Attorneys
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Stuart B. Corbridge
Partner - Stuart's practice focuses primarily on water rights issues, including water rights litigation, transactional matters, groundwater evaluation and well permitting, and other water rights related work. His clients include municipalities, water and sanitation districts, mutual ditch companies, irrigation districts, ranchers, farmers, and dairy operations, and other types of water users. Stuart also has experience with the Colorado Water Congress and Colorado’s legislative process. He has B.A. and J.D. degrees from the University of Colorado. He is a member of the Colorado Bar Association, Water Law Section, and the Boulder County Bar Association, and has also been a member of the American Bar Association, Section of Environment, Energy and Resources. After graduating from law school and prior to joining Vranesh and Raisch, Stuart worked for two years as the law clerk for the Division 1 Water Court.
Gabe Racz
Partner - Gabe specializes in water quality, water rights and environmental matters, assisting municipal and industrial clients in navigating compliance with the Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, Colorado Water Quality Control Act, and Colorado water law. He has a Bachelor of Music degree from Ithaca College and a J.D. degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is a member of the Colorado Bar Association, Environmental Law and Water Law Sections, and has been active in the Colorado Water Quality Forum. Gabe serves on the Colorado Water Congress Board and chairs the Colorado Water Congress Water Quality Committee and the Colorado Chamber of Commerce Water Committee. Gabe has appeared frequently before the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission, the Colorado General Assembly, and in the water courts and district courts, since 2001.
Pete Johnson
Justine C. Beckstrom
Partner - Justine specializes in water quality and environmental matters and represents municipalities and industries in complying with federal and state water quality requirements. She has a B.A. from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington and a J.D. from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, where she also earned a Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law. After graduating from law school, Justine served as the law clerk for the Honorable Edward C. Moss, District Court Judge, Seventeenth Judicial District, State of Colorado. Justine is a member of Colorado Mining Association.
Andrea A. Kehrl
Partner - Andrea represents local governments, water authorities, special districts, individuals, and other types of entities in all water rights matters including litigation, transactional work, and well permitting. In addition, Andrea assists clients with water aspects of real property transactions and legislative advocacy. She has a B.A. from the University of Georgia in Publication Management (Journalism and Business) and a J.D. from the University of Colorado. Andrea is a member and former fellow of the American Bar Association, Environment, Energy, and Resources Section, and also a member of the Colorado Bar Association and the Boulder County Bar Association. She is a former chair of the Environment / Natural Resources Section and the Young Lawyers Section of the Boulder County Bar Association. Andrea has been practicing natural resources and environmental law since 2010, with a focus on Colorado water law since 2012. With a family history in environmental engineering, she is passionate about water, natural resources, and environmental matters and is dedicated to providing high-quality, cost-effective services to the Firm’s clients.
Christopher M. Kamper
Attorney - Chris has been practicing law since 1994, with a focus on litigation and transactional work. He is licensed in both state and federal court in Colorado and has appeared pro hac vice in numerous other states including Wyoming, Oklahoma, Minnesota, West Virginia, and in the federal District Court for the Southern District of New York. His practice includes oil and gas, mining, and general commercial litigation on such matters as leases, intellectual property, copyright and trademark, confidentiality agreements, noncompete agreements, joint operating agreements, royalty payments (including class actions), oilfield and mine service agreements, water rights, and other commercial arrangements (primarily, but not limited to, those arising in the energy and metals mining sectors). Chris has served as lead or sole legal counsel in numerous jury trials, trials to the court, arbitrations, and all phases of administrative proceedings, including initial pleadings, discovery, motions practice, trial, and appeals. He has also served as lead or due diligence legal counsel regarding financings, mergers, credit swaps, and other transactions in the mining industry. Chris also provides counseling and general legal advice regarding environmental compliance and mine regulation and reclamation. In conjunction with these skills and experience, Chris prioritizes possible settlement or other non-litigation case resolution in managing client matters. Chris has a B.A. in Philosophy from Carleton College and a J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law.
Rachel L. Bolt
Attorney - Rachel represents clients in water quality and water rights matters, including discharge permitting and related administrative appeals and litigation; administrative rulemakings; water rights adjudications; development and administration of augmentation plans, exchanges, and substitute water supply plans; and well permit issues. Rachel has a B.A. from the University of Colorado and a J.D. from the University of Colorado Law School. Prior to joining Vranesh and Raisch, Rachel served as the law clerk to the Honorable Jaclyn Casey Brown at the 17th Judicial District and Colorado Court of Appeals.
Bradley N. Kershaw
Attorney - Bradley represents public and private water users in all aspects of water law, including water rights litigation and water-related transactions. He has focused on Colorado water law since 2017, and is a member of the Colorado Bar Association, Water Law Section. Bradley has experience in Water Courts across Colorado, including in Water Divisions 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7. Bradley has a B. S. from Oklahoma State University, and a J.D. from the University of Colorado Law School. While in law school, Bradley studied a range of natural resources law subjects and served as Lead Articles Editor of the Colorado Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Law Review. Prior to joining Vranesh and Raisch, Bradley worked in private practice with a focus on water law and water rights litigation, transactions, and related property law.
Robyn L. Smith
Attorney - Robyn represents public and private water users concerning a broad scope of water law matters, including water rights litigation and water-related transactions, groundwater evaluation and well permitting, and other water rights-related issues. Robyn has a B.A. in International Affairs and Romance Languages from the University of Georgia and a J.D. from the University of Colorado Law School. In law school she was a member of the Colorado Environmental Law Journal and volunteered with the Acequia Assistance Project. She also worked during law school in both the public and private sectors with a focus on local government.
Jerry W. Raisch
Partner Emeritus - Jerry represents municipalities and industries in complying with federal and state water quality requirements. He has a B.S. degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology, M.B.A. and J.D. degrees from the University of Colorado. He is a member of the Colorado Bar Association and Environmental Law Section. He has served as Chairman of the Water Policy Committee of the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry since 1985 and has been an active participant in the Colorado Water Congress and Colorado Mining Association in water quality matters. Prior to his partnership in Vranesh and Raisch, he was an attorney with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region VIII from 1972 to 1978 serving as its Acting Regional Counsel in 1977-78. Jerry is a Colorado Bar Fellow, and is listed in the "Best Lawyers of America" and Colorado "Super Lawyers."
Eugene J. Riordan
Partner Emeritus - Gene's practice focuses on environmental issues with an emphasis on solid and hazardous waste, water quality, and wetland matters. Particularly helpful in Gene's work is his engineering background. He earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California and is a licensed civil engineer with three years of engineering design and management experience. Additionally, Gene earned his PhD. in water resources planning and management from Colorado State University. Gene understands the physical systems that are regulated by environmental laws and is able to communicate directly with the technical experts about these systems. Gene has used this to his advantage in negotiating environmental permits and consent agreements with the regulatory agencies for a broad range of municipal and private clients.
Paul J. Zilis
Partner Emeritus - Paul represents municipalities, counties, water authorities, and individual water users in all water rights matters. He has a B.A. from the University of Colorado in environmental biology and a J.D. from the University of Colorado. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Environment, Energy, and Resources Section, and the Colorado Bar Association, Environmental Law Section and Water Law Section. Paul is also a past chair of the Natural Resources and Environmental Law Committee of the Boulder County Bar Association. His professional career has included extensive practice before the Water Courts and the Colorado Supreme Court beginning in 1983. Prior to his law career at Vranesh and Raisch, Paul worked as an aquatic biologist at the University of Colorado.
