DAVIS & CANNON - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Partner
• Partner, Sheridan Office

Amanda F. Esch joined Davis & Cannon, LLP as an associate in 2009, and became a partner in 2014. Prior to joining the firm, Amanda spent two years as law clerk in the First Judicial District in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Amanda graduated from the University of Wyoming College of Law in 2007, where she served as President of the Student Bar Association, was a member of two regionally qualifying mock trial teams, and received an Excellence in Advocacy Award. She also completed an externship with the State of Wyoming Office of Administrative Hearings. Amanda practices in the areas of general civil litigation, employment law, local government law, and natural resources. Amanda's practice in employment law has grown in recent years, and she particularly enjoys working with employers to develop best practices, and defending them in agency administrative actions and litigation. She has given presentations throughout Wyoming on best practices in the workplace, policies and procedures, prevention of discrimination and harassment, and employee privacy rights. She has been recognized by publications such as Super Lawyers and Chambers & Partners for her work in both litigation and labor and employment. Chambers states Amanda "has earned a strong reputation for her work across a range of civil litigation areas," and particularly in the field of employment and in administrative actions. She is currently a member of the Ewing T. Kerr Chapter of the American Inns of Court and a member of the Wyoming, Colorado, and American Bar Associations. Amanda is active in her local community, and also serves on several boards including the Montessori School of Cheyenne Board, the Dude Ranch Foundation Board, and the Resolutions of Fee Disputes Committee for the Wyoming State Bar. Amanda was raised west of Sheridan, Wyoming on a working cattle and guest ranch, and is proud to be a fifth-generation Wyomingite. In her free time she enjoys outdoor activities, reading, cooking, running, and spending time with her family.

Job Titles:

• Partner
• Partner, Cheyenne Office

Bio Andrew R. Wulf joined Davis & Cannon, LLP as an associate in July of 2019. Prior to joining the firm, he served for 2 years as the law clerk to the Honorable Dawnessa A. Snyder, Second Judicial District, Carbon County, Wyoming. As a law clerk, Andrew worked on a variety of legal cases, ranging from felony criminal matters, to property rights, to medical malpractice. In addition to clerking, he served as the Rawlins Municipal Court Magistrate. He graduated from the University of Wyoming, College of Law in 2017. While in law school Andrew interned for the Campbell County Prosecutors Office and Murane & Bostwick, LLC. Prior to law school, he completed degrees in Criminal Justice and Sociology at the University of Wyoming. Andrew is licensed to practice in the State of Wyoming and the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming. Andrew is a Wyoming native having grown up in Casper and Sheridan. When not in the office, he enjoys golfing, running and taking in the wonder that is Wyoming. He and his wife, McKenzie, have two boys who give them a run for their money.

Job Titles:

• Partner
• Partner, Cheyenne Office

Benjamin J. Rowland joined Davis & Cannon, LLP as an associate in July 2018. During this time he has represented individuals, local government, and businesses in a variety of matters, primarily representing small businesses and governments in both governance and litigation matters. Before joining the firm, Ben served as an assistant city attorney for Cheyenne, Wyoming. During that time, he advised the mayor, city council, and many of the city's constituent departments on matters including contract negotiations for public infrastructure projects, real estate transactions, telecommunications and broadband issues, as well as litigating a precedent-setting Public Meetings Act appeal before the Wyoming Supreme Court. Before Ben was with the city, he served as a law clerk for the Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming and previously for the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Before and during law school, Ben worked as a paralegal in a mechanical- and electrical-patent litigation practice in the Washington, DC office of an international law firm. While Ben worked full time, he attended the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law as an evening student. During that time, he was elected Senior Lead Articles Editor of the Journal of Contemporary Health Law and Policy and awarded the George P. Smith Most Valuable Editor award. Prior to law school, Ben attended Duke University where he majored in public policy studies, minored in political science, and enjoyed his time as a member of the Duke University Swim Team. In his free time, Ben still enjoys swimming. He also enjoys traveling in and learning more about Wyoming.

Job Titles:

• Associate

Job Titles:

• Associate
• Associate, Sheridan Office

Bridgette joined Davis & Cannon, LLP as an associate in July of 2022. Before joining Davis & Cannon, LLP, she practiced law with a local firm in Buffalo, Wyoming. Bridgette has also worked in the trust department of a local regional bank. These experiences have given Bridgette a broad knowledge base in a variety of areas of law and deepened her passion for helping the people of Wyoming with their legal issues. Bridgette attended the University of Wyoming where she obtained a Bachelor and Master's degree in Business Administration. She also attended the University of Wyoming Law school graduating with honors and as Order of the Coif. Bridgette is licensed to practice law in the State of Wyoming and the United States District Court for the State of Wyoming. Bridgette is a proud Buffalo native. When she is not in the office she spends her time working the family ranch with her husband and three kids. She enjoys all aspects of the ranch life but especially enjoys the time with her family and getting to watch her kids grow up in the ranch lifestyle.

Job Titles:

• Associate
• Associate, Cheyenne Office

Bio Catherine "Cat" Young joined Davis & Cannon, LLP as an associate in October 2020. Before joining the firm, Cat spent two years as a law clerk for Justice Kate M. Fox of the Wyoming Supreme Court, where she developed a strong understanding of appellate advocacy in several areas of law.

Job Titles:

• of Counsel
• of Counsel, Sheridan Office

Job Titles:

• Partner
• Member of the Board of Directors of Taco John 's International, Inc
• Member of the Wyoming Permanent Rules Advisory Committee
• Partner in the Sheridan
• Partner, Sheridan Office

Clint A. Langer is a partner in the Sheridan office and a former law clerk for the Honorable Clarence A. Brimmer, United States District Court for the District of Wyoming. He graduated with honors from the University of Wyoming College of Law in 2000. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Wyoming College of Business where he was selected as the Outstanding Senior in Business Administration. Clint was a member of the Mortar Board, Phi Kappa Phi, and Beta Gamma Sigma honor societies. Clint practices in the transactional and litigation areas affecting businesses and landowners in Wyoming. His transactional practice includes business formation, asset sale and purchases, real estate, and estate planning. He litigates in the areas of business law, contracts, and real estate. Clint is a member of the Wyoming Permanent Rules Advisory Committee-Civil Division and the Wyoming Permanent Rules Advisory Committee-Court Records Division. He is a past member of the Wyoming Civil Pattern Jury Instruction Committee and the Wyoming State Bar Board of Continuing Legal Education. Clint is a member of the Board of Directors of Taco John's International, Inc.

Job Titles:

• Partner
• Partner in
• Partner, Sheridan Office

Codie D. Henderson is a partner in Davis & Cannon, LLP. Prior to joining the firm in 2012, Codie served as a law clerk to the Honorable John G. Fenn in Wyoming's Fourth Judicial District. Codie graduated from the University of Wyoming College of Law in May of 2011, where he served as a senior staff editor for the Wyoming Law Review. Before attending law school, Codie studied history at the University of Colorado, completing his undergraduate degree magna cum laude with highest distinction in 2006, and his master's degree in 2008. Codie's practice includes general and complex civil litigation in the areas of products liability, construction law, natural resources, commercial and business law, land use, personal injury, and family law. He also regularly represents the firm's numerous farming and ranching clients in real estate and oil and gas transactions. Codie is admitted to practice in the State of Wyoming, the State of Colorado, and the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming. He has received AV Preeminent and Platinum Client Champion ratings from Martindale-Hubbell, and been recognized by Best Lawyers. Codie grew up in southern Colorado, helping his grandparents on their small farm and ranch. He enjoys his time outside the law office continuing his study of history, hunting, fishing, golfing, and spending time with friends and family.

Job Titles:

• Associate
• Attorney

Bio Cole Gustafson joined Davis & Cannon, LLP, as an associate in November 2020. Before coming to the firm, Cole served as a law clerk for Judge Alan B. Johnson of the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming and for Judge Gregory A. Phillips of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Cole's experience in federal court at both the trial and appellate level gave him a unique perspective on the diverse challenges posed throughout the various stages of litigation. In 2018, Cole graduated with honors from the University of Wyoming College of Law. While in law school, Cole served as a Student Editor for the Wyoming Law Review. In addition to editing other students' pieces, Cole also published his own case note in the Wyoming Law Review in 2017. During law school, Cole served as a research assistant for Professor Tara Righetti and as an intern for the City Attorney's Office in Spearfish, South Dakota. Cole is admitted to practice law in the State of Wyoming, in the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming, and in the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. He is also a member of the Order of the Coif. As a proud Sheridan native, Cole appreciates the beauty and simplicity of small-town life in Wyoming. In his free time, Cole enjoys spending time hiking and fishing with his wife, Abby, and occasionally tickling the ivories on his upright piano. Cole Gustafson joined Davis & Cannon, LLP, as an associate in November 2020. Before coming to the firm, Cole served as a law clerk for Judge Alan B. Johnson of the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming and for Judge Gregory A. Phillips of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Cole's experience in federal court at both the trial and appellate level gave him a unique perspective on the diverse challenges posed throughout the various stages of litigation. In 2018, Cole graduated with honors from the University of Wyoming College of Law. While in law school, Cole served as a Student Editor for the Wyoming Law Review. In addition to editing other students' pieces, Cole also published his own case note in the Wyoming Law Review in 2017. During law school, Cole served as a research assistant for Professor Tara Righetti and as an intern for the City Attorney's Office in Spearfish, South Dakota. Cole is admitted to practice law in the State of Wyoming, in the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming, and in the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. He is also a member of the Order of the Coif. As a proud Sheridan native, Cole appreciates the beauty and simplicity of small-town life in Wyoming. In his free time, Cole enjoys spending time hiking and fishing with his wife, Abby, and occasionally tickling the ivories on his upright piano.

Job Titles:

• of Counsel
• Partner in the Sheridan

Hayden F. Heaphy, Jr. is a partner in the Sheridan office of Davis & Cannon, LLP. Hayden represents and advises many clients in Wyoming's key industries of ranching, coal mining, construction, oil and gas, and real estate. Today he focuses primarily on varied ranch related matters, property issues, lease negotiations, business entity formation, dispute resolution, and real estate transactions. With careful attention to detail, Hayden makes sure that each client's legal needs and interests are served well. Hayden graduated from the University of Tulsa, College of Law in 1981, after obtaining his undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of Louisville in 1973. He is admitted to practice in Wyoming state and federal courts, and has practiced law with Davis & Cannon, LLP since 1981. He has attended judicial training courses at the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada, and currently serves as a Sheridan County Circuit Court Commissioner and Magistrate Judge for the Sheridan County Drug Court. He has served as an independent hearing officer for teacher employment terminations, and special education disputes under IDEA. Hayden is legal counsel to the Northern Wyoming Community College District (Sheridan College). Recently, Hayden was appointed by the Wyoming Supreme Court to serve as a Disciplinary Judge for the Wyoming State Bar Board of Professional Responsibility. Over the years Hayden has been fortunate to work with the Sheridan business and nonprofit community in meaningful ways. He was President of the Downtown Sheridan Association when it developed Sheridan's first streetscape project. Currently, he is a director and treasurer of Sheridan's signature community event, the Sheridan WYO Rodeo. Although he was raised "back East", Hayden fully adopted Wyoming as soon as he got here. As a young man, he worked on ranches and farms in Wyoming and Montana. Today, he stays active outside the law office by training and showing his own roping and cutting horses, and helping out on local ranches whenever he can. As a lawyer, he has the opportunity to combine his real world Wyoming experience with his legal knowledge to solve his clients' legal problems.

Job Titles:

• Partner
• Partner With
• Partner, Cheyenne Office

Mark Stewart is a partner with Davis & Cannon, LLP and practices in the Cheyenne office. He joined the firm in 2006. His practice is concentrated in water and natural resources law, primarily representing Wyoming ranchers. Mark also practices in the areas of construction law and represents several Wyoming municipalities in defending governmental claims. Mark became an attorney after a 16 year career as a civil engineer. He received a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Wyoming in 1987. Graduating at the depths of the mid‑80's oil bust and wanting to stay in Wyoming, Mark began a career in civil engineering with a small firm in Cheyenne for whom he had worked through high school and college as a construction surveyor and inspector. He also spent five years with the Wyoming Highway Department where he worked in Road Design and Hydraulics. Mark then went to work for a Wyoming environmental engineering firm where he designed and managed the construction of groundwater remediation and containment systems, soil remediation projects, and landfills at both large and small facilities in numerous states. Mark graduated with honors from the University of Wyoming College of Law in 2006 where he was inducted into the Order of the Coif. Mark focuses his practice on water, natural resource, construction law, and local government law, where his engineering background and experience provide a technical and practical understanding of the issues involved.

Job Titles:

• of Counsel
• Counsel With
• of Counsel, Sheridan Office

Jena R. Akin is of counsel with Davis & Cannon, LLP. Prior to joining the firm in 2019, she practiced law in Denver, CO for over 5 years before relocating to Bozeman, Montana. Jena graduated Order of the Coif from University of Colorado Law in 2012, where she served as an Articles Editor for the Colorado Journal of International Environmental Law and Policy. Before attending law school, Jena received her Bachelor of Arts in English and Spanish Literature at Dartmouth College, graduating cum laude with honors in 2007. During college, she worked as a legal intern for District Judge W. Thomas Sullins of the Seventh Judicial District of Wyoming. Jena's practice includes both litigation and transactional matters, including intellectual property, commercial, real estate, eminent domain, and employment disputes, as well as the formation and governance of business entities, wealth and succession planning, and real estate transactions. Jena is licensed to practice in Wyoming, Montana, and Colorado, and before the U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit, and the U.S. District Court for the Districts of Wyoming and Colorado. She is currently a member of the Wyoming and Montana Bar Associations, as well as the Estate Planning, Elder Law, Trust, and Probate practice section of the Wyoming Bar and the Intellectual Property Law and BETTR Law practice sections of the Montana Bar. Although she works from Bozeman, MT, Jena grew up in Casper and is happy to stay involved with the legal community in her home state. She enjoys spending her free time with friends and family, skiing, hiking, camping, and traveling.

Job Titles:

• of Counsel

John C. McKinley is a former partner of Davis & Cannon, LLP, and the firm's managing partner. He joined the firm in July of 1994 after spending five years practicing law in Salt Lake City, Utah. John concentrates his practice in oil and gas law; mineral tax law; natural resources law; ranch and agriculture; corporate, commercial and construction law; and complex civil litigation. He is a member of the Order of the Coif, the American Inns of Court, and Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation. He serves on the University of Wyoming, College of Law Dean's Advisory Board. He was admitted to the Wyoming and U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming in 1989 and is a member of the Wyoming, and American Bar Associations. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in 1983 with honors, his M.B.A. in 1984, and his Juris Doctor degree with honors in 1989 from the University of Wyoming. John grew up in western Wyoming having the opportunity to enjoy numerous outdoor activities and experiences. He continues to enjoy outdoor activities throughout the west with his family and friends.

Job Titles:

• of Counsel
• of Counsel, Sheridan Office

Job Titles:

• of Counsel
• of Counsel, Sheridan Office

Dick is a Past-President of the Board of Trustees of Northern Wyoming Community College District (Sheridan College), Past-Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Memorial Hospital of Sheridan County, Wyoming, where he participated as both a hearing officer and decision maker in disputes involving both professional and semi-professional medical and non-professional staff. He is also Past-Chair of the Memorial Hospital Foundation of Sheridan County and currently serves as a Trustee for a number of private foundations and trusts.