International law firm Dorsey & Whitney LLP announced today that I. Daniel Colton has joined the Firm’s Regulatory Affairs Group in Minneapolis as a Partner.

Mr. Colton has practiced law for over 25 years and has deep experience in mining, regulatory affairs and environmental law. Most recently, he served as General Counsel and Vice President of Regulatory and Legal Affairs at Twin Metals Minnesota (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Antofagasta PLC), where he worked with federal, state and local regulatory agencies in connection with the company’s proposed copper, nickel and Platinum Group Metals mining development project in Northern Minnesota. Before joining Twin Metals in 2011, Mr. Colton was a partner in the law firm of Leonard, Street & Deinard (today, Stinson Leonard Street), where he served clients in the mining industry including business and regulatory transactions, mining and mineral law matters, environmental regulation, permitting and risk management, natural resources and complex civil and regulatory litigation. Before his legal career, Mr. Colton worked in the southwestern United States as a consultant to the industry.

Mr. Colton has a Master of Science degree in Geochemistry from Queen’s University (Ontario) and a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from St. Lawrence University. He received his Juris Doctor degree from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Dan has worked closely with Mark Kaster, Bill Prince and other partners in Dorsey’s Regulatory Affairs practice group. “We are very pleased that Dan has joined Dorsey. He brings a great depth of mining experience and will add greatly to our strong regulatory affairs practice and to our Firm-wide work with clients in the mining and natural resources industry,” noted Ken Cutler, managing partner at Dorsey & Whitney. “Dan will also bring the valuable insights and perspectives of an in-house counsel. We continue to add talent strategically across the Dorsey platform to better serve our clients around the world.”

“I am delighted to be joining Dorsey and its great Firm-wide team of regulatory, mining and natural resources lawyers, many of whom I have worked with for years,” noted Mr. Colton. “I look forward to serving Dorsey’s exceptional client base.”