WaterLaw: Kevin Patrick

KEVIN L. PATRICK


Kevin is the author of numerous publications and books.

 

Co-Author: Beyond the Fracking Wars


Co-Author: International Project Finance


Author: Threatened Waters


Author: Unholy Alliances


Author: Silkworm

About Kevin Patrick:

Kevin is the founding shareholder who has represented many of the nation’s most prominent companies, people, and water providers. He’s appeared in State and Federal appellate courts, including the US Supreme Court and has written and spoken extensively on water and infrastructure issues throughout the US, Europe, and South America. He is licensed in Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Education :
  • University of Tulsa School of Law, National Energy Law & Policy Institute (J.D.)
  • Virginia Tech (B.A.)
Presentations & Publications :

Kevin Patrick spoke at the Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute in Denver, CO, March 10, 2023. He provided the water perspective on a panel entitled Desert Tightrope: Balancing Growth, Affordability and Finite Resources in the Southwestern United States.

Kevin Patrick chaired the Annual Colorado Water Law Conference held in Snowmass Village, CO June 8, 2018. He spoke on Waters of the United States: Colorado’s Tail Ditch Dilemma.

Kevin Patrick spoke at the 10th Annual Oklahoma Water Law Conference in Oklahoma City, OK February 22-23, 2018. His speech and paper were entitled Free Market Transfers: Water Banks and Alternative Supply Methods in the West

Kevin Patrick chaired the National Water Forum, an invitational meeting of 40 of the most influential attorneys and administrators of water in the United States on September 7-9, 2017 in Aspen, CO.

Kevin Patrick chaired the 15th Annual Colorado Water Law Conference in DenverJune 9th. He also spoke on the Climate Change Panel.

Kevin Patrick was a featured speaker at the Palm Desert, CA Earth, Wind, Fire and Water: Sustainable Construction in a Changing Environment Symposium on February 1-3, 2017. His topic was, “Water, Water Everywhere!…or Not. Helping Your Clients Survive.”

Kevin Patrick spoke at the University of Denver Water Law Review 2016 Symposium on Interstate Water Compacts in Denver, CO on April 8, 2016. He spoke on the Red River Compact Case he recently was counsel on in the US Supreme Court.

Kevin Patrick spoke at the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation & Institute for Energy Law Water Acquisition and Management for the Energy Industry Conference in Houston, TX on April 7, 2016. His speech was Water Due Diligence for the Oil & Gas Development.

Kevin Patrick met with and spoke before the Virginia Tech Water Resources Institute on April 3-4, 2016. Virginia Tech’s Institute led the way in exposing the Flint, MI crisis. For more on this preeminent institution see: www.vwrrc.vt.edu/

Kevin Patrick spoke at the 44th Annual American Bar Association’s Environmental Superconference in San Francisco, CA on March 25-28, 2015. He presented, Hot Topics in Water Law.

Kevin Patrick spoke at the Colorado Water Summit March 3-5 in Denver, CO on the latest developments of the Colorado Water Plan.

Kevin Patrick chaired the Hydraulic Fracking Conference in Denver, CO on Sept. 29, 2014 addressing the Energy-Water Nexus.

Kevin Patrick spoke at the American Bar Association’s 32nd Annual Water Conference in Las Vegas, NV. Kevin was on a panel entitled, The Future of Water Compacts in the United States, June 2014.

Kevin Patrick presented a webinar on the Bloomberg BNA entitled, Interstate Water Issues: What Lies Ahead for Interstate Water Compacts, June 2014.

Kevin Patrick was Chair of the Fifth Annual Cambridge Water Forum held in Santa Fe, NM, May 21-23, 2014. The Forum is an invitational meeting of select water attorneys and managers from throughout the United States brought together to discuss pressing issues facing water providers in he next decade. Topics included Development of Sustainable Water Supplies in an Era of Climate Change, The Water Quality-Water Quantity Nexus, and New Technologies and Water.

Kevin Patrick was the Chair and a speaker at the Colorado Water Summit’s Oil and Gas Water Management Workshop, March 4, 2014 in Denver, CO. His speech was entitled, Colorado’s Water Disposal Regulations in the Niobrara Formation.

Kevin Patrick was a speaker at the Texas Bar Association’s Changing Face of Water Rights in Texas conference held February, 2014 in San Antonio, TX. He was on the International and Interstate Water Disputes Panel.

Kevin Patrick is a co-author/contributor of a new book published by the American Bar Association entitled “Beyond the Fracking Wars.” The book is a guide for citizens, lawyers, and public officials in dealing with the environmental, water, governmental, and labor issues of the shale industry in America. Click here.

Kevin Patrick was Chair of the Cambridge Water Forum held in Santa Fe, NM, May 15-17, 2013. The Forum is an invitational meeting of select water attorneys and managers from throughout the United States.

Kevin Patrick presented a two-hour webinar August 28th entitled “Water Law for the Legal and Business Communities” through www.mycle.com.

Kevin Patrick was the Chair of the Niobrara Infrastructure Development Summit’s Pre-Summit Briefing on Environmental & Water Management held March, 2013 in Denver, CO.

Kevin Patrick was a speaker at the Tulane Environmental Summit held February 2013 in New Orleans, LA. His speech was entitled The Commerce Clause and Water.

Kevin Patrick was a speaker at the AREDAY (American Renewable Energy Day) Summit held in Aspen on August 17-20, 2012. Mr. Patrick was on a panel entitled “Water and the West.”

Kevin Patrick was a speaker at the water stress conference in Houston on August 17, 2012. His presentation was entitled: “Dealing with Drought and Water Stress: Examples from the West.”

Kevin Patrick was the Chair of the Cambridge Water Forum, held in Las Vegas, NV, on May 2-4, 2012. The Forum was an annual invitational meeting between forty of the most influential and involved water practitioners, water managers, and water policy makers in the United States in a round table discussion of problems and solutions for the water industry in the coming decade.

Kevin Patrick was a speaker on a three person ALI-ABA panel in a Live Webcast entitled: Comparing Water Supply Challenges of the Major US Shale Plays Posed by Hydraulic Fracturing comparing and contrasting the legal issues involved in obtaining necessary water supplies for hydraulic fracturing operations, focusing on the major shale plays of the US and the different applicable state law water rights schemes of CO, OK, PA, TX, and WY, held December 13, 2011.

Kevin Patrick was a speaker at the American Bar Association’s 29th Annual Law Conference. His speech was “Border Wars: Non-State Litigants Before the Supreme Court in Water Controversies” held on February 2011, San Diego, CA.

Kevin Patrick presented a paper at the XIV World Water Congress in Brazil on September 2011.. Kevin’s presentation was entitled “Compelling Adaptive Water Management to Meet the Challenges of Climate Change”.

Kevin Patrick was the chair of the Cambridge Water Forum, which was an invitational forum of forty of the most senior and experienced people in nation in the field of water law and water policy. The Forum addressed issues and challenges facing the legal, political and planning fields of water to meet the long term water demands and issues of the nation over the next fifty years. Sausalito, CA, June 23-25, 2011.

Kevin Patrick was a speaker at the Colorado Bar Association’s 27th Annual Real Estate Symposium. His speech was entitled: “What Every Real Estate Lawyer Should Know About Water Law in Current Economic Times” in Keystone, CO, July 16-18, 2009.

Kevin Patrick presented “Long Range Municipal Water Supply Planning,” Speech and paper at CLE International’s Oklahoma Water Law Conference. Oklahoma City, OK, March 30-31, 2009.

“Interstate Water from Oklahoma: Tarrant Regional Water District’s and Other Efforts to Bring Water from Oklahoma,” Speech and paper at the Texas Water Institute’s Annual Texas Water Law Conference sponsored by the University of Texas in Austin. December 3-5, 2008. Click here.

“Water Rights and Permitting for Wetland Banks and Mitigation Sites,” Speech and paper before CLE International’s Second Annual Colorado Wetlands Conference, Denver, CO, May 2008.

“Challenges in Developing Out-Of-State Water Supplies: Litigation Challenging State Anti-Export Laws,” Texas Water Institute Annual Conference, University of Texas, Austin, TX 2007.

“Water Rights and Water Issues for Wetland Sites,” Speech before the National Wetlands Conference, CLE International, Las Vegas, NV. June 2007.

“Interstate Water Transfers,” Western Association of Arid States, Annual Convention Conference, San Antonio, Texas. February 2007.

“Unique Characteristics of Water Supply Planning for Resort Communities,” Speech for CLE International’s Resort Development Conference. Vail, Colorado. August 2006.

“Water and Wastewater Security in the International Market Place,” Speech for the Center for International Legal Studies’ Congress of Fellows Convocation Montreal, Canada. July 2006.

“Water Supply Issues: Challenges and Opportunities,” Speech and paper for CLE International’s 5th Annual Colorado Water Law Conference. Denver, CO. January 2006. Click here.

Kevin Patrick was a speaker at the American Bar Association’s 23rd Annual Water Law Conference. Mr. Patrick’s speech and paper was entitled “Obtaining Water Supplies for New Development Municipal Annexations.” ABA’s 23rd Annual Water Law Conference. San Diego, February 24-25, 2005.

“Drought and Global Warming Implications for Mountain Resort & Golf Water Supply Planning,” Speech and Paper for CLE International’s Colorado Water Super Conference, Denver, CO, March 2004.

“Water & Waste Water Privatizations: Protecting Foreign Investment,” Speech and paper for Center for International Legal Studies’ Conference entitled Protecting Foreign Investment, Kitzbuhel, Austria, January 2004.

“Water Rights and Water Quality Due Diligence for Developers and Lenders,” Colorado Real Estate Development Conference, CLE International, Denver, CO 2003.

“Water Rights and Real Property Issues for Wetland Sites Outside the Clean Water Act,” 5th Annual Colorado Wetlands Conference, CLE International, Denver, CO 2002.

“Water Rights Issues in Golf & Mountain Resort Development,” 9th Annual Conference on Golf and Mountain Resort Development, Vail, CO 2002.

“From the Colorado River to the River Jordan; Transboundary Water Conflicts.” Keynote Address, Quantity and Quality Conference, National Energy, Environment Law & Policy Institute, Tulsa, OK, 2002.

“Water Right Considerations for Wetland Banks and Mitigation Sites,” CLE International’s Annual Conference Colorado on Wetland Banking, Denver, November 2001.

“Water and Wastewater Planning in Latin America,” Speech before the Inter American Bar Association Convention, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, June 20-26, 2001.

“Privatization of Water and Wastewater Infrastructure in the Americas,” Co-Author with Ramsey L. Kropf, American Bar Association International Environmental Law Committee Newsletter, Vol. 3 No. 4, May 2001.

“Water and Wastewater Resource and Infrastructure Master Planning, Financing and Conflicts,” International Project Finance, Transnational Publishers, Inc., N.Y., N.Y., (2000), Library of Congress ISBN 1-57105-139-2 (title) ISBN 1-57105-110-4 (series).

Multidisciplinary Practice, Moderator and conference sub-chair, International Practice Conference, Center for International Legal Studies and the American Bar Association Section on International Practice, Kitzbuhel, Austria 2001.

“Wetland Banks and Mitigation Sites: Water Right Issues,” CLE International, Denver, CO 2000.

“Water and Wastewater Resource and Infrastructure Master Planning and Financing,” Center for International Legal Studies and the American Bar Association Section of International Law and Practice, Kitzbühel, Austria 2000.

“Creation of Wetland Banks: Permitting and Water Right Issues,” CLE International, Denver, CO 1999.

“A Practitioner’s Guide to Working with the Colorado State Engineer’s Office and the Colorado Water Conservation Board,” Annual Colorado Water Law Conference, CLE International, Denver, 1998.

“Federal and State Conflicts Respecting the Endangered Species Act,” Annual Oklahoma Water Law Conference, Tulsa, CLE International, Tulsa 1998.

“A Comparison of State Ground Water Laws,” Tulsa Law Journal, Vol. 30 No. 1, 1994.

“Federal Involvement: The Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act and their Reauthorization,” CLE International, Oklahoma City, OK 1994.

“Water Wars: A Renewed Focus on Water Rights,” the Energy Law Journal and National Energy Law and Policy Institute, Tulsa, Oklahoma 1994 speaker/co-author.

Lecturer and Co-Editor, “Water Law, Land Use and Hydrology,” Western Colorado Services, Snowmass Village, Colorado 1983.

Lecturer and Contributing Editor, Western Water Law, Institute for Energy Development; Colorado Springs, Colorado 1982.

Professional Affiliations:
  • Fellow of the American Bar Association Foundation
  • American Bar Association, Natural Resource Section
  • International Bar Association, Section on Energy and Resources Law
  • Colorado Bar Association, Water Law Section, Environmental Law Section, International Environmental Law Section
  • Oklahoma Bar Association
  • Arizona Bar Association
  • Texas Bar Association
  • Member of the College of the State Bar of Texas
  • International Water Resources Association
  • Fellow, Association of Fellows and Legal Scholars, Center for International Legal Studies, Salzburg, Austria
  • Martindale-Hubbell Directors Rate “AV”; Member, Preferred Attorneys Listing (Natural Resources and Environmental Law)
Selected Professional Experience:
  • Board Member, National Water Law Forum
  • Admitted to practice State of Arizona
  • Admitted to practice State of Colorado
  • Admitted to practice State of Texas
  • Admitted to practice State of Oklahoma
  • Admitted to practice before Federal District Court, Western District of Oklahoma
  • Admitted to practice before Federal District Court, District of Colorado
  • Admitted to practice before the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals
  • Admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court
  • Former Colorado Bar Association, Environmental Law Section Advisory Council Board Member
  • Board Member, Board of Visitors of the Sustainable Energy Resource Law Institute, University of Tulsa
  • Advisory Board Member, Bloomberg Water Law & Policy Monitor
  • Fellow American Bar Association