CARLETON GOTLIN LAW - Key Persons
Elaine has extensive business and legal experience in all aspects of the oil and gas industry, including acquisition/divestment, exploration and development. For over 30 years, Elaine has held positions at both major and smaller companies working both in-house and independent, as a Landman, DOI Analyst, Crude Oil Trader, and currently as an Attorney.
Elaine's practice involves upstream oil and gas work, including complex multi-formation title opinions; drafting, negotiation and review of various industry agreements; due diligence projects, drafting and negotiation of curative documents and Determination of Heirship actions. As part of this practice, Elaine also specializes in advising and representing clients on challenging title curative matters, and she administers and directs the resolution of various legal issues relating to exploration and drilling, including surface and mineral owner conflicts, title defects, and oil and gas transactional issues.
In 1980, Elaine received a BBA from the University of Texas with an emphasis in Petroleum Land Management, and in 1995 graduated from Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver. She is licensed to practice law in Colorado and Texas. Originally from Midland, Texas with a family history in the energy industry and ranching, Elaine has a solution based philosophy for her business and individual clients. Her work ethic and common sense approach coupled with her experience provides her clients with an efficient and resourceful solution and final product.
Elaine has authored and presented numerous papers covering complex title issues, pooling and spacing, determinations of heirship actions, surface issues, and conveyance of minerals for the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, Colorado Bar Association's Natural Resources section and Trust and Estate sections, the Denver Association of Petroleum Landmen, National Association of Division Order Analysts, and local Denver associations.
Elaine is licensed to practice law in Colorado and Texas.
Craig wrote his first mineral title opinion in 1996. Since then, Craig has devoted his private practice of law to specializing in real property and mineral title ownership issues, regulatory and legal compliance, and transactional due diligence. This has involved Craig in the drafting of transactional and operational agreements, review of oil, gas, and solar leases, subscription and operating agreements for the formation of business entities and acting co-counsel on quiet title actions in Weld County District Court.
Craig earned Juris Doctorate degree at the Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver. While attending the University of Denver, Craig served as Secretary of the Natural Resources and Energy Law Society and was a staff writer for the Water Court Reporter. Craig's interest in passing along his knowledge of the law led him to an Adjunct Professorship at the Community College of Aurora's Paralegal Studies Program, a more than 10-year term on the Denver Association of Professional Landmen's Education Committee and earned Craig the DAPL's Education Award for 2017.
Craig has enjoyed writing articles and giving presentations to the legal and energy industries on such topics as farmout and joint operating agreements, succession of mineral interests on the death of mineral owners, the leasing of remainder interests and contingent future interests, and cover-all provisions in mineral deeds and lease agreements. Craig enjoys being involved in promoting the energy industry and served as President of the Denver Association of Oil and Gas Title Lawyers in 2011.
In his spare time, Craig likes to practice yoga and engage in reading and writing for pleasure. Craig's short story Outside Clayton received the Colorado Bar Association's Best Fiction Award in its annual Arts and Literature Contest for 2018 and was published in the CBA's Docket Magazine.
Craig is licensed to practice law in Colorado, Texas, and New Mexico.
Job Titles:
- Gas Title Lawyers ( President and past Secretary - Treasurer
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Associate
Joe joined Carleton Gotlin Law in January of 2011 and focuses his practice primarily in the area of oil and gas title examination. Joe has extensive experience preparing drilling and division order title opinions for federal, state and fee lands, including complex subdivision lands, and has also represented clients in mergers and acquisitions and estate administration related to the oil and gas sector.
Prior to joining the Firm, Joe worked as an associate attorney for a boutique civil litigation firm representing homeowners in complex construction defect actions. In addition to his litigation experience, Joe also worked as a contract landman for a major oil and gas company performing title curative in the Bakken formation in North Dakota.
A fourth-generation Colorado native raised in an oil and gas family, Joe graduated from the University of New Mexico in 2003 with a degree in biology and pitched for three seasons for Colorado Rockies' minor-league baseball affiliates in Oregon and North Carolina before returning to Colorado, where he obtained his law degree from the University of Colorado School of Law in 2009.
In his spare time, Joe enjoys fishing, biking and playing ball with his two sons.
Jack is an associate attorney at Carleton Gotlin Law whose practice largely consists of preparing drilling and division order title opinions associated with upstream oil and gas development. Prior to joining Carleton Gotlin Law in 2018, Jack spent five years working as a Project Manager with a national full-service oil and gas brokerage firm where gained experience drafting drilling and division order title opinions, conducting and managing acquisition due diligence, and management of oil and gas assets for both operators and non-operators in Colorado, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. Most recently, Jack worked closely with a privately held E&P company to assist them with a variety of asset management projects and assisting them with their transition from a non-operator to operator in northeastern Pennsylvania.
Jack is originally from New Hampshire, earning his Bachelors of Music from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA in Music Production and Engineering. After graduating from Berklee in 2006, he worked as a professional guitarist, recording engineer, sound recordist for film, and songwriter in Boston, MA and Atlanta, GA, prior to obtaining his law degree from Washington University in St. Louis in 2012.
In his spare time, Jack performs with his band across the Front Range and is currently writing songs with a number of performing artists in the Denver area.
Kajsa, a third-generation Denver native, is a partner at Carleton Gotlin Law who is licensed in Colorado, Pennsylvania and Wyoming. Her practice focuses on title examination and all related curative as well as due diligence and acquisition matters.
After earning a BA in Social Sciences and Sociology from Colorado State University, Kajsa attended Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver. During law School, Kajsa worked at the Denver District Attorney's office in the County Court division. Kajsa was admitted to the Colorado State bar on October 16, 2000 and immediately began working for this firm. Although, her Oil and Gas career started right out of law school, by practicing in one of the most challenging natural resource areas in the country, the DJ Basin, Kajsa has had the opportunity to work on unique and demanding issues involving the oil and gas industry which has catapulted her overall experience.
In 2010, Kajsa became a partner of Carleton Gotlin Law. In addition to her regular practice, Kajsa is the managing partner of the practice and is honored to be a part of such a talented team of legal professionals and proud to be part of one of the state's top industries.
Kurt, a native Texan, has a legal and energy industry background and a deep appreciation for clear writing and stellar grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Surrounded by others with similar experiences and values at Carleton Gotlin, he immediately felt at home. His practice focuses on oil and gas title examination and title opinion drafting.
After growing up in San Antonio and earning a B.A. in English at the University of Texas at Austin, Kurt moved to Colorado to attend the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. There, he focused on natural resources, served as a staff editor on the school's Water Law Review, and fulfilled a teaching assistant position for the legal research and writing course.
Kurt began his legal career at a litigation firm defending private and government clients against a wide variety of civil claims. During his tenure, he helped achieve judgment in favor of his clients in every case that reached the jury.
After five-plus years of litigation, he transitioned into the energy industry and gained extensive experience in title and lease analysis, among other areas, with one of the DJ Basin's largest operators. At that company, he first worked as a division order analyst, which included the role of legal liaison, and then worked as a landman.
Kurt's move to Carleton Gotlin as a title attorney was a natural career progression considering his background and skills, and he couldn't imagine a more suitable or fulfilling place to land.
Outside of work, Kurt enjoys spending time with his wife (an amazing Minnesotan), racing mountain bikes (he holds a pro license), and recreating in the Rocky Mountains and beyond.
Kurt is licensed to practice law in Colorado.
Patrick joined Carleton Gotlin Law in March of 2013, and his keen eye and attention to detail quickly made him a valuable asset to the firm. While he has since returned to his hometown in Michigan, we are proud to retain his services in an Of Counsel capacity.
Transient by nature, Patrick has operated businesses and counseled clients across the country, from automotive dealerships in Florida to international manufacturing companies in Oregon. The benefit of this diverse background is a unique perspective when it comes to addressing and resolving clients' needs. Patrick has experience in contract negotiation, drafting and enforcement, as well as real estate transactions. His current practice includes oil and gas title examination and curative work, as well as transactional business matters for a range of corporate clients in Colorado and Michigan.
In his free time, Patrick enjoys yard work and introducing his son and daughter to the great outdoors.
Patrick is licensed to practice law in Colorado and Michigan.
After being born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Ross attended Duke University where he received a degree in History in 2005. After graduation, he moved back home to attend Oklahoma City University School of Law, receiving his JD in May of 2009. From there, he worked as a landman for a couple of small brokerages in Oklahoma City before moving to Denver in 2013.
Prior to joining the firm in 2018, Ross worked as a contracted landman for Noble Energy Inc. before moving to an in-house position with NGL Energy Partners LP. There he was supervisor of their division order department and oversaw their land and title work.
In his spare time, Ross enjoys snowboarding, playing basketball and making music.