Timothy J. Atler

Katie Curry is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Katie, who practices law in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Katie 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...

Mariposa Padilla Sivage is an attorney with Sutin, Thayer & Browne APC in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she represents clients in Commercial Litigation, Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, and Litigation – Construction. Her practice focuses on civil and commercial litigation matters, including the defense of governmental entities and public employees. She has represented management in labor relations matters and collective bargaining negotiations, inclu...

Emma L. Whitley is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Collaborative Law: Family Law, Family Law and Family Law Mediation. Emma L., 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 Emma L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Jennifer Noya practices primarily in insurance coverage defense, employment law, professional liability, civil rights, class action and complex litigation. She has defended a wide variety of cases, including defense of insurers in class action litigation involving both life insurance and auto coverage. She has represented defendants in professional liability cases, civil rights class litigation and represents employers in employment-related disputes arising under state and federal law, as wel...

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...

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...

Andrew J. Simons began his legal career as a law clerk for Judge William W. Bivins of the New Mexico Court of Appeals from 1992 to 1993. He then joined Sutin, Thayer & Browne APC, where he continues to practice in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His work focuses on Litigation – Bankruptcy, with an emphasis on commercial litigation, creditors’ rights, consumer law, and real estate matters. Mr. Simons has represented clients in a wide range of state and federal litigation, including: (...

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 ...

Katherine McKinney focuses her practice in public finance and concentrates on representing issuers and underwriters in revenue bond issues, general obligation bond issues, and special assessment district bonds. In her municipal finance practice, she drafts all requisite bond documentation for issuers including municipalities, counties, universities, and school districts throughout the debt issuance process and advises clients regarding federal tax and securities law issues and state law requi...