Allison MacKinnon

Allison MacKinnon

Shareholder

amackinnon@wsmtlaw.com
Main: 303-830-2500
Direct: 720-305-5808
Licensed in: Colorado, New York, Texas, Wyoming


OverviewExperience & ResultsPractice AreasHonors & InsightsEducation & Admissions
Overview

Allison is a commercially focused legal advisor that represents publicly traded and privately held companies in a wide range of mining, oil & gas, and renewable energy projects and transactions.

She has represented clients in a variety of domestic and international mining and oil & gas projects and transactions, including drafting and negotiating purchase and sale agreements and exchange agreements for equity and asset transactions and joint venture, development, option and farm-in / farmout agreements for earn-in and joint venture transactions.  Allison also represents mining, upstream E&P, midstream and renewable energy companies in the negotiation and drafting of a wide array of real property instruments, including leases (mining, oil & gas, solar and wind), royalty instruments, easements, surface use agreements, and water, crude oil and gas gathering, processing and disposal agreements.

Allison also serves as outside general counsel for emerging energy companies, including private equity-backed portfolio companies, advising executive management, finance, and land teams on a variety of corporate, land, legal and employment matters, and negotiating and drafting a variety of commercial agreements pertaining to their day-to-day operations.  She also has experience advising her clients on corporate formation, ownership structure, and governance and often serves as a key advisor on corporate risk assessment and management.  She has extensive experience coordinating and conducting due diligence for large-scale domestic and international mining and oil & gas projects and transactions (including corporate, contract, land and legal diligence) and has prepared all forms of mineral title opinions, including drilling, division order and acquisition opinions covering fee, state and federal lands.

 

Experience & Results
  • Divestiture of operated and non-operated oil and gas leases and wells and midstream assets spanning Colorado, Wyoming & Montana for $30 million
  • Exchange of operated DJ basin oil & gas assets between two of the largest operators in the basin
  • Acquisition of producing non-operated oil and gas assets in New Mexico for $55 million
  • Option and earn-in agreement to explore 400,000 acres in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with the only active, operating high-grade nickel mine in the United States
  • Divestiture of non-operated oil and gas assets in North Dakota for $72 million
  • Acquisition of producing oil and gas assets and CO2 plant in New Mexico and Colorado for $180 million
  • Acquisition of producing oil and gas assets in New Mexico for $44 million
  • Divestiture of ceramic proppant manufacturing facilities in Georgia
  • Acquisition of Oxy Land Grant assets in Wyoming, Colorado and Utah for $1.33 billion
  • Divestiture by public oil and gas company of upstream assets in Wyoming for $350 million
  • Acquisitions by public oil and gas company of upstream and midstream assets in Appalachian Basin with aggregate value in excess of $100 million
  • Exchange of 25,000 acres by public oil and gas company in DJ Basin valued at $130 million
  • Acquisition by public oil and gas company of upstream and midstream assets in the Ventura Basin of California valued in excess of $40 million
  • Numerous asset exchange agreements covering upstream assets in Colorado and Wyoming
  • DrillCo joint ventures by private oil and gas company in the Permian Basin in excess of $250 million
  • Preparation of domestic and international mining joint venture and option agreements
  • Representation of management team of privately held oil and gas company in private equity transaction with a $500 million capital commitment
Practice Areas
  • Oil & Gas Transactions
  • Acquisitions and Divestitures
  • Corporate Law
  • Real Estate
  • Mineral Title Examination
  • Mining
  • Renewable & Alternative Energy
  • Public Companies & Securities
Honors & Insights
  • Listed by Lawdragon as one of the “500 Leading U.S. Energy Lawyers” in 2023
  • Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© “Ones to Watch” in the field of Oil and Gas (2022-2024), Natural Resources Law and Energy Law (2024)
  • Selected for Inclusion in Colorado Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” List (2020, 2021, 2024)
  • Co-Presenter, “Purchase & Sale Agreements and Due Diligence in Oil and Gas Transactions,” Denver Association of Lease and Title Analysts (November 2018)
  • Member, Audit and Risk Management Committee of The Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law (2018-present)
  • Trustee, The Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law, Colorado Bar Association (2018-current)
  • Denver Petroleum Club Mentor Program (2017)
  • At-Large Position, CBA Natural Resources and Energy Law Section Executive Committee (2016-2018)
  • Co-Author, “Lessee and Transferee Qualifications,” Law of Federal Oil & Gas Leases (2016)
  • Co-Author and Co-Presenter, “Overview of Complicating Factors Affecting Title,” Nuts and Bolts of Mineral Title Examination, Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation (April 2015)
Education
  • J.D., University of Colorado School of Law, 2011
  • B.A., University of Wisconsin, 2007
Bar Admissions / Qualifications
  • Wyoming
  • Colorado
  • New York
  • Texas