Gerald R. "Jerry" Velarde

Laura Horton is committed to providing thoughtful and compassionate legal services. Laura strives to deliver excellence and client satisfaction. Laura began her career in accounting and finance and later, fueled by her passion for advocacy and the desire to make a difference, she attended law school in Oregon followed by a post-graduate fellowship with the government in Kosovo. Laura's current practice at her firm focuses on the intersection of adult guardianship, family law, and probate. She...

Marc M. Lowry is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: General Practice and Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Marc M., who practices law in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Marc M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Cliff Atkinson has practiced for more than 44 years in the areas of complex commercial and tort litigation in a broad spectrum of difficult cases. He, with his good friend and now retired colleague John Thal, founded the Firm in 1992 on the principle that a small, directed, hard hitting litigation firm can deliver the highest quality of personalized services to its clients. In his many years of practice, Cliff has litigated and tried cases to verdict, judgment, or other successful resolution ...

Sarah M. Armstrong is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Collaborative Law: Family Law and Family Law. Sarah M., who practices law in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Sarah M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Carey Bhalla is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Civil Rights Law and Criminal Defense: General Practice. Carey, who practices law in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Carey is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Tim Fields is an experienced practitioner in litigation and insurance defense. For more than thirty years, Tim has represented clients in their civil litigation matters including personal injury defense, railroad, transportation/trucking, insurance coverage/bad faith, medical malpractice, construction defects, products liability, toxic exposure and environmental, and FELA. His practice also includes nursing home/hospital/healthcare litigation defense, complex multi-party litigation, commercia...

Deana Bennett’s practice is focused on natural resource development on public and tribal lands. Deana’s experience includes permitting and environmental compliance efforts under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Clean Air Act (CAA), and other related federal statutes. She has worked on a number of utility matters, and her experience includes working with renewable resource developers with siting issues on public, tribal, state, and...

Chris Muirhead concentrates his practice in the area of public finance. For more than twenty years, numerous New Mexico municipalities and counties have relied on Chris for advice on their public financing matters such as general obligation bonds, gross receipts tax revenue bonds, utility system revenue bonds, special district financings, and economic development projects. He serves as general counsel and issuer’s counsel for the New Mexico Hospital Equipment Loan Council, a state-wide ...

David focuses on government finance law, economic development and state tax incentive law, financial institutions law, government relations, securities law and corporate matters. Additionally, he represents issuers and underwriters in connection with the issuance of government securities. David has served as lead bond counsel to the New Mexico State Board of Finance, the New Mexico Finance Authority and the University of New Mexico and continues to serve in that capacity for the City of Albuq...

Susan Miller’s primary areas of interest are in water resources and environmental law, as well as insurance, tort and personal injury litigation. Susan currently serves as Chair of the Natural Resources, Energy and Environment Department and is the past Chair of Modrall Sperling’s Water Law Practice Group. She brings over 20 years of experience providing representation, advice and counsel to businesses, industries, ranchers, farmers and individuals throughout New Mexico with respe...