Stuart Butzier has assisted mining, energy, high-tech, industrial and ranching clients throughout his thirty 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 Environment, Natural Resources & Regulated Industries by Chambers USA, “Stuart Butzier is a standout name in the mining space, and is held in very high regard by clients and peers alike.” One client describes him as “highly professional and very much a guiding light,” while another notes that “he has a very clear understanding of the law and is a good strategist.” Stuart was named by the Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law (NREEL) Section of the State Bar of New Mexico as the 2018 NREEL Lawyer of the Year. The award is given to a single attorney each year for “demonstrating professionalism and integrity, superior legal service, exemplary service to the NREEL Section, and service to the public.” Best Lawyers® has named him as “Lawyer of the Year” eight times in Albuquerque or Santa Fe for Environmental, Mining or Natural Resources Law. He has achieved the AV® rating from Martindale-Hubbell and has been selected among those included in Southwest Super Lawyers®, being named a Top 25 New Mexico Super Lawyer in 2018 and 2019.Stuart currently is the firm’s elected Vice President, Head of the Natural Resources Department, and Managing Director of the Santa Fe office. He is serving a third term as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. Stuart has devoted himself to ensuring that the firm’s attorneys and staff are primed to provide excellent, cost-effective service to clients. Stuart is a team player who is adept at helping clients and colleagues pursue their business and professional goals. He also helped to recruit many of the firm’s bright and diverse young attorneys.Stuart is actively involved in community and professional non-profit organizations. He is currently the Vice President and President-Elect of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, and is the Past Chair of the Section of Natural Resources of the State Bar of New Mexico. Stuart is a current officer of the Mining Law Committee of the International Bar Association’s Section on Energy, Environment, Natural Resources and Infrastructure Law (SEERIL), and he has contributed countless hours as program chair, author and speaker in connection with legal education programs and publications in New Mexico, throughout the West and internationally. In 2019 Stuart was appointed by the New Mexico Supreme Court to serve on its Proactive Regulation of Attorneys Committee.Stuart’s civic involvement includes serving as President of New Mexico KidsMatter, a nonprofit group of volunteers serving as court-appointed special advocates for abused and neglected children, and as President of the New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired Foundation. He enjoys playing guitar in an active band and supporting the music scene in New Mexico. His other interests, apart from his family, include basketball (as a former college player and youth coach), natural landscaping, amateur photography and art.
Lawyer Profile
Stuart R. Butzier
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Recognized Since:2008
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Recognized in:Environmental LawLitigation - Environmental...
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Law School:University of New Mexico
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Website:
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E-mail:
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Location:123 East Marcy Street, Suite 201Santa Fe, NM 87501
Lawyer Bio
Education:
- University of New Mexico , J.D., graduated 1989
- Grinnell College, BA, graduated 1981
Bar Admissions:
- New Mexico, State Bar of New Mexico
- New Mexico, U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico
- New Mexico, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- New Mexico, United States Supreme Court
Affiliations:
- Association of Commerce and Industry - Energy and Extractive Industries Committee
- Modrall Sperling's Natural Resources Department - Chair
- New Mexico Mining and Minerals Division - Member, Director's Advisory Committee
- New Mexico Mining Association - Environmental, Legislative Affairs, and Coal committees
- Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation - Board Member and Trustee
Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers for:
- Environmental Law, Santa Fe (2021)
- Litigation - Environmental, Santa Fe (2020)
- Environmental Law, Santa Fe (2019)
- Litigation - Environmental, Santa Fe (2018)
- Natural Resources Law, Santa Fe (2016)
- Mining Law, Santa Fe (2015)
- Litigation - Environmental, Albuquerque (2013)
- Mining Law, Albuquerque (2012)
- Environmental Law, Albuquerque (2011)
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for work in:
- Environmental Law
- Litigation - Environmental
- Mining Law
- Natural Resources Law
Awards:
- Best Lawyers of America® in Environmental Law, Litigation-Environmental, Mining Law and Natural Resources Law, 2008-present
- Chambers USA Directories of America's Leading Lawyers for Business in Environment, Natural Resources and Regulated Industries, 2010-present
- Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rated
- New Mexico Business Weekly "Best of the Bar in Natural Resources," 2011
- International Who's Who of Mining Lawyers, 2003-present
- Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law (NREEL) Section of the State Bar of New Mexico Natural Resources Lawyer of the Year, 2018
- Southwest Super Lawyers® (derived from a lawyer survey), 2008-present; “Top 25 New Mexico Super Lawyers,” 2018-2019
Special Focus:
- Administrative
- Administrative/Regulatory
- Appellate
- Clean Water Act
- Coal
- Commercial
- Energy
- Environmental
- Environmental Cleanup
- Hard Rock
- Industrial Minerals
- Litigation
- Mental Health
- Mining
- Permitting
- Precious Metals
- Reclamation
- Regulatory
- Superfunds/Environmental Remediation
- Water
Lawyer Client Comments
"Stuart Butzier has been extremely valuable on the matters we have worked on together. He is a very clear communicator."
"Stuart is very good at listening and does not rush into a given tactic or pressure to have his client accept a particular strategy. He is very good at communicating the potential pitfalls."
Firm Details
Modrall Sperling
http://www.modrall.com
Headquarters
500 Fourth Street, NW, Suite 1000
Albuquerque, NM 87102
(505) 848.1800
2
Office Locations
in 1
Country
Lawyer Case History
Mining Claims, Staking and Notice Requirements
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Advised Burrell Resources Group and numerous other clients on mining claims, staking and notice requirements on federal public lands or split estate lands under the General Mining Law of 1872 and the Stock Raising Homestead Act of 1916.
Minera Peñasquito S.A. de C.V. v. Shannon, et al.
- Litigated in U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico on behalf of Goldcorp and its Mexican mining subsidiary, Minera Peñasquito, in connection with a failed transaction to purchase over four million dollars' worth of large mine equipment tires. The case resulted in judgments being entered in favor of Minera Peñasquito against defendants. See Minera Peñasquito S.A. de C.V. v. Shannon, et al., U.S. Dist. Ct. No. CIV 09-1149 BB/WDS (D. NM).
Conway v. Mainline Rock and Ballast, Inc. and EUCON Corp
- Lead litigator for Mainline Rock & Ballast in suit over complex mining transaction involving rights to royalties and related payments associated with development and production from a quarry on split-estate lands. Case resolved through a mediated settlement. See Conway v. Mainline Rock and Ballast, Inc. and EUCON Corp.,Seventh Judicial District Ct. (NM) No. D-0722-CV-2006-00174.
Rayellen Resources, et al., v. NM Cultural Properties Review Committee, et. al.
- Represented a group of substantial mineral interest owners in challenging a New Mexico agency's designation of over 700 square miles of the Grants uranium belt as a "traditional cultural property" at the request of five nominating tribes and pueblos. Initially sustained a due process challenge in State District Court, a decision later overturned by the New Mexico Supreme Court. See Rayellen Resources, et al., v. NM Cultural Properties Review Committee, et. al., NM Supreme Court, No. 33,497 (Feb. 6, 2014).
