Experience

• Representation of Exxon Mobil Corporation, Hilcorp Alaska, LLC and SAExploration Inc. in an Alaska Superior Court declaratory judgment action against the Alaska Department of Revenue concerning Alaska oil and gas production taxes and Exxon Mobil Corporation in an Alaska Supreme Court appeal concerning this matter.
• Representation of Fairbanks Gold Mining, Inc. in a number of Board of Equalization, Alaska Superior Court and Alaska Supreme Court appeals regarding property tax assessments of the Fort Knox gold mine.
• Counsel to Furie Operating Alaska, LLC for a $160 million financing transaction to fund the installation of an offshore natural gas production platform, marine pipeline, and onshore production facilities to bring natural gas to market from Furie’s Kitchen Lights Unit in the Cook Inlet.
• Counsel to Repsol E&P USA, Inc. regarding Alaska oil and gas production taxes, property taxes and royalties in connection with oil and gas exploration and development activities on the North Slope of Alaska.
• Counsel to Great Bear Petroleum Operating LLC regarding Alaska oil and gas production taxes and property taxes in connection with oil and gas exploration and development activities on the North Slope of Alaska.
• Counsel to Silver Bay Seafoods in appeals of assessments of fisheries taxes.
• Regularly counsels and represents a number of oil and gas exploration and production companies in oil and gas production tax and property tax matters before the Alaska Department of Revenue.
• Frequently assists oil and gas companies in purchase and sale and financing transactions involving Alaska assets.
• Regularly counsels and represents taxpayers in Alaska corporate income tax matters.
• Regularly counsels and represents mining companies in mining license tax matters before the Alaska Department of Revenue.
• Regularly counsels and represents Alaska Native Corporations in regard to Alaska state and local taxes, including Alaska oil and gas production taxes, corporate income taxes, mining license taxes, property taxes and motor fuel taxes.

Honors & Activities

• Selected as one of “America’s Leading Lawyers for Business” (Alaska) by Chambers USA (Natural Resources & Environment), 2014–2023. Praised for his “superior knowledge.”
• Honored as one of Alaska’s Top Forty Under 40 by the Alaska Journal of Commerce, 2014
• Nominated for the State of Alaska Governor’s Denali Peak Performance Award for Leadership (2011, 2008), and for Exceptional Performance as a member of the oil and gas production tax regulations team (2010)
• Received a letter of commendation from the Alaska Attorney General for achieving a favorable result in a major royalty dispute and for his role in state superior and supreme courts in a lawsuit brought by the legislature against the governor over an interstate gas pipeline contract (2006)

Insights & Presentations

• “Alaska’s Budget and Tax Tug of War,” State Tax Notes^®, January 15, 2024
• “The Alaska Legislature’s Push-Pull on Taxes,” State Tax Notes^®, July 10, 2023
• “Things Heat Up in Juneau,” State Tax Notes^®, May 8, 2023
• “Bracing for Another Budget Debate,” State Tax Notes^®, January 16, 2023
• “Tax Actions by the Alaska Legislature in 2022,” State Tax Notes^®, August 22, 2022
• “Alaska Gets a Boost From Oil,” State Tax Notes^®, March 28, 2022 
• “2021 Runs From Frenzy to Fizzle,” State Tax Notes^®, December 20, 2021 
• “An Unclear Future for Alaska Taxpayers,” State Tax Notes^®, October 4, 2021
• “Trials of the Season,” State Tax Notes^®, April 26, 2021
• “Alaska Supreme Court Overturns Tax Credit Bond Program,” State Tax Notes^®, November 9, 2020
• “Alaska’s Perfect Storm,” State Tax Notes^®, June 29, 2020
• “Alaska: Preparing for a Tumultuous Year,” State Tax Notes^®, January 20, 2020
• “Alaska Taxpayers Feel the Heat,” State Tax Notes^®, August 19, 2019
• “The Debate Over the Alaska Tax Credit Bond Program,” State Tax Notes^®, March 25, 2019
• “State and Local Taxes in Alaska,” Lexology Navigator, January 10, 2019
• “The Battle Over Payment for Alaska’s Tax Credits,” State Tax Notes^®, September 10, 2018
• “Alaska’s Oil and Gas Production Tax: The Uncertainty Continues,” The Legal Intelligencer, May 17, 2018
• “Alaska Oil and Gas Taxes—a Bumpy Ride and a Bond Bill,” Alaska Association of Professional Landmen, May 15, 2018
• “Alaska’s Tax Credit Showdown,” State Tax Notes^®, April 2, 2018
• “Alaska Taxes 2017—Another Year of Turmoil,” Tax Executives Institute, Inc., Alaska Chapter, February 15, 2018
• “Alaska Legislature Changes the Oil and Gas Production Tax—Again,” Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation (RMMLF) Newsletter, Vol. XXXIV, Number 4, 2017
• “Alaska’s Production Tax in a State of Change,” State Tax Notes^®, October 9, 2017
• “Breaking Ground—Oil and Gas Development in the Arctic” (panelist), 4th Annual Arctic Encounter Symposium, April 14, 2017
• “Current Developments in Alaska,” “SALT Litigation: What to Know and How to be Prepared to Win,” Tax Executives Institute, Inc., October 5, 2016
• “Current Developments in Alaska,” “SALT Litigation: What to Know and How to be Prepared to Win,” Pacific Northwest Regional State Tax Seminar, Council on State Taxation, August 9, 2016
• Oil and Gas Tax Credits Panel, Meet Alaska 2016 Conference, Alaska Support Industry Alliance, January 8, 2016
• “Tax Credit Financings for Alaska Oil and Gas Exploration and Development,” Alaska Senate Oil and Gas Tax Credit Working Group, October 2015
• “Financing Oil and Gas Projects in Alaska—Exploring Options and Financing Structures,” The Alaska Oil & Gas Congress: Alaska-Japan LNG Opportunity Summit, CI Energy Group, September 2015
• “Financing Alaska Projects and Leveraging Production Tax Credits,” Energy Markets and Regulation in Alaska, Law Seminars International, December 2014
• “Alaska Tax Credits Promote Financing Opportunities,” Alaska Business Monthly, June 2014
• “Drilling With Other People’s Money: Liens, Liens and More Liens, Everywhere and on Everything,” Alaska Association of Professional Landmen, March 2014
• “Surviving the Challenges of Oil and Gas Taxation in Alaska,” Lorman Education Services, January 2014
• “Alaska Legislature Adds Mechanism to Encourage Financing Based on Oil and Gas Production Tax Credits,” Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation (RMMLF) Newsletter, Volume XXX, Number 3, 2013
• “Alaska Legislature Amends Oil and Gas Production Tax Regime,” Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation (RMMLF) Newsletter, Volume XXX, Number 3, 2013
• “Overview of Alaska Production and Property Taxes,” Tax Executives Institute, Inc., January 31, 2013
• “An Introduction to Alaska Oil and Gas Production Tax Credits,” Alaska Association of Professional Landmen, January 2012
• “Separating Oil from Gas for Alaska’s Production Tax,” Alaska Support Industry Alliance Board of Directors, January 2012
• “Alaska Legislature Considers Amending the Oil and Gas Production Tax,” Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation (RMMLF) Newsletter, Volume XXVIII, Number 4, 2011
• “An Introduction to Alaska’s Property and Oil and Gas Production Taxes,” Corporate Counsel Section of the Alaska Bar Association, September 2011

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