Stephen C. Larson began his practice in 1993 with the national firm of Popham Haik Schnobrich and Kauffman, Ltd., joined Johnson & Repucci LLP in 2000, and was admitted as a Partner in 2004. Mr. Larson focuses his practice in the areas of natural resources (water, oil and gas), and real estate, with another concentration in commercial contracts.
Mr. Larson counsels developers, special districts and individuals concerning water supply master planning; municipal water service agreements; water rights purchase and sale transactions; water title evaluations; water rights valuations; and water and ditch disputes. Mr. Larson represents clients in Water Court adjudications of surface, storage and alluvial ground water rights, augmentation plans, and changes of water rights, as well as representing opposition parties in Water Court proceedings. Mr. Larson’s water law practice also involves permitting and adjudications of non-tributary groundwater and Designated Ground Water.
Mr. Larson assists clients with extensive due diligence investigations concerning all aspects of large ranch acquisitions in the West, from title review, water rights, mineral rights and geothermal rights investigations, public land lease diligence and transfers (which often involves extensive interface with the government leasing agencies), as well as handling the gamut of other transactional documents involved in large ranch purchases and sales.
Mr. Larson also handles commercial and residential real estate transactions of all types and sizes; negotiating and drafting commercial leases and commercial contracts of all types, including high-end commercial and residential construction contracts and commercial loan and financing documentation.
Mr. Larson represents land owners in negotiating and drafting oil and gas leases and separate surface use agreements. Together these agreements provide his clients with proper compensation and a meaningful say in shaping the location, size, and configuration of the array of development activities on the property that may accompany oil and gas development, to protect against property damage, and to assure proper restoration.
A product of the Midwest, Mr. Larson was born in Omaha, Nebraska, grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, and received B.A. degrees, cum laude, from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. Mr. Larson received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Denver College of Law in 1993, graduating with numerous academic distinctions.
Mr. Larson is the appointed Designated Member for the City and County of Broomfield on the South Platte Basin Roundtable and in that capacity has been actively involved in the roundtable’s contribution to the 2016 and the 2023 Colorado Water Plans. Mr. Larson has served as a water law and water policy advisor to various governmental officials in Colorado. Mr. Larson is a member of the Colorado Water Congress. Mr. Larson is a member of the Colorado, Denver and Boulder County Bar Associations and a former member of the William E. Doyle American Inn of Court (Denver). Mr. Larson is a past Co-Chair of the Real Estate Section of the Boulder County Bar Association.
Mr. Larson has volunteered extensively in organizations serving the youth of Boulder County, including coaching nine years for Colorado Youth Soccer Association member Trebol Soccer Club; General Counsel to Peak to Peak Charter School for ten years; a former Director of TGTHR, formerly known as Attention Homes, which provides shelter and counseling for at-risk adolescents; and he was a former Director of Glory Community, which serves developmentally disabled adults.
