Rebecca Sitterly

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...

Justin Rodriguez is a nationally recognized litigation and trial lawyer who frequently handles high-stakes cases for clients such as Intel, BNSF Railway Company, and FedEx Ground. His practice ranges widely over the field of complex business and tort litigation, state Attorney General investigations, insurance litigation, and intellectual property. He has been counsel in cases involving patent infringement, securities fraud, commercial contracts, wrongful death, qui tam and antitrust. Justin ...

Christopher A. Holland is a member of the firm’s litigation group where he represents corporate and institutional clients in commercial litigation, tax litigation, government contracts, employment law, education law, and land use. After a clerkship for the Honorable Pamela B. Minzner at the Supreme Court of New Mexico, Chris joined Sutin, Thayer & Browne in 1996. He left the firm in 2018 to serve as Chief Counsel of the New Mexico National Guard, a State organization comprising more...

Alicia M. LaPado is a Senior Litigation Associate of the firm, with a practice that includes business litigation, general civil litigation, and criminal defense. Prior to becoming an associate, Ms. LaPado was employed by the firm as a law clerk where she provided support for complex civil and criminal matters, primarily in federal court. She also researched, drafted, and prepared briefs for submission in both state and federal court, as well as the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. Ms. LaPado o...

Elizabeth Ashton is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Elizabeth, 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 Elizabeth is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Thomas R. Mack is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants. Thomas R., who practices law in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been recognized since 2016. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Thomas R. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Art Melendres concentrates his practice primarily in administrative, education, commercial and municipal finance law. For more than thirty-five years, clients have sought Art’s expertise when faced with disputes involving education, administrative law, commercial law or public financing. For more than twenty-five years, Art has served as general counsel for the Albuquerque Public Schools, a school district of more than 90,000 students and 11,000 employees. He regularly advises the Schoo...

Donald F. Kochersberger is a Member of the firm and has been with BLSW since 2005. His practice emphasizes complex litigation matters, including shareholder, member and partner disputes, contracts, business tort, unfair practices, restrictive covenant and non-compete agreements, employee theft and misconduct cases, and customer and vendor disputes. Mr. Kochersberger has served as counsel for a number of local, regional and national companies, as well as individuals engaged in business dispute...

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...

Walter brings more than thirty-five years of experience providing representation, advice and counsel to businesses and individuals in their dealings with Indian tribes and public land management agencies, like the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service and New Mexico State Land Office. Walter’s practice is focused on natural resources, energy and environmental law. Clients throughout the west and across the country seek Walter’s advice in matters involving transac...