Experience

James F. Cress is a partner in the Denver office practicing in the commercial law and securities and natural resources groups. His general corporate practice includes acquisitions and derivatives. His natural resources practice emphasizes international and U.S. mining and oil and gas law transactions, including financing. He has been with the firm since 1988.

Mr. Cress' practice is primarily transactional. Mr. Cress’ general corporate practice includes development, implementation and documentation of derivatives trading programs for corporate end-users of derivative products, including oil & gas, precious metals, interest rate and currency hedging programs, as well as synthetic debt instruments with derivatives components. In the natural resources area, he has negotiated and documented complex acquisitions, asset dispositions and financings for coal, uranium, gold, copper, oil and gas and other mineral-producing clients. He has experience in private and U.S. federal mineral royalty matters. He has advised clients on the development, implementation and interpretation of mining law and regulation in the U.S., Asia, the former Soviet Union and Latin America. His international experience includes negotiation of substantial investments in developing countries, including negotiations with host governments, and includes recent work in the Philippines, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Ethiopia, Brazil and Burma. He also teaches at the University of Denver’s Graduate Studies Program in Natural Resources and Environmental Law.

Professional & Community Affiliations

•  American Bar Association, Section of Energy, Environmental and Resources Law (former Vice Chair, Public Lands Committee and contributor to Year In Review)
• Colorado Bar Association, Mineral Law Section (Chair 2001-02; Vice Chair 2000-01; Secretary/Treasurer 1999-2000; Council Member since 1997
• Colorado Bar Association, International Law Committee
• Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, (Revision Author, American Law of Mining (2d Ed.); Mining Chair for 1998 Annual Institute; Editorial Board, Form 5A Joint Venture Agreement, Form 7 Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement; Publications Committee)
• International Mining Professionals Society
• Colorado Mining Association (Co-Chair, Mining Law Review Committee, 1998-99)
• Listed in International Who's Who of Mining Lawyers, 1999-present
• International Trademark Association
• University of Colorado Natural Resources Law Center, board member, 2000-2002
• Annual Survey of Colorado Law (Author, 1989-96, Editor, 1996-98, Mining and Public Lands Law)

 

- CleanTech
- Climate Change
- Commercial Law and Securities
- Derivatives
- Distressed Mergers & Acquisitions
- Energy and Natural Resources
- Energy and Natural Resources Financing and Hedging
- International Business Transactions
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Mining
- Oil and Gas
- Pacific Rim/Asian Practice
- Renewable Energy, Power Production and Energy Credits
- Securities and Capital Markets