Gregory Morrison is Parsons Behle & Latimer’s Nevada water law specialist. His practice involves assisting clients ranging from the state’s largest mine operators to independent farmers through the administrative and judicial processes necessary to secure and maintain water rights, a valuable real property asset.
Gregory Morrison
Shareholder Reno
Capabilities
Biography
Gregory Morrison has an array of experience in water, environmental, natural resource and real property law matters. Greg advises a variety of private and public interests on matters involving water acquisition and permitting, environmental compliance on the state and federal level and property and mine development and disputes.
Greg began his career in Carson City, Nev., where he was immediately immersed in one of Nevada's most extensive administrative hearings involving water rights. He remained involved in that matter through the administrative, district court and Nevada Supreme Court processes. Greg worked in conjunction with municipal, tribal and institutional parties toward the adoption of the 2008 Truckee River Operating Agreement (TROA) as a federal regulation, a process involving administrative hearings in Nevada and California; modification of the 1944 federal court decree governing Truckee River operations; and judicial review in the state and federal courts of Nevada and California.
Following a lateral move to Santa Barbara, Calif., Greg returned home to northern Nevada in 2016 to Parsons Behle & Latimer’s Reno office. Since joining Parsons' team, Greg has worked in water right permitting and maintenance for several Nevada mining industry clients as well as municipal water providers, developers and landowners to secure and permit water rights for commercial and residential projects. Greg has extensive experience at every level of the water appropriation process, from negotiations between buyers and sellers through judicial review of decisions of the State Engineer in the Nevada Supreme Court.
In his general real estate practice, Greg has negotiated and litigated land acquisitions, easements and rights-of-way and residential and commercial real property leases. Greg also has experience in the mining sector and understands the unique processes of mine diligence, conveyancing and permitting.
Experience
Smart City Development
Assisting client in development of smart city project by securing water rights, addressing state and federal permitting, rights of way and Tribal concerns.
Water Management
Representing municipal water provider in complex proceedings concerning water management.
Nevada Gold Mines, LLC
Represented Nevada Gold Mines, LLC as lead counsel against the Pershing County Water Conservation District who contended that priority water rights had been negatively impacted by the State Engineer’s alleged improper actions regarding water appropriations and conjunctive management of water rights in the Humboldt River Basin. After years of litigation, the District agreed to dismiss the case with prejudice.
Accomplishments
Academic
University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law (J.D. with Great Distinction, 2011)
Order of the Coif
Traynor Honor Society
Environmental Law Certificate
McGeorge Law Review Comment Staff
Miami University, Oxford, Ohio – B.A., Political Science and English (Literature) 1994
Professional
Best Lawyers in America™ "Ones to Watch," Environmental Law, Natural Resources Law 2021 - 2024
Associations
Professional
Washoe County Bar Association
Nevada Water Resources Association
Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Association
American Exploration and Mining Association
Nevada Mining Association
Insights
U.S. Mining Law 2023 Short Course
Parsons Behle & Latimer attorneys recognized by Best Lawyers in America
"Best Lawyers" Ranks 56 Parsons Attorneys as Top in Intermountain West
Parsons Behle & Latimer Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers in America™. Fifty attorneys recognized: nine as “Lawyer of the Year,” five as “Ones to Watch”