Sean chairs the firm’s largest practice group, business litigation. Sean is a litigator, water lawyer, and natural resources attorney with more than 17 years of experience advising and litigating on behalf of Fortune 500 companies and other businesses on a broad range of business disputes involving water rights, environmental permitting, partnership and shareholder interests, and real estate.

Sean has a strong track record of success in the courtroom (see Representative Cases, below) and in achieving advantageous settlements for his clients. He has wide-ranging trial experience in complex water rights litigation in state and federal court, and has been lead counsel in each trial to resolve contested water right claims in the Gila River General Stream Adjudication.

Sean helps his clients acquire and protect their surface water and groundwater supplies used for mining, industrial, municipal, and agricultural purposes.  Sean advises clients on a wide range of Western water rights issues, including the Drought Contingency Plan (DCP) and other Colorado River issues. Sean has in-depth experience litigating federal reserved water right claims and issues concerning subflow. He also litigates issues arising under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and has successfully defended land ownership interests in navigability for title proceedings under the Equal Footing Doctrine.

Sean handles cases throughout the West. He practices regularly at the trial and appellate levels in state and federal courts, as well as before a variety of administrative boards and commissions. Sean is an author on various natural resources topics, including implementation of California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).

When not in a court room, Sean is spending time with his wife and three children, rooting for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, or playing guitar with his band, Retro-Active.