Select Section
Overview
BILL BRINGS TO EACH CLIENT THE VISION AND EXPERIENCE TO HELP NAVIGATE ALL ASPECTS OF NATURAL RESOURCES ACQUISITION, SALE, DEVELOPMENT AND FINANCING TRANSACTIONS.
Bill has more than 30 years of experience helping companies with all aspects of natural resource development, including mining and oil and gas transactions, mineral acquisition, permitting, environmental compliance, and financing.
His practice includes domestic and international mining transactions, technical and legal due diligence, natural resources-related environmental and compliance matters, permitting, development and use rights for Federal, Indian and state lands, public lands issues, and natural resources and environmental litigation and administrative hearings.
Experience
Client Achievements
- Goldcorp and Newmont Combine to Form World’s Largest Gold Company
- Golden Queen Mining forms joint venture to develop and operate the Soledad Mountain project
- Liberty Global leads cable consolidation in Puerto Rico
- Uranium producer goes private, acquired by Russian government
- Public-Private Partnership Key to Quitchupah Creek Road Project
Representative Experience
- Representation of major coal company in a $1.4 billion acquisition of ARCO Coal Company
- Advised Canadian company in the purchase of mine and related ore milling facilities located in Nevada
- Representation of major coal company in a $45 million sale of Wyoming coal property
- Representation of major coal company in CTL property transaction, Powder River Basin
- Advised a Canadian-owned company in negotiating an exploration and option agreement concerning the exploration and joint development of a nickel-copper-platinum project
- Acted as Western legal counsel to a major coal company on a series of financing transactions, including amendments to a senior secured credit facility and a $300 million senior secured term loan facility
- Representation of Canadian uranium producer in multiple Wyoming and Utah property acquisitions
News & Resources
Articles
"Joint Development of Coal and Coalbed Methane," 48 Rocky Mt. Mineral L. Fdn: 19-1
2002
Contributor, International Environmental Auditing, Government Institutes
1998
"Developing an Environmental Model: Piecing Together the Growing Diversity of International Environmental Standards and Agendas Affecting Mining Companies," Colorado Journal of International Environmental Law and Policy, Volume 7, Number 2
Summer 1996
Environmental Land Use Permits and Approvals Manual, Utah State Bar
1985
News & Press Mentions
March 18, 2020
April 25, 2019
March 1, 2019
August 15, 2018
February 22, 2018
August 15, 2017
July 28, 2017
January 23, 2017
August 15, 2016
May 31, 2016
April 18, 2016
March 30, 2016
January 28, 2016
Select Presentations
- “Acquisition and Exercise of Mineral Rights on Federal Lands,” Mining Law Short Course, Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, Denver CO, November 2014
- "Joint Development of Coal and Coalbed Methane" Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Special Institute, Denver CO, November, 2002
- "Joint Development of Coal and Coalbed Methane" Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute 48th Annual Meeting, Lake Tahoe, NV July 2002
- "Mine Financing: Traditional Approaches, Trends, and Developments," NMA Annual Mining Lawyers Conference, Tucson, Arizona, 1998
- "New Mining Codes and Related Environmental Laws: Latin America, Africa and the Far East," SONREEL 4th Annual Fall Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts, October, 1996
- "Development of International Environmental Regulatory Standards and Agendas Affecting Resource Projects," Inter-American Bar Conference XXXII, Quito, Ecuador, November 1995
- "Developing an Environmental Regulatory Model—Piecing Together the Growing Diversity of International Environmental Standards and Agendas," International Resources Law II: A Blueprint for Mineral Development, Denver, Colorado, February 1995
Industries & Practices
Energy & Natural Resources
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practiceProject Development & Finance
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practice- Energy & Natural Resources
- Environmental
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Mining
- Oil & Gas
- Project Development & Finance
- Real Estate & Land Use
Professional & Civic
Professional Achievements
- Utah State Bar - Section of Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law (Chairman, 1986-1987; Lawyer of the Year Award 1993)
- Wyoming State Bar
- Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation (Chair, Special Institutes Committee 2010-2014; Trustee 2004-2007, 2013-2014, Board of Directors 2014-2018, President 2018-2019)
- American Bar Association - Hard Minerals Committee, Section on Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law (Chairman 1992-93, 1993-94; Vice-Chairman 1991-92, 1994-95, 1995-96; Chairman, Annual Conference on Developments and Trends in Public Land Law 1993, 1994)
- International Mining Professionals Society, Co-Founder and Executive Committee
- American Exploration & Mining Association (formerly Northwest Mining Association, Trustee 1998-2000)
- U.S./Mexico Environmental Business Committee, Board of Directors (1993-1996)
- Utah Mining Association, Environmental and Public Lands Committees
Accolades
- Named "Lawyer of the Year" for Salt Lake City Natural Resources Law by Best Lawyers, 2018
- Named "Lawyer of the Year" for Salt Lake City Oil & Gas Law by Best Lawyers, 2011 and 2015
- Named one of "America's Leading Business Lawyers" by Chambers USA (Environment, Natural Resources & Regulated Industries), 2010-2020 (Band 1)
- Listed as a Salt Lake City Super Lawyer, 2008-2020
- Listed as a Mountain States Super Lawyer, 2008-2020
- Listed in Utah Business Magazine, Legal Elite (Energy/Natural Resources), 2008 and 2016-2020
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America©, 2006-2021
