R.J. Colwell
Senior Associate
R.J. Colwell is a senior associate at Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP in the Energy & Mining Group. His practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, private equity investments, and joint ventures, primarily involving assets and entities in the energy and natural resources industries. His practice also includes drafting and negotiating operational and commercial agreements on behalf of his clients.
R.J. represents both domestic and international companies, as well as private equity funds and their portfolio companies. His experience includes crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids, biomethane, hydrogen, produced and recycled water, CO2, and conventional and renewable power commodities and assets; related processing, treatment, generation, transmission, storage, and CO2 sequestration assets and entities; LNG and natural gas import/export facilities; and related energy markets (including carbon credits, hydrogen credits, and environmental attributes).
Prior to joining Davis Graham, R.J. practiced oil and gas law in Houston for six years and previously served as global co-chair of an international law firm’s midstream practice group.
R.J. began his legal career as an honors attorney and then as an attorney-advisor at the U.S. Department of Energy in Washington, DC. As an attorney-advisor, he advised DOE senior leadership on transactional, operational, regulatory, and policy issues and matters involving the regulation of natural gas and LNG imports and exports, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, CCUS, energy security, and other programs involving coal, petroleum, and natural gas. He also represented DOE’s national laboratories and national security sites in electric and natural gas proceedings and in matters involving state public utility commissions. As an honors attorney, R.J. received the Secretary’s Achievement Award for his work on enforcing energy efficiency standards. R.J. also interned at DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory during law school.
Before attending law school at the University of Denver, R.J. served as a field artillery officer in the U.S. Army, attaining the rank of Captain in three years. During his military service, R.J. deployed to Iraq and received several prestigious decorations, including the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Combat Action Badge.
R.J. is actively involved in a number of veterans organizations and initiatives, including Impact A Hero, the PTSD Foundation of America’s Camp Hope, and the Veteran Leadership Development Group.