Lawyers
John R. Cooney - Shareholder
I practice in the following areas:
Alternative Dispute Resolution and Evaluation, Antitrust, Class Action and Mass Torts, Commercial Litigation, Environmental, Litigation, Oil and Gas, Railroads
Practice
Mr. Cooney joined the firm in 1965. His practice is concentrated in complex litigation and arbitration primarily in the areas of oil and gas, other natural resources, eminent domain, and antitrust law.
Publications
- "Preferential Purchase Rights in Mineral Agreements," with Larry P. Ausherman, Esq., 37 Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute, 1991
- "Oil and Gas Litigation--Class Action Issues," 10th Section Fall Meeting, American Bar Association Section of Environments Energy and References, 2002
- "Recent Developments Concerning Joint Operating Agreements--Preferential Rights and Exculpatory Clauses," Institute for Energy Law, 55th Institute On Oil and Gas Law, 2004
- New Mexico Editor, American Bar Association, State Antitrust Practice and Statutes
Presentations
- "Recent Developments Concerning Joint Operating Agreements--Preferential Rights and Exculpatory Clauses," Institute for Energy Law, 55th Institute On Oil and Gas Law, 2004
- "Development in New Mexico Eminent Domain," Albuquerque, New Mexico May 25, 2005
Representative Cases
- Lead counsel for: Amoco Production Co. and Marathon Oil Co., in Merrion v. Jicarilla Tribe, 455 U.S. 130 (power of Tribes to tax natural resources production)
- Amoco Production Co., in San Juan 1990-A et al. v. Amoco Production Co., 2002-NMCA-041, 132 N.M. 73, 43 P.2d 1083 (royalty dispute, summary judgment for Defendants, appeal dismissed AND Parry et al. v. Amoco Production Co., State of Colorado, County of La Plata, District Court No. 94 CV 105; pending (royalty dispute, class action, settled)
- Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. (State of New Mexico, Colfax County, No. 05-108 (eminent domain, jury trial, January 2006)
- Santa Fe Industries, Inc. and subsidiaries, including The Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company, in Texas Utilities Company, et al. v. Santa Fe Industries, Inc., et al. settled 1990 (antitrust and fraud case)
- Conoco Inc., Amoco Production Company, Chevron U.S.A. Inc., Apache Corporation, and ARCO Oil and Gas Company, in Fred R. Skaggs, et al. v. Conoco Inc., et al., 125 N.M. 97, title claim to 70-year old oil producing property, summary judgment for defendants affirmed)
- Conoco, Inc. and Amoco Production Co., in Conoco Inc. and Amoco Production Co. v. Sunterra Gas Gathering Company, et al., U.S.D.C. N.M. CIV 90-214 (natural gas contract arbitration)
Professional Activities
- President, Modrall, Sperling Law Firm 1993-2000
- President, State Bar of New Mexico 1980-1981
- Member, New Mexico Bar Commission, 1977-1981
- President, New Mexico Bar Foundation, 1981-1982
- Secretary-Treasurer, New Mexico Bar Foundation, 1984-1988
- Director, New Mexico State Bar Commercial Litigation and Antitrust Section 1993-1998
- Member, Civil Trial Specialty Committee (Chair 2000-2002)
- Board of Legal Specialization, 1998-2002
- American Bar Association, Section of Environment, Energy and Resources (Chair, Energy and Natural Resources Litigation, 2003-2005)
- Member, New Mexico Supreme Court Committee on Criminal Jury Instructions, 1977-1981
- Member, Special Committee, State Bar of New Mexico for redrafting New Mexico Community Property Laws, 1973-1976
- Member, Advisory Group for Civil Justice Reform for the United States District Court, District of New Mexico, 1994-1996
- Member, Management Committee, Federal Bar Association of the United States District Court, New Mexico, 1997-2005
- Member, Task Force on Minorities in the Profession, State Bar of New Mexico, 1995-1997
- Member, Committee on Organizational Structure of the State Bar of New Mexico, State Bar of New Mexico, 1994-1996
- Chair, Natural Resources Section, 1982-1984, State Bar of New Mexico
- Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, Board of Trustees, 1995-1997
- Fellow of the American (State Chair, 1997-2003) and New Mexico Bar Foundations
Honors
- Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers
- Listed in The Best Lawyers in America, (Business Litigation and Natural Resources Law) (results derived from a lawyer survey)
- Order of the Coif
- Selected as a Southwest Super Lawyer® in 2007-2008 in the areas of: Business Litigation, Energy & Natural Resources, Environmental Litigation (results derived from a lawyer survey)
- Selected as a top lawyer in Chambers and Partners. The directory describes Mr. Cooney as a “very solid practitioner” for oil and gas litigation (results derived from client research)
- Listed in The Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America (2007).
Certifications
Mr. Cooney is certified as a specialist by the New Mexico Board of Legal Specialization in Natural Resources Law.
