Lawyers
Earl E. DeBrine - Shareholder
I practice in the following areas:
Employment and Labor, Environmental, Indian Law, Litigation, Oil and Gas, Railroads, Torts/Personal Injury, Appellate Cases
Practice
Mr. DeBrine became a member of the New Mexico bar in 1987. He has concentrated his practice in the areas of natural resources, railroad law, Indian law, employment law, personal injury litigation and appellate advocacy. Mr. DeBrine is admitted to practice in all courts of the State of New Mexico and practices on occasion in the courts of various Indian Tribes. Mr. DeBrine serves as Chair for the Natural Resources Group of the Natural Resources and Environment Department.
Representative Cases
- Chiwewe v. Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Ry. Co., 239 F.Supp.2d 1213 (D.N.M. 2002) (tribal court jurisdiction for railroad crossing accident)
- Manzano Oil Corp. v. Chesapeake Operating, Inc., 178 F. Supp. 2d 1217 (D.N.M. 2001) (termination of oil and gas lease)
- Thornton v. The Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Co., 11 F.Supp.2d 1311 (D.N.M. 1997) (FELA summary judgment)
- Rivera v. New Mexico Highway & Transportation Department, 115 N.M. 562 (Ct. App.), cert. denied, 115 N.M. 228 (1993) (scope and course of employment)
- Mewbourne Oil Co. v. Blackburn, 793 S.W.2d 736 (Tex. App.-Amarillo 1990) (discovery in arbitration)
- Baker v. BP America Production Co.; 137 N.M. 334, 110 P.3d 1071 (2005) (venue for suit against foreign corporation);
- Bank of America v. Apache Corp., 144 N.M. 123, 184 P.3d 435 (Ct. App.), cert. denied 144 N.M. 123 (venue in multi-party litigation) (2008).
Articles
Supreme Court Ends Preemption Debate in Grade Crossing Litigation
Professional Activities
Mr. DeBrine is a member of the National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel, the ABA Section of Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law and the Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico. He has also served as volunteer prosecutor for the Second Judicial District.
Civic Activities
Chair, New Mexico State Bar Civil Trial Specialist Committee; Member, Association of Commerce & Industry Agricultural Committee
Honors
- Southwest Super Lawyers 2007-2009, in the areas of: Energy & Natural Resources, Business Litigation, Personal Injury Defense: General
- Best Lawyers in America 2006-2009 Railroad Law; Oil and Gas Law
- Mr. DeBrine is BV Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
Education
Georgetown University, J.D., cum laude, 1987; University of New Mexico, B.B.A., with distinction, (finance and accounting) 1984
Bar Admissions
United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals and United States Supreme Court.
Personal Interests
Mr. DeBrine was raised in the middle Rio Grande Valley near Socorro, New Mexico. He maintains an interest in his family's alfalfa and chile farm and, with his wife, owns The Capitol Bar, a saloon on the Socorro plaza established in 1896.
