Admissions

State of Colorado

U.S. District Court, District of Colorado

U.S. Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit

Education:

University of Colorado School of Law (J.D. 1981)

Fort Lewis College (B.A., Political Science, Magna Cum Laude 1978)

Alan Hill has rejoined Russell Yates, to be of counsel to the Yates Law Firm. They were partners in a general civil practice in Durango, Colorado in the early 1980’s. He has focused his practice on water matters since 1986, including being a founding member of Tienken & Hill, LLP, in 1999. Mr. Hill has obtained positive results for his clients, including municipalities and special districts as well as agricultural users and developers.

Mr. Hill’s practice emphasizes water rights litigation, and water rights development and protection, including acquisition and sale of water rights as water counsel for a variety of long term clients. These clients include municipalities, special districts, agricultural users and individuals. His extensive experience has included obtaining water court decrees, in Colorado’s special water courts, for appropriative rights of substitution and exchange and approval of plans for augmentation, direct flow and storage rights, and tributary and nontributary groundwater rights.

These water court cases typically involve multiple parties (ten or more), and complex engineering and hydrogeology issues. While many of these complex cases are resolved through negotiation with the parties, he has obtained successful results through lengthy litigation, as well. This representation has involved substantial experience in the water courts of Colorado, including numerous trials, and in appeals to the Colorado Supreme Court.

He has obtained water court decrees for municipalities (including the City of Louisville), special districts (including Perry Park Water and Sanitation District, Cherokee Metropolitan District, and Beebe Draw Water and Sanitation District) and private entities (including Classic Homes, Buffalo Park Development Company, Case International, New Discovery Joint Venture, Pride Soccer and Turtle Lake, Ltd.). Additional services have been provided on an ongoing basis in monitoring, and filing appropriate objections to, competing water rights claims.

He has also negotiated agreements for the multi-million dollar purchase and sale of water rights, for water service and for joint use of water. Recently, a special district client purchased $1.5 million dollars in water rights, and received a dedication of additional water rights, associated with inclusions of land, valued at over $3 million dollars. Mr. Hill also negotiated the water component of a transaction in which private developer client sold water storage for $3 million dollars and a commitment to provide water taps. He represented the sellers in a Park County, Colorado sale of $3.2 million dollars of senior water rights to various municipalities.

He has researched and provided title opinions for complex water rights transactions involving water rights, including the sale of water rights, and water rights being used as collateral. These opinions were relied upon by banks, municipalities, special districts, and individuals.

Mr. Hill acts as general counsel for special districts, which has involved inclusion and exclusion of lands, negotiation and preparation of intergovernmental agreements, and negotiation and preparation of various agreements for the purchase of property and agreements relating to the special district’s service obligations. He has also represented the special districts in litigation.

He has represented clients in civil litigation, including successfully obtaining a quiet title decree in a vigorously contested case, for specific performance of a real estate and water rights sale agreement, and in many other disputes that were resolved through litigation.

He has also advised clients in real estate transactions, representing clients in large commercial sales, purchases and leasing, as well as residential sales and purchases. Mr. Hill has represented a number of small businesses, and advised them on business entity formation, leases, and collection matters.

Mr. Hill has earned the preeminent “AV” rating - the honor of being recognized by his peers for legal excellence. This rating reflects the highest level of legal skills and ethical responsibility that a lawyer can achieve.

Mr. Hill is a member of the Colorado and Boulder County Bar Associations (Member, Water and Environmental Law Sections), and has practiced before the Water Courts in all seven divisions, District Courts throughout Colorado, the Colorado Court of Appeals and the Colorado Supreme Court.

Alan is committed to volunteer work and pro bono representation, including a local church and pre-school. He has served as president of a local charter school board, as well as being involved in numerous community activities.

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