Below is a selected list of our lawyers’ representative engagements in this industry.
- Mergers & Acquisitions and Joint Ventures
- Represent a developer on its innovative extraction technology for increased lithium yields from brine and other fluids, and on production of lithium-ion battery components.
- Represented Chevron U.S.A. Inc. on development of license, financing and sales agreements for extracting lithium from geothermal brine in Imperial County, California.
- Advised Lithium Power International Ltd. (LPI) in its acquisition of an approximate 30% joint venture interest in the Maricunga Lithium Brine Project in Chile from Minera Salar Blanco SpA.
- Advised Xinergy Corporation, a developer of coal mining operations in the eastern United States, in its $200 million high-yield offering of senior secured notes.
- Advised Seneca Coal Resources LLC in its acquisition of the coal mining operations (Pinnacle Mine and Oak Grove Mine) from publicly-traded Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.
- Advised seller of the equity of American Gilsonite Company with mines Utah, the world’s only supplier of Gilsonite®, a naturally occurring hydrocarbon resin (uintaite).
- Lead counsel for INR Energy LLC in respect of sale of its metallurgical and thermal coal mining operations in southern West Virginia to Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.
- Advised VCLF Land Trust Inc. in the acquisition from Patriot Coal of certain limited mining assets and assumption of responsibility for various obligations to reclaim land and treat water.
- Advised Chevron regarding sale of a rare earths mine and milling facility in California and marketing venture in Japan.
- Advised seller of a majority equity interest in a niobium mine in Brazil.
- Advised Delta Gold Limited in its $500 million acquisition by Gold Fields Limited.
- Advised Placer Dome in its $1.35 billion acquisition of Aurion Gold.
- Advised Chevron Canada Resources regarding the sale of gold mining interests in Alberta and British Columbia.
- Advised Chevron regarding the sale of platinum and palladium mining interests in Wyoming.
- Advised Harris Chemicals in a variety of mining merger and acquisition transactions.
- Counsel to a subsidiary of a multinational energy company in the sale of a coal mine and long-term coal mining leases for approximately 75 million tons of recoverable metallurgical coal reserves in Alabama.
- Counsel to a Japanese company in the proposed acquisition of a significant minority interest in a $5 billion copper mining project in Panama.
- Advised seller on sale of interest in Youngs Creek Mining Company LLC and related Wyoming metallurgical coal assets.
- Advised on sale of Kemmerer, Wyoming, coal mine to Westmoreland Coal Company.
- Project Development and Finance
- Representing Emmerson in its project financing of the Khemisset Potash deposit in Morocco.
- Represented SoftBank Group Corp. in its investment in Nemaska Lithium Inc.
- Uranium and Nuclear Fuels
- Advised Marubeni in connection with a contemplated acquisition of in situ uranium mining assets in Wyoming and Texas.
- Counsel to EnergySolutions, providing strategic advice and negotiating support in a potential acquisition of uranium mining properties in Wyoming and Colorado.
- Advised a uranium trading company in connection with its acquisition of several uranium mining assets in Wyoming. Pillsbury performed due diligence in support of the transaction.
- Advise Deutsche Bank on the bidding for the acquisition of Nufcor International Limited, including due diligence on all uranium inventory and trade contracts.
- Counsel to EnergySolutions, providing strategic advice and negotiating support in a potential acquisition of uranium mining properties in Wyoming and Colorado.
- Counsel to Chevron USA Inc. in the sale of its domestic uranium assets to Rio Grande Resources Corporation. This landmark deal involved Texas and New Mexico properties, including the Panna Maria Mill and the Mt. Taylor Mine.
- Counsel to Western Nuclear Inc. in the transition of its decommissioned Split Rock uranium mill site to the Department of Energy for long-term care under UMTRCA.
- Counsel to Homestake Mining Company of California, an affiliate of Barrick Gold Corporation, in litigation and on remediation matters before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission under UMTRCA for its Grants Reclamation Project in New Mexico.
- Counsel to Disa Technologies Inc. in its engagement with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission regarding the deployment of an innovative remediation technology for the cleanup of historic uranium mining wastes.
- Advised a consortium seeking to recover thorium deposits from an abandoned iron ore mine in the United States.
- Represented a U.S. uranium company in seeking license renewals for a uranium mine in the U.S. purchased under a recent acquisition.
- Advised an Arizona minerals company about the regulatory issues for a new uranium mine in the state.
- Advised and assisted in negotiating numerous uranium sales contracts for a foreign uranium miner with U.S. utilities.
- Advised Atlas Uranium on regulatory and transactional matters, including the transfer of the Moab Uranium Tailings Pile to the U.S. Department of Energy for long-term care.
- Counsel to lenders regarding a uranium mining company in Niger.
- Counsel to investors in U.S. in-situ uranium operations.
- Represented Canadian minerals company in the proposed development of a uranium mine/mill complex in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
- Represented U.S. uranium, thorium and rare earth companies in various operational and site remediation matters under UMTRCA, AEA, SDWA and CAA.
- Environmental
- Advised Barrick Gold Corporation in resolving draft cleanup and abatement orders served by California Regional Water Quality Control Board relating to several abandoned mercury mining sites along Sulphur Creek and Colusa County, California.
- Advised Molycorp on environmental claims involving multiple statutes applied by state and federal agencies at mine sites in the southwestern United States, and environmental due diligence reviews.
- Advised Homestake Mining Company of California, an affiliate of Barrick Gold Corporation, in navigating through the state agency regulatory and enforcement processes related to its ongoing efforts to complete the closure and reclamation of the McLaughlin Gold Mine in Northern California.
- Advise Canada’s largest diversified miner on transboundary environmental matters.
- Represent one of the world's largest integrated zinc and lead smelting and refining complexes in defense of natural resource damages claims arising from legacy operations.
- Represent Teck American Incorporated before U.S. EPA on matters related to a comprehensive, multi-phase Remedial Investigation & Feasibility Study under federal regulations, including in the negotiation of multiple novel settlement agreements.
- Represent Teck Metals Limited in transborder litigation (United States and Canada) securing insurance recoveries for environmental liabilities involving Lake Roosevelt, Washington.
- Represent Vale Canada Limited in international litigation (United States, Canada and UK) involving multi-site environmental insurance coverage.
- Represent Barrick Gold Corporation in negotiations to resolve insurance coverage of environmental claims involving gold and uranium mining sites worldwide.
- Represent Rio Tinto Alcan in litigation in Quebec securing insurance recoveries for environmental property damage at aluminum smelters, refineries and other mining-related properties throughout Canada.
- Advised Homestake Mining Company of California, an affiliate of Barrick Gold Corporation, against claims by the EPA and the State of South Dakota for recovery of past and future response costs at the Gilt Edge Mine Superfund Site in South Dakota and successfully negotiated with the EPA to reduce the monetary demands and avoid future liability obligations.