Appeals

We have extensive experience handling appeals from jury verdicts, trial court decisions, and administrative rulings involving both state and federal courts and agencies. We handle issues on appeal ranging from land title issues, mineral disputes, and billion-dollar commercial transactions to public and private contracts, complex business litigation, and civil rights disputes. We have brought and defended appeals before the Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana Supreme Courts as well as the Claims Court, D.C. Circuit Court, and the Ninth and Tenth Circuit Courts of Appeal.

For information on our particular expertise in oil & gas litigation, see Oil & Gas Litigation

REPRESENTATIVE APPEALS:

  • Successfully represented respondent before Wyoming Supreme Court in case involving title dispute in Campbell County, Wyoming. Comet Energy Services, LLC v. Powder River Oil & Gas Ventures, LLC.
  • Obtained successful emergency interlocutory appeal to Colorado Supreme Court resulting in Supreme Court vacating adverse order from trial court. City of Colorado Springs Colorado v. Walker Ranches LLLP.
  • Obtained successful trial judgment to enforce the exercise of an option to repurchase oil shale properties in the Piceance Basin. The Colorado Court of Appeals and Supreme Court affirmed. Whiting Oil and Gas Corp. v. Atlantic Richfield Co.
  • Successfully upheld dismissal of exploration corporation’s antitrust action against energy companies. Riviera Drilling & Exploration Co. v. Gunnison Energy Corp., et al.
  • Successfully represented the City of Colorado Springs in two appellate cases arising from one property acquisition addressing new issues pertaining to eminent domain law in Colorado. City of Colorado Springs v. Anderson Mahon Enterprises, LLP, 251 P.3d 536 (Colo. App. 2010) and City of Colorado Springs v. Anderson Mahon Enterprises, LLP, 260 P.3d 29 (Colo. App. 2010).
  • Successfully defended appeal before Montana Supreme Court on behalf of national oil and gas company defending leasehold correlative rights). Gwynn v. Klabzuba Oil & Gas, Inc.
  • Powder River Basin Resource Council, et al. v. Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and Halliburton Energy Services, Inc., 320 P.3d 222 (Wyo. 2014).
  • Successfully defended appeal before Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals of summary judgment granted in favor of City and City employees regarding claims of First Amendment retaliation. Craig Hedquist and Hedquist Construction, Inc. v. Andrew Beamer, John Patterson, and the City of Casper, 763 Fed.Appx. 705 (10th Cir. 2019).
  • Successfully defended appeal before Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals of District Court decision to dismiss case based on specific and general jurisdiction. Keunzle v. HTM Sport Und Freizeitgarate AG, 102 F.3d 453 (10th Cir. 1996).
  • Successful defended insurer in seminal first and third party insurance bad faith case before Wyoming Supreme Court. Gainsco Insurance Co. v. Amoco Production Co., 53 P.3d 1051 (Wyo. 2002).