Bruce Kirchhoff, DU JD Graduate and Vice President and General Counsel of Royal Gold Inc., Talks About the Business of Buying and Managing Royalties

The University of Denver Sturm College of Law has many outstanding alumni practicing in the natural resources sector. One such alumnus is Bruce Kirchhoff, a 1984 JD graduate, who serves as Vice President and General Counsel for Royal Gold, Inc., a Denver-based precious metals royalty company.

Recently I set down with Mr. Kirchhoff to find out more about Royal Gold, which the Denver Business Journal recently recognized as among the "fastest growing" companies in Colorado ("Royal Shines Gold," Oct. 10, 2010).

According to Mr. Kirchhoff, "Royal Gold owns and manages royalties primarily on precious metals mines with a focus on gold. Our royalty portfolio provides investors with a unique opportunity to capture value in the precious metals sector without incurring many of the costs and risks associated with mine operations."

He went on to explain that Royal Gold owns a large portfolio of producing, development, evaluation, and exploration stage royalties located in some of the world's most prolific gold regions. "Through this high quality portfolio," Mr. Kirchhoff said, "Royal Gold maintains upside potential though any exploration successes by the operators and benefits when new reserves are produced."

Mr. Kirchhoff has over 20 years experience in a broad range of business, commercial, and corporate matters affecting natural resources companies. Most recently he was a partner with Carver Kirchhoff Schwarz McNab & Baily, where he represented hardrock and industrial minerals clients as well as mineral exploration and development companies. Earlier in his career he was a senior attorney with Cyprus Amax Minerals Company.

Despite his busy schedule, Mr. Kirchhoff has been extremely generous in his support of the Environmental and Natural Resources Law program at DU. Several years ago he co-taught "International Mining Law & Policy." In more recent years, he has spoken to various DU law courses about his work and experience, thus providing students with invaluable insight into the mining sector. We are delighted that he is part of the College of Law community. Preparations are underway to have Mr. Kirchhoff speak to ENRL program students in spring 2011.

Royal Gold is headquartered in Denver and traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market and on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Don C. Smith
Director
Environmental and Natural Resources Law Program