Mark J. Mathews

Concentrates on oil and gas, environmental and land use law. Involved in many of the major disputes facing the energy industry in Colorado.

Mark Mathews has successfully represented oil and gas and mining clients and real estate development companies in litigation and regulatory rulemakings concerning oil and gas preemption and royalty issues, hazardous waste contamination, enforcement of oil and gas regulations, zoning and development disputes and land use permitting issues.

Mark is outside regulatory and litigation counsel for the Colorado Oil and Gas Association (COGA) and outside litigation counsel for the American Petroleum Institute (API). Mark also represents many oil and gas companies and energy investment companies in litigation. In recent litigation matters, Mark represented COGA, API, Extraction Oil and Gas, Martin Marietta Materials and several other energy companies in high profile matters concerning operational preemption between state and local governments, challenges to Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) permits, challenges to state oil and gas regulations and challenges to local government land use permits. In 2016, Mark was the lead attorney representing COGA in litigation that culminated in the Colorado Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling striking down Longmont’s ban and Fort Collins’ five-year moratorium on hydraulic fracturing as preempted by state oil and gas law.

In addition, Mark frequently represents his clients before the COGCC. Mark has been involved in every major oil and gas rulemaking the last three years on behalf of COGA and individual operators, including rulemakings concerning flowline regulations, setback requirements and financial assurance regulations.

Finally, Mark represents a variety of real estate development companies on environmental contamination issues. Mark regularly counsels real estate clients involved in transactions concerning contaminated property. He also has negotiated and litigated matters involving penalty and environmental liability determinations.