Lori Bencoe

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 ...

Joan Drake has assisted clients for over twenty years as a lawyer on utility regulation and environmental permitting matters. In utility matters, Joan represents clients on matters involving state and federal regulation of electric and gas utility rates and service, facility siting, wholesale and retail sales, utility acquisition, renewable energy and Qualifying Facilities ("QF"), electric transmission and interconnection, gas pipelines, power purchase and service agreements, and energy effic...

Lynn Slade serves clients’ needs addressing Federal Indian law and Native American law, energy, natural resources, environmental law, project development, complex litigation and transactions for over 30 years. In his Indian law practice, Lynn advises and counsels natural resource and energy developers, financial institutions, utilities, and other businesses in transactions and project development, including extensive involvement with renewable energy projects. He also leads litigation t...

Stuart Butzier has assisted mining, energy, high-tech, industrial and ranching clients throughout his thirty-plus year legal career with Modrall Sperling. His counsel has included helping clients strategically navigate the maze of environmental and mining regulatory and permitting regimes, the morass of litigation, and the unique challenges of complex deals and real property transactions involving private, Federal, State, Indian and split-estate lands. Recognized in the area of Natural Resour...

Kathleen (Kathy) Love, partner at New Mexico-based McGinn, Montoya, Love & Curry P.A., has practiced as an attorney for over two decades. She focuses on representing individuals against for-profit and government entities. Throughout her career as an attorney, she has tried a number of high-profile criminal and civil cases, most recently including the Torres v. APD case involving a police shooting incident. For her accomplishments, Kathy Love holds a Martindale-Hubbell AV-Preeminent rankin...

Mariposa Padilla Sivage is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Employment Law - Management, Labor Law - Management and Litigation - Construction. Mariposa Padilla, who practices law in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Mariposa Padilla is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Todd A. Schwarz is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Insurance Law, Litigation - Insurance and Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants. Todd A., who practices law in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been recognized since 2019. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Todd A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Betsy focuses her practice on appeals and complex briefing. She has handled appeals and dispositive briefing in state and federal courts in a wide range of areas, including torts, contracts, employment, medical malpractice, and workers’ compensation. She enjoys analyzing complex issues on nearly any topic and translating them into simple, persuasive language. Betsy also serves as local counsel on appellate matters and frequently advises clients on appellate trends in New Mexico. She has...

Earl DeBrine concentrates his practice in oil and gas, railroad, product liability and commercial litigation. For over 30 years, he has represented major energy companies, railroads and manufacturers in lawsuits and negotiations ranging from preferential purchase rights and other disputes under joint operating agreements, environmental and title disputes to oilfield wrongful death claims. He also regularly advises oil and gas producers concerning development transactions and appears before th...

Andrew J. Simons is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Bankruptcy. Andrew J., who practices law in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Andrew J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.