James Cress is a partner in the Denver office. His natural resources practice emphasizes international and U.S. mining and oil and gas law transactions, including financing. His general corporate practice includes derivatives agreements.

In the natural resources area, he has negotiated and documented complex acquisitions, asset dispositions and financings for coal, uranium, gold, copper, molybdenum, oil and gas and other mineral-producing clients. He has experience in private and U.S. federal mineral royalty matters, and has testified before Congress as a royalty expert. He has advised clients on the development, implementation and interpretation of mining law and regulation in the U.S., Asia, the former Soviet Union and Latin America. His international experience includes negotiation of substantial investments in developing countries, including investment agreement negotiations with various governments, and includes work in the Philippines, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Ethiopia, Brazil, Suriname, Turkey, Haiti, Ghana, Armenia and Burma. He was a principal negotiator for international mining companies in the development of the form of Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) used for large scale mining investments in the Republic of the Philippines.

Mr. Cress’ general corporate practice includes development, implementation and documentation of derivatives trading programs for corporate end-users of derivative products, including oil & gas, precious metals, interest rate and currency hedging programs, as well as debt instruments with derivatives components.

Bar and Court Admissions

Colorado, 1988

Education

University of Denver, J.D., summa cum laude, Order of St. Ives, 1988

Northwestern University, B.S.J., with honors, 1983

Professional Affiliations

• International Bar Association, Mining Law Committee, IBA/SEERIL Mining Law Committee, Administrative Committee
• American Bar Association, Section of Energy, Environmental and Resources Law
• Colorado Bar Association, International Law Committee, Mineral Law Section, Chair 2001–2002; Vice Chair 2000–2001; Secretary/Treasurer 1999-2000
• Denver Bar Association
• Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, Revision Author, American Law of Mining (2d Ed.); Former Trustee-at-Large; International Mining Co-Chair for 2006 Annual Institute, Mining Chair for 1998 Annual Institute; Editorial Board, Form 5 LLC and Form 5A Joint Venture Agreement Committees, Form 7 Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement)
• Colorado Mining Association, Mining Law Review Committee, Co-Chair, 1998–1999

Civic Involvement and Honors

• University of Denver College of Law, Adjunct Professor of Law (Graduate Studies Program in Natural Resources and Environmental Law), teaching International and Comparative Petroleum Law & Policy (2003–2004) and frequent lecturer (NR&E, Sustainable Development in Natural Resources)
• Sustainable Development Strategies Group, Director
• University of Colorado Natural Resources Law Center, Board Member, 2000
• Annual Survey of Colorado Law, Author, 1989–1996; Editor, 1996–1998; Mining and Public Lands Law
• Colorado Super Lawyers, 2012
• International Who’s Who of Mining Lawyers, 1999–present
• Best Lawyers in America, Mining, 2008–present