Jan Laitos, John A. Carver Jr. Professor of Law at Denver Law, to be Featured Speaker at Buenos Aires Mining Seminar in August

Jan Laitos, John A. Carver Jr. Professor of Law at Denver Law, will be the featured speaker next month at a prestigious seminar in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The event, "Current Trends in the Regulation on Cyanide and Open Pit Mining," is being sponsored by one of the leading Latin American law firms Marval O'Farrell & Mairal.

Professor Laitos will speak about the U.S. and international experience associated with regulations on the use of cyanide as well as regulations on open pit mining. Also speaking at the seminar will be Luis E. Lucero, Francisco A. Macias, and Leonardo G. Rodriguez, all members of the firm.

Mr. Rodriguez is a 2008 LLM graduate of Denver Law's renown Environmental and Natural Resources Law & Policy Graduate Program. He was recognized as the top student in his 2008 graduating class, an honor given to the student with the highest grade point average.

Adjunct Prof. Paul Schlauch and LLM Graduate Leonardo Rodríguez Headline Mining Law Seminar in Buenos Aires, Argentina

University of Denver Sturm College of Law Adjunct Prof. Paul J. Schlauch and 2008 LLM graduate Leonardo G. Rodríguez recently headlined a seminar on International Mining Agreements held at the offices of Marval, O’Farrell & Mairal in the city of Buenos Aires.

The seminar was attended by 115 participants from various mining companies operating in Argentina, government offices and private entities. The seminar was also attended by the Secretary of Mining of Argentina, Eng. Jorge Mayoral, who pointed out that mining exports will grow exponentially throughout the upcoming years.

Prof. Schlauch, who teaches International and Comparative Mining Law at the Sturm College of Law, is of counsel with Holland & Hart in Denver. Mr. Rodríguez, who was the "Outstanding LLM Student of the Year" in 2008 is an associate attorney at Marval.

Argentine Attorney and 2008 LLM Graduate Leonardo Rodriguez Writes About Key Mining Law Case

The Argentine Federal Court of Appeals in the Province of Salta "correctly applied" the law and "reached a fair solution" in a mining law case that provides "an encouraging scenario for future investors locating in Argentina," according to Leonardo Rodriquez, a 2008 LLM graduate, and Francisco Macias, both of whom are attorneys for Buenos Aries-based firm Marval O'Farrell & Mairal.

Writing in the firm's October newsletter, the two attorneys concluded, "The attempt of the Argentine government to impose new taxes on companies under the Mining Investments Law can be qualified, at the very least, as unfortunate. The government should promote new investments which benefit the economy as a whole. Mining investment demands large quantities of money, is a high-risk activity and, as such, requires being developed with a stable legal framework."

Publication News: Two Members of Graduate Program "Community" Author Article in Argentine Mining Journal

Word comes from Buenos Aires that two members of the graduate program "community" have authored a new paper about mining in British Columbia.

Leonardo Rodriguez (spring 2008 LLM graduate) and Pedro Serrano Espelta (a long-time supporter of the graduate program) have published "British Columbia (Canada) Regulacion Legal en un Territorio Con Tradicion Minera" in Panorama Minero No. 353, March 2009 at page 25.

Both gentlemen work for highly-respected firm of Marval, O'Farrell & Mairal in Buenos Aires.

Friends of the Graduate Program at Marval, O'Farrell & Mairal in Buenos Aires

BUENOS AIRES -- Graduates and supporters of DU's Environmental and Natural Resources Law & Policy Graduate program extend around the world, but perhaps that support is no stronger than here.

Argentina, and Buenos Aires in particular, have seen a steady stream of talented young lawyers who have studied in Denver. This is due to the program's excellent support by many leading lawyers in the best firms in Argentina.

Pedro Serrano Espelta (on the right side in photo), partner in the well-known law firm of Marval, O'Farrell & Mairal and a leading South American oil and gas lawyer, has provided a great deal of support and encouragement to several members of his firm who have studied in Denver. One lawyer who has studied in Denver is Leonardo Rodriguez (left in photo, LLM graduate, May 2008), who was recognized as the Outstanding Student of the Year in 2008.

I (middle in photo) had the opportunity to talk to Mr. Serrano Espelta and Mr. Rodriguez about natural resources-related opportunities in Argentina, which is the 8th largest (in size) country in the world and has a multitude of resources -- oil and gas, mining, and renewables -- that will be developed in the coming years.

The warm relationship between DU and Argentinian law firms such as Marval, O'Farrell & Mairal is destined to become even closer, I think, as more lawyers and businesses from across the globe come to more fully understand the tremendous development opportunities in Argentina. In short, South America represents a fertile region for development for those who are looking ahead and planning for the future.