face a difficult leasing and permitting environment on federal lands.

Please join us, in person or remotely, for a briefing intended to answer a variety of questions about these lawsuits and the risks they present:

• What’s going on here, exactly? We’ll discuss the legal claims underlying these lawsuits.
• How might these lawsuits impact existing or future permits? We’ll discuss the risks presented by these lawsuits, including to operators outside of the Permian and Powder River Basins.
• What can operators do to mitigate the risks that these lawsuits present? We’ll discuss how operators can account for these lawsuits in their decision-making.
• Will these lawsuits ever end? Unfortunately, we can’t answer this question – but hopefully we will answer others.

The confirmed speaker for this program, which has been approved for one general Continuing Legal Education credit in the state of Colorado, include:

• Katie Schroder, Partner
• Mark Champoux, Partner

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2022
Program | 8:00-9:00 AM

Registration for this event has closed. Please contact Makenna Kincaid if you have any questions.

Emily Scott is Counsel at ACT, and Scott Turbeville is the Deputy General Counsel & Senior Director of Legal at CoorsTek.

What does a typical day look like for you at ACT?

Emily: On any given day, I am working on a variety of projects related to data privacy, intellectual property, and ongoing litigation. I regularly work with many colleagues throughout my organization (and outside counsel) on both strategic initiatives and ad hoc questions that arise in connection with routine business operations. I don’t often get to do a deep dive into any topic, but instead have to maintain a more shallow understanding on a large array of topics – which makes outside counsel support critical to my success. I really love my work, find it rewarding and challenging, and supporting for a mission-based non-profit organization.

Scott: I lead a team that supports all legal aspects of our business in North America, and some aspects beyond if it implicates North American law. CoorsTek’s customers and counterparts include many of the world’s largest companies as well as the smallest of small businesses, in a very wide variety of industries, so I am exposed daily to a broad range of legal issues. While it varies from day to day, I am generally working on “traditional” legal matters such as contracting, regulatory inquiries, HR issues, and sometimes M&A transactions as well as other business matters such as financings, R&D agreements, customer questions, and issues for marketing and sales. I work with nearly all parts of the business as well as with my legal counterparts here in the U.S. and in Europe and Asia. The wide scope is challenging, but it really makes every day different and interesting. I really love the company, my job and all the challenges that go with it.

How has the WFH environment impacted your business?

Emily: While we did shift to a WFH model as an organization, WFH itself has not had a great impact on our business. However, the pandemic did have a tremendous impact, as the prevalence of test – optional and test – blind policies in college admissions increased dramatically over the past two years, and many of these policies are here to stay. It has been challenging for our organization to adapt and evolve our strategy amid these changes so that we can continue to support students on their path to college and career.

Scott: Like everyone else, we did shift to a WFH model during the height of the pandemic. However, we are a manufacturing company, and so it was important for everyone – including office employees – to return to the office when it was safe and appropriate. As a company, we are largely back to “normal” now. One challenge in this current WFH environment is finding candidates for internal legal openings who are willing to come to the office most days. As for me, I returned to the office relatively soon in the pandemic. I find that office facetime helps the legal department stay proactive – it reminds our internal customers that we’re here and available to get involved early in a process, as opposed to only reactively reviewing the finished product or proposal.

What is your favorite memory of working at Davis Graham?

Emily: Working on the Christian, et al. v. Atlantic Richfield Co. matter was an incredible experience for me. The team handling that matter was outstanding and it was very rewarding to be a part of it. The trips to Butte, Montana were also very memorable!

Scott: I have a lot of great memories of Davis Graham. One memory that stands out is working on PDC Energy’s 2016 $1.76 billion acquisitions of assets in the Delaware Basin in Texas, along with related financings. At the time, I had just arrived at Davis Graham after moving from New York, and it seemed like every corporate attorney in the firm was working on this transaction. Just seeing the entire corporate team come together and collaborate on this massive transaction confirmed for me that I had chosen the right firm to continue my career.

Who are some of the people at Davis Graham that had the greatest influence on you and why?

Emily: I worked with many terrific attorneys at Davis Graham. In particular, Shannon Stevenson, Jon Rauchway, and Mark Champoux taught me everything I know about litigation and persuasive writing. I continue to be in their debt for their terrific mentoring and training.

Scott: I have worked with so many great attorneys at Davis Graham – Brian Boonstra,
Jeff Brandel, John Elofson, Zach Detra, and Mark Bussey, to name a few. All of them taught me a great deal. Mark Bussey probably had the biggest impact on me and my career. He’s a great attorney and great person. He gave me the freedom to draft and negotiate complex agreements, but he was always patient and willing to talk through concepts or language. Oftentimes, deals get hectic towards closing, but I remember Mark always being so prepared, calm, and unflappable. For me, even now in my in-house role, he continues to be a great example of how to practice this profession.

Join Davis Graham for an Invenergy Client Appreciation Event at the Colorado Rockies v. Chicago Cubs baseball game.

Event Information
Thursday, April 14
Suite Opens | 5:10 PM
First Pitch | 6:40 PM

Coors Field
2001 Blake Street
Denver, CO 80205

Registration for this event has closed. Please contact Makenna Kincaid with any questions.

Please join Davis Graham for a PDC Energy Happy Hour at the Dairy Block Alley.

Event Information
Wednesday, May 18
5:30 – 7:30 PM

Dairy Block Alley
1800 Wazee Street
Denver, Colorado 80202

Registration for this event is closed. If you would like to attend, please contact Makenna Kincaid.

Please join Davis Graham for the March Madness at Tom’s Watch Bar.

Event Information
Thursday, March 17
10:00 AM-11:00 PM

Tom’s Watch Bar
1601 9th Street, Unit 100
Denver, Colorado 80202