David S. Neslin
Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP
David Neslin is the Director of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which regulates oil and gas development in the State. During his tenure, the Commission has undertaken the first comprehensive updating of its rules in more than a decade, issued a record number of drilling permits, overseen the implementation of various new environmental protections, and significantly reduced processing times. From 2007 until early 2009, he was also the Assistant Director for Energy and Minerals for the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. In that capacity, he worked with the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, the Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety, the Geological Survey, and other state agencies regarding energy and mineral development in Colorado.
Prior to joining the Department in 2007, David spent 24 years as an associate and partner in the international law firm of Arnold & Porter, LLP. At Arnold & Porter, he represented clients in a wide range of complex litigation matters, including environmental permitting disputes, government contracts claims, government enforcement actions, real estate disputes, and products liability litigation. He also assisted clients in obtaining numerous environmental, land use, and other regulatory approvals. In recent years, his clients included ski resorts, real estate developers, public utilities, local governments, Indian tribes, and mining, oil and gas, and pharmaceutical companies. He has also written and lectured on wetlands regulation, threatened and endangered species, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Water Act, and other environmental issues. He is a graduate of the University of Washington and the University of Washington Law School.
02/12
