Experience

Frank Erisman is a partner of the firm in the Denver office who joined the firm in 1969. He focuses his practice on basic industries and the representation primarily of mining and other extractive industry clients and has served on numerous occasions as a neutral arbitrator in cases involving the extractive industries. He has extensive experience in the areas of mining law, including mineral financing, natural resources, and public lands law. His experience includes work regarding most minerals, including coal, uranium, precious and base metals and industrial minerals. Additionally, he coordinates the firm's natural resources practice.

Mr. Erisman has decades of experience in government leases, acquisition and sale of mining properties, financing credit and security of mining properties and mining claims. He has mining legal experience in Russia, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Indonesia, Union of Myanmar, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, and Suriname. He has advised the Republic of Suriname on the form of its mining code and mining agreements.

Mr. Erisman regularly speaks and writes on mining and mine finance topics. The University of Denver College of Law appointed him the Distinguished Natural Resources Practitioner-in-Residence for 1995. He was an editor of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation American Law of Mining, 2d Edition. Mr. Erisman is internationally recognized in his field and is a past chair of the American Bar Association's Section of Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Law and the past president of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation. Mr. Erisman is also President of the Board of Trustees of the Colorado School of Mines.

Professional & Community Affiliations

• Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, trustee, 1984-1993; executive committee, 1988-1992;   secretary, 1995-1996; vice president, 1996-1997; president, 1997-1998
• Colorado Bar Association, Mineral Law Section, chair, 1992-1992
• American Bar Association, Section of Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law,   chair, 1993-1994
• Colorado Mining Association, director and member of executive committee, 1985-1990
• Colorado School of Mines, President's Council, chair, 1991-1992
• Colorado School of Mines, trustee, 1995-2002; president, Board of Trustees, 1997-2001
• Colorado School of Mines Foundation; Director, 1995-present
• Denver Law Journal, board of editors, 1967-1968
• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America, 1991-present, and International Who's Who of Mining   Lawyers, 1999
• National Register of Who's Who, 2000
• Order of St. Ives
• American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers
• Mining and Metallurgical Society of Engineers
• International Mining Professionals Society