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| Denver Law South American LLM Graduates (left to right): Marcelo Olivares (Chile); Leonardo Rodriguez (Argentina); Carla Araya (Chile); Nino Coppero (Peru); Carolina Crespo (Argentina); Don Smith; Eduardo Paseta (Peru); Roger Boing (Brazil). |
The strength of the
University of Denver Sturm College of Law Environmental and Natural Resources Law (ENRL) program was on full display at the
Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation (RMMLF)
International Institute on Mining and Oil And Gas held recently in Cartagena, Columbia.
Of the 300 attendees, who came from 45 countries and five continents, more than 20 had Denver Law connections. Specifically, there were 12 Denver Law ENRL LLM graduates, four DU JD graduates, and six current or former adjunct professors.
In nearly half the sessions at the Institute, there was at least one Denver Law-connected participant. This is very noteworthy because the RMMLF is considered one of the most prestigious and high profile organizations of its kind in the world. For more than 50 years, the RMMLF has provided opportunities for the world’s leading resource attorneys to gather and discuss the most important issues facing these sectors. Thus, the presenters at RMMLF conferences are considered the world’s top mining and oil & gas lawyers.
A more specific look at the overall Institute program provides an even clearer indication of the prominence of Denver Law at the event.
Among the key organizers of the International Institute:
- Catherine Boggs, Capital Resource Funds and a DU JD graduate, is President of the RMMLF
- Scott Anderson, Partner at Hogan Lovells and a Denver Law Adjunct Professor, served as Institute Chair
Program participants with Denver Law connections:
- Carla Araya, Legal Counsel for Minera Esperanza in Santiago, Chile, and DU LLM gradate spoke on “Water for Mining: Use and Protection of Water Resources”
- Elisabeth Bastida, Mining Program Director at the University of Dundee who has also taught as an Adjunct Professor at DU, spoke about “Ownership of Mineral Resources”
- Oscar Benevides, Partner at the Lima, Peru-based firm Rodrigo, Elias And Medrano and a DU LLM graduate, spoke about “Asian Investment in Africa and Latin America: Lessons Learned in Recent Years”
- Roger Maier Boing, Partner at L.O. Baptista, Schmidt, Valois, Miranda, Ferreira, Agel, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and DU LLM graduate moderated a panel entitled “International Unitization of Oil And Gas Fields: The Experience in Latin America”
- Nino Coppero, Director of Corporate Affairs and Social Responsibility for Toronto-based Hudbay’s Lima, Peru, office and DU LLM graduate, spoke on “Prior Consultation – The Peruvian Experience: Constancia and Minas Conga”
- Francisco Corona, Associate at Carey and Cia in Santiago, Chile, and DU LLM graduate, spoke about “Chilean Miners Revisited – Two Years Later”
- James Cress, Partner at Bryan Cave, a DU JD graduate, and a frequent guest speaker at Denver Law, moderated a session entitled “Consultation, Accommodation, and Consent in Resource Development”
- Florencia Heredia, Partner at HOLT Abogados in Buenos Aries, Argentina, and a DU Adjunct Professor, moderated a panel entitled “Mining in ‘No Go’ Areas: Parks, Forests, and Moorlands”
- Anya Mallett, Of Counsel at Polsinelli Shughart, a JD and LLM graduate, and a member of the Institute’s Mining Section Steering Committee, moderated a panel entitled, “On the Rocks – What are the Prospects for Safe and Successful Exploration of the Artic, and are they Worth the Risk?”
- Mark Nesbitt, Of Counsel at Fognani and Faught and former Denver Law Adjunct Professor, was a member of the Institute’s Mining Section Steering Committee
- James Otto, the founding Director of Denver Law’s Environmental & Natural Resources Law Graduate Program and now a world leading mineral economist and policy advisor to governments around the world, gave a keynote speech entitled “Resource Nationalism and Regulatory Reform”
- Luis Carlos Rodrigo, a Partner at Rodrigo, Elias & Medrano in Lima, Peru, and a DU Adjunct Professor, spoke about Asian Investment in Africa and Latin America
- Don Smith, Director of Denver Law’s ENRL program, moderated a panel entitled “Oil And Gas Regulation And Policy in Latin America: Recent Developments”
All told, DU-related participants in the Institute came from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and the U.S.
Others with DU Law affiliations who attended the conference included
Daniel Altikes, Counsel at Antofagasta Minerals SA in Santiago, Chile, and an LLM graduate;
Robert Bassett, Partner at Holland and Hart, and a DU JD graduate and Adjunct Professor;
Joel Benson, Partner at Davis Graham and Stubbs, who is a JD law graduate and an Adjunct Professor,
Maria Carolina Crespo, from Estudio Beccar Varela in Buenos Aries and LLM graduate;
Eduardo Paseta, Counsel at Compania Minera Antamina SA, Lima, Peru, and LLM graduate;
Marcelo Olivares, Partner at Quinzio and Cia Abogados in Santiago, Chile, and LLM graduate;
Miguel Rivero, Partner at Hoet Pelaez Castillo And Duque in Caracas, Venezuela, and an LLM graduate; and
Leonardo Rodriguez, Partner at Marval, O’Farrell and Mairal in Buenos Aries, and an LLM graduate.
No other educational institution from anywhere in the world came even close to matching Denver Law’s presence at the International Institute. This says volumes about the prominent role our program is playing on the global natural resources scene. It also illustrates the caliber of individuals who have been or are involved with our program. Put simply, there is no better place to study about the important issues involving natural resources than Denver Law.
Every day Denver Law-connected professionals are making major contributions to how natural resources are developed and used. This is something we as a group can be proud of and our aspirations should be high as we continue our world-leading efforts. In a reflection of that, we at Denver Law are ramping up our offerings in the oil and gas sector, an undertaking you will hear us talk more about in future months.
In the meantime, we are reminded each day that our graduates, our friends, and our partners look to us to steadily strengthen and improve the academic program at Denver Law. We take that seriously and we look forward to working with our community to ensure that Denver Law is “the place” to study about natural resources.
-Don Smith
Director
Environmental and Natural Resources Law Program
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