Alexander K. Obrecht

Experience

Trade Associations

• Secured a nationwide preliminary injunction and merits order invalidating the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's hydraulic fracturing regulations on federal and Indian lands. 
  • Order Granting Preliminary Injunction: Wyoming v. U.S. Department of the Interior, 136 F. Supp. 3d 1317 (D. Wyo. 2015)
  • Order Setting Aside Regulations: Wyoming v. U.S. Department of the Interior, __ F. Supp. 3d __, 2016 WL 3509415 (D. Wyo. June 21, 2016)
• Counsel to a national oil and gas trade association in a challenge to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s compliance with its oil and gas lease sale obligation under the Mineral Leasing Act; defeated a motion to intervene by special interest groups. 
• Counsel to a national agricultural trade association involved in efforts to review and prepare comments to Environmental Protection Agency's and United States Army Corps of Engineers' proposed rulemaking related to the Clean Water Act's definition of the "Waters of the United States."

Independent Oil and Gas Companies

• Secured summary judgment and affirmance on appeal for an independent oil and gas company in an antitrust suit related to natural gas development from coal bed methane deposits in the Rocky Mountains. 
  • Order Granting Summary Judgment: Buccaneer Energy (USA) Inc. v. Gunnison Energy Corp., No. 12-cv-01618-RPM, 2015 WL 5655519 (D. Colo. Sept. 25, 2015)
  • Tenth Circuit Affirmance: Buccaneer Energy (USA) Inc. v. Gunnison Energy Corp., __ F.3d __, 2017 WL 460969 (10th Cir. Feb. 3, 2017)
• Obtained reversal on appeal of an unfavorable district court order obtained by previous counsel for independent oil and gas company in federal royalty litigation. 
  • District of Columbia Circuit Reversal: Continental Resources, Inc. v. Jewell, __ F.3d __, 2017 WL 406183 (D.C. Cir. Jan. 31, 2017)
• Obtained novel mandamus relief for independent oil and gas company because of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s failure to issue oil and gas drilling permits and to comply with the agency’s obligations under the Mineral Leasing Act.
  • Order Granting Motion for Mandamus Relief: EnerVest, Ltd v. Jewell, __ F.3d __, 2016 WL 7496116 (D. Utah Dec. 30, 2016)
• Counsel to an independent oil and gas company in an ongoing federal royalty dispute in the Department of Interior’s administrative appeals process and federal court litigation.
• Member of a defense team for an independent oil and gas company in ongoing Department of Justice civil investigation pursuant to the False Claims Act for allegedly underpaid royalties on natural gas.

Hazardous Materials

• Counsel to a midstream client developing a compliance plan with hazardous materials regulations for crude oil transportation. 
• Counsel to an oil and gas wastewater treatment company.

Memberships

• American Bar Association
• Colorado Bar Association
• North Dakota Bar Association
• Wyoming Bar Association
• Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation
• Denver Petroleum Club
• Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA)
• Western Energy Alliance

Community

• Friends of Harvard: Donor and Class Agent
  • Track and Field
  • Football
• Salt Creek Energy Excellence Scholarship: Co-Founder
• University of Wyoming Alumni Association: Board of Directors
• Denver East High School, A+ Angels: Mentor

Pro Bono

• Served as counsel to a tenant in a breach of warranty of habitability dispute with a landlord. 
• In conjunction with the ACLU, represented two women wrongly arrested and prosecuted for crimes during a 2013 "drug sting". The lawsuit settled with payment of $375,000 to the client.
• Member of U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit’s pro bono panel.