Rhett A. Billingsley is a director in Fennemore Craig Attorneys’ natural resources, energy and environmental law practice group, where he specializes in the areas of water and environmental law. He has 15 years of experience helping municipal, residential development, agricultural, industrial, energy and mining clients to develop practical solutions to water resource and environmental permitting issues. Mr. Billingsley has successfully represented clients in both the public and private sector, including serving as outside counsel to Fortune 500 companies and working as in-house counsel with the Central Arizona Project. Mr. Billingsley has extensive experience in all areas of water law, including Arizona’s assured and adequate water supply programs, due diligence investigations and acquisition of surface water and groundwater rights (including Colorado River and Central Arizona Project entitlements), well sharing agreements, negotiation of development agreements with municipalities, water conservation and drought planning, underground water storage and recovery permitting, federal and Indian reserved water rights, and subflow issues. He has represented clients in the Gila River General Stream Adjudication and other complex water litigation, and in drafting and lobbying water resources legislation.

Mr. Breedlove focuses his practice on water rights transactions and permitting, state and federal land permitting, mining, administrative law, and governmental relations. His experience includes a wide variety of water rights transactions (groundwater, surface water, and Colorado River entitlements), assured water supply permitting, consultation on compliance with active management area management plans, water rights due diligence and permitting, state land acquisition, and National Historic Preservation Act compliance. Mr. Breedlove has represented land developers, landowners, golf courses, ranchers, farmers, private water and energy utility businesses, government agencies, and private equity investment firms. He also served for five years as the legislative liaison for the Arizona Department of Water Resources, during which time he managed several bills that were enacted, including the 2007 Water Adequacy Amendments. Mr. Breedlove has experience with the Arizona legislative process, bill drafting, and government relations. He earned his B.S. degree from Western Washington University, his Master of Studies in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School and his J.D. degree from Vermont Law School.

Mr. Decker represents mining and other industry sectors in Arizona (and surrounding states) with respect to various state and federal-based water quality and mine reclamation and closure programs, including the aquifer protection permit program, Arizona’s pollutant discharge elimination system permit program, impaired water determinations and listings, development and implementation of total maximum daily load requirements, development of surface and aquifer water quality standards, and state certification of federal water quality permits/approvals. He participates actively as a member of the Arizona Mining Association and Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and he lobbies federal and state governmental agencies on water quality statutory, regulatory, and policy-based issues to the benefit of industry in Arizona. He is a fifth generation native of Arizona, having spent his early years (until college) in the northeastern Arizona town of Snowflake while working on his parents’ farm and cattle ranch. 

Mr.Dixon along with his litigation practice, he advises clients on water law issues. This includes helping clients in various industries, ranging from developers to mines, with issues relating to water rights, supply and transfer.

Sean T. Hood of Fennemore Craig Attorneys is a water lawyer and litigator with more than 15 years of experience advising Fortune 500 companies and local water users on a broad range of surface water and groundwater issues. He has wide-ranging trial experience in complex water rights litigation in state and federal court, and he has been lead counsel to resolve contested water right claims in the Gila River General Stream Adjudication. Mr. Hood handles cases throughout the West, including Arizona, California, Colorado, and Nevada. He practices regularly at the trial and appellate levels in state and federal courts, as well as before a variety of administrative boards and commissions. Mr. Hood is an author on various natural resources topics, including implementation of California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).