Ramona L. Monroe

Ramona Monroe focuses on matters related to Alaska's vast wealth of land and minerals. She represents natural resource companies in transactions, financing, and compliance with state and local government requirements. She has significant experience in preparing oil and gas title opinions, mineral title reports, and due diligence reports concerning mineral transactions. Ramona led the Alaska Miners Association's successful efforts to amend Alaska's mineral tenure statutes and was awarded the Advocate of the Year by the Alaska Miners Association for those efforts. She co-chairs the firm’s Mining group.

Ramona is active in The Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law, serving on the Program Committee and Virtual Education Committee and as a board member. She has been included in The Best Lawyers in America^® (Oil & Gas Law).

Education

Lewis & Clark Law School, J.D., 1993

University of Washington, B.A., international studies, 1988

Admissions

Alaska

Oregon

Washington

Mining

• Represent privately held mineral exploration company in due diligence and acquisition of patented lands, federal mining claims, severed surface rights from a Native corporation, and mineral rights from a separate Native corporation concerning a lithium prospect.
• Represent new entrant to mineral exploration in due diligence and acquisition of complex mineral rights package on State of Alaska lands.
• Represented lenders as Alaska counsel in $70 million secured credit facility to finance development of a gold mine.
• Represented Northern Star Resources as U.S. counsel in its acquisition of Pogo Mine, including due diligence on issues ranging from property rights, environmental and mine safety to employment and employee benefit plans. Oversaw a team assisting with entity creation and organization, transaction documents, employment issues, employee benefits, HSR filings, tax advice, supplemental stock offering, and changes to an existing credit facility.
• Represented a junior exploration company in negotiating and documenting a complex joint venture arrangement with an Australian investor, including advising with respect to the form and structure of the joint venture. 
• Represented an Australian mining company with due diligence for the potential acquisition of an underground mine in the U.S., including diligence with mineral tenure and surface use rights, environmental permitting, review of contracts, employee benefit plans, and water rights.
• Represented junior explorer in acquiring a 100-year-old entity that held certain State of Alaska mining claims, prepared title reports for brokered private placements, and advised regarding complex mineral tenure issues.

Oil & Gas

• Advised Alaska Native Corporation regarding rights to use improvements on state land in support of oil field development on Alaska’s North Slope in the context of a dispute with lessee/operator of state oil and gas leases.
• Routinely prepare complex oil and gas title opinions for various companies in Alaska. Opinions cover leases on state, federal, and Native lands, offshore and onshore, for purposes of drilling, division order, acquisition, and financing.
• Assisted client in obtaining $160 million to finance the installation of offshore infrastructure for natural gas development.
• Represented independent oil and gas company in obtaining necessary State of Alaska approvals to install new offshore natural gas production platform in Cook Inlet 16-mile pipeline and onshore gas processing facility.
• Seconded to the in-house legal department of a major oil and gas-producing company on two separate occasions for a total of 15 months. Analysis of complex issues regarding title, encumbrances, and leasehold obligations; analysis of issues arising under unit agreements and joint operating agreements; assistance with unit expansion application; performance of due diligence for lease acquisition; assistance with sale of assets and related issues.
• Represented oil and gas industry participants in matters related to the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) including: obtained a favorable decision from the Secretary of Commerce in an appeal of state objections to the consistency certification for an offshore seismic survey in the Atlantic Ocean.

Insights & Presentations

• “SCOTUS Buries Agency Deference Six Feet Under” (co-author), North American Mining, 2024
• “Alaska: At War in America's Courtrooms,” Mining and Land Resources Institute, 2024
• “The legal right to mine” (co-author), North American Mining, 2023
• “Alaska Under Attack," Mining and Land Resources Institute, 2023
• Oil and Gas Title Chaining Workshop, Alaska Association of Professional Landmen, 2023
• “It’s Mine! Securing Mineral Tenure in Alaska,” Short Course, Alaska Miners Association, 2022
• “The Energy Transition—Why We Need Mining Lawyers,” FNREL Young Natural Resources and Energy Lawyers Institutes, 2022
• “What’s Up in Alaska,” Mining and Land Resources Institute, 2022
• “What’s Happening in the Last Frontier,” Mining and Land Resources Institute, 2021
• “Alaska Update—The Australian Invasion and Mineral Tenure,” Mining and Land Resources Institute, 2020
• “Mineral Tenure Under SB 155,” Alaska Association of Professional Landmen, 2020
• “Alaska Lands and Mineral Interests” (co-author), 3 Am. L. of Mining, chs. 70-73, 2010, 2011 and 2016 updates
• “State Leases: A Panel Discussion,” RMMLF Special Institute on Drafting and Negotiating the Modern Oil & Gas Lease, 2018
• “Mineral Property Agreements—101,” AMA 2018 Fairbanks 26th Biennial Convention: Prospecting Alaska’s Future, 2018 (co-speaker)
• “What, Why, and How of Title Opinions,” Alaska Association of Professional Landmen, 2017
• “Drilling With Other People’s Money: Liens, Liens, and More Liens, Everywhere and on Everything,” Alaska Association of Professional Landmen, 2014 (co-speaker)
• “Intralimital Rights In, Under, To, and Respecting Lands Within Unpatented Federal Mining Locations,” Advanced Mineral Title Examination—Oil & Gas and Mining, Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, 2014 (co-author and co-speaker)

• Included in The Best Lawyers in America^® (Oil & Gas Law), 2018–2023
• Selected as one of “America’s Leading Lawyers for Business” (USA—Nationwide) by Chambers USA for Mining & Metals, 2024; and (Alaska) by Chambers USA for Natural Resources & Environment, 2019–present
• Listed in the Alaska Business Legal Elite, 2023–2024
• “Advocate of the Year,” Alaska Miners Association, 2018

Professional

• The Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law (f/k/a Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation), Board of Directors (2024–present), former Trustee-At-Large
• Alaska Miners Association, Board of Directors
• Alaska Association of Professional Landmen, former President 
• Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation 61st Annual Institute, Mining Section Chair