Lawyers
Lynn H. Slade - Shareholder
I practice in the following areas:
Alternative Dispute Resolution and Evaluation, Energy and Utilities, Environmental, Indian Law, Litigation, Oil and Gas, Appellate Cases, Renewable Energy
Practice:
Mr. Slade serves as Co-Chair of Modrall Sperling's Indian Law Service Group. He practices primarily in Federal Indian law, energy, natural resources and environmental law, project development, and complex litigation and transactions.
Indian law practice:
Representing natural resource and energy (including renewable energy) developers, financial institutions, utilities, and other businesses in advice, transactions, project development, and litigation concerning resource development, environmental regulation, and business activities on Indian lands.
Oil, gas, and energy regulatory practice:
Purchase, sale, financing and operation of oil and gas producing and transportation assets and representation of participants in gas and electric markets before federal and state agencies and in litigation.
Complex litigation and dispute resolution practice:
State, tribal, and federal trial and appellate courts in several states; counsel in complex mediations and arbitrations.
Representative Cases:
- Meyer Engineering v. Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, 996 So.2d 446 (La.Supp.Ct. 2008), cert. denied, 129 S.Ct. 1988 (2009), U.S. Lexis 2638 (tribal v. state court jurisdiction);
- Osage Nation v. Oklahoma Tax Comm'n., 597 F.3d 1117 (10th Cir. 2010)(state taxation of tribal members);
- Plains Commerce Bank v. Long Family Land & Cattle Co., 128 S.Ct. 2709 (2008) (tribal v. state court jurisdiction)(representing amicus curiae);
- Rio Grande Silvery Minnow v. Keys, 333 F.3d 1109 (10th Cir. 2003) (Endangered Species Act challenge to municipal water supplies);
- El Paso Natural Gas Co. v. Neztsosie, 526 U.S. 473 (1999) (federal vs. tribal court jurisdiction over nuclear incidents);
- Atkinson Trading Co. Inc. v. Shirley, 520 U.S. 438 (1997) (tribal taxation - representing amicus curiae);
- Transwestern Pipeline Co. v. Blackburn, 831 S.W. 2d 735 (Tex. App. -- Amarillo 1992) (enforcing arbitration agreements).
Representative Transactions:
- Wind energy project development, Navajo Nation, Arizona;
- Oil and gas exploration and production leases, joint venture agreements, and pipeline rights of way agreements; Navajo, Southern Ute, Northern Ute, Jicarilla Apache Reservation;
- Joint venture agreement for Pelton/Round Butte Hydro-electric Project, Portland General Electric and Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation (Oregon); Renewable energy development in Indian country.
Professional Activities:
- U.S. Supreme Court Historical Society (New Mexico State Chair: 2008-____);
- American Bar Association, Section of Environment, Energy and Resources: Membership Officer, (1998-2000), Member of Council, (1995-98), Chair, Committee on Native American Natural Resources (1992-1994); Member, Sections of Litigation, Dispute Resolution, International Law, and Public Utilities;
- State Bar of New Mexico: Chair, Natural Resources Section (1982-1984), Board of Directors, Indian Law Section (1990-1997, 2002-2004);
- Utton Center for Transboundary Resources, Advisory Council (2003-present);
- Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation: Board of Trustees (at large) (1995-1997, 2005-2008).
Honors:
- Recognized as one of "The Top 25 New Mexico Super Lawyers" (2007, 2009-2010);
- Recognized as "Best of the Bar" New Mexico Lawyers, New Mexico Business Weekly (Native American Law 2009);
- Recognized as a Southwest Super Lawyers® (2007-2009) (derived from a lawyer survey): Native American law, Energy & Natural Resources, Business Litigation;
- Recognized as National Leader in Native American Law, Chamber USA 2010 Directory of America's Leading Lawyers for Business;
- Recognized in Chambers USA 2007 Directories of America's Leading Lawyers for Business: Native American Law, Energy & Natural Resources, Business Litigation;
- The Best Lawyers in America, (1989-present): Energy Law, Native American Law, Natural Resources Law, Oil & Gas Law (results derived from a lawyer survey);
- International Who's Who of Mining Lawyers (2007- );
- International Who's Who of Environment Lawyers (2007- ).
Publications:
- The Federal Trust Responsibility: Evolving Models for Tribal-Private Resource Development, Special Institute on Natural Resource Development in Indian Country (2005);
- Puzzling Powers: Overlapping Jurisdictions of Indian Tribes, the Federal, State, and Local Governments in Development of Natural Resources in "Indian Country, 42 Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Inst. 11-1 (1996);
- Dispute Resolution in Indian Country, 71 North Dakota Law Review 519 (1995).
Education:
- University of New Mexico School of Law, J. D. (1976), Editor, New Mexico Law Review (1975‑76);
- University of New Mexico, B.A., Economics (1973).
Bar Admissions:
- State Bar of New Mexico, U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico;
- Courts of Appeals for the Tenth and District of Columbia Circuits, U.S. Supreme Court;
- Representation before several tribal courts and in federal, state, and tribal courts and administrative agencies.
