Lisa Claxton

Lisa represents a wide range of clients on the Western Slope and across Colorado seeking to establish, acquire, transfer, protect, manage, and modify water rights. Her clients range from local governments, municipal water providers, and real estate developers, to private land owners, energy companies, agricultural producers, and ski resorts.

Combining in-depth understanding of water, land use, and environmental regulatory frameworks with practical knowledge of technical and business considerations in real estate development, she maps out strategies that allow clients to complete strategic business projects.

Lisa brings specialized experience in the adjudication, protection, and management of long- and short-term surface, groundwater, and storage water supplies. She also represents clients in all of Colorado’s water courts in adjudications and disputes over ownership, control, and use of water rights and infrastructure.

Before joining Holland & Hart, Lisa worked as an associate at a boutique water law firm in Aspen and the Chicago office of a national law firm.

Water Rights Adjudications and Disputes:

• Protection and advancement of client interests in water court and in federal, state, and administrative proceedings
• Adjudications to acquire, change, and protect water rights, plans for augmentation and exchange projects
• Permitting and use of groundwater, geothermal resources, and produced water

Residential, commercial, and industrial real estate transactions:

• Purchase, sale, lease, and mortgage of water rights, supplies, and related structures
• Due diligence examinations of water rights
• Issues related to title, easements, historical use, and covenants
• Obtaining and protecting rights-of-way for existing and new projects
• Wetland regulation and mitigation

Municipal and private water resource supply planning, implementation, and development:

• Adjudication, financing, protection, and operation of reliable long- and short-term surface, groundwater, and storage water supplies
• Negotiating and satisfying water supply requirements associated with obtaining water service and subdivision approval
• Permits and land approvals for development of drinking water supplies and wastewater treatment systems under federal, state, and administrative regulatory processes
• Water quality, including drinking water and wastewater treatment, regulation, compliance, and enforcement matters

• Colorado Bar Association, Member
• Pitkin County Bar Association, Member
• Ninth Judicial District Bar Association, Member