Mike has broad experience working with and litigating in Idaho’s judicial and administrative bodies responsible for water rights, including the Snake River Basin Adjudication Court, the Coeur d’Alene-Spokane River Basin Adjudication Court, and the Idaho Department of Water Resources. Mike regularly works with clients to acquire, sell, develop, and modify water rights and ditch rights for municipal, commercial, industrial, farming and ranching operations throughout Idaho. Mike also assists clients in other areas of state and federal environmental and natural resources law, and in purchasing, selling, and developing land with environmental issues.

Mike joined Givens Pursley over a decade ago following a clerkship with the Honorable Karen Lansing of the Idaho Court of Appeals. While in law school, Mike worked for the Fish and Wildlife Division of Bonneville Power Administration’s Office of General Counsel.

Before law school, Mike managed giant spreadsheets and databases in the sales and production planning departments at two of America’s top athletic apparel and ski companies. For many years prior to that, he guided rivers in Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. Mike still enjoys spending time on rivers and in the mountains with his wife and two children.

Education

  • J.D., Lewis & Clark Law School, 2005, Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law - cum laude
  • B.A. University of Montana-Western, 1997 - cum laude

Admissions

  • Idaho

Recognition

  • Chambers USA, America's Leading Lawyers for Business (Natural Resources & Environment)