Attorneys

Areas of Practice

• Civil Rights Defense
• Public Law
• Commercial Law/Litigation
• Employment Law
• Insurance Defense
• Real Estate

Bar Admissions

• State of New Mexico (1997)
• U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico (2002)
• U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado (2006)
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (2007)
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas (2014)
• U.S. Supreme Court (2016)

Education

• B.A., University of Washington (1993)
• J.D., University of New Mexico (1997)

Background & Practice Experience

Blaine is a Managing Director of Mynatt Springer P.C. He was born in Albuquerque and was raised in the South Valley. He attended the University of Washington on a swimming scholarship after graduating from Rio Grande High School. He graduated in 1993 with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Law. He then returned to Albuquerque and obtained his Juris Doctorate from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 1997.

Blaine has been recognized by a number of trade publications and institutions including A.M. Best, the American Society of Legal Advocates. Blaine also earned the prestigious AV Preeminent peer review rating from Martindale Hubbell. He is a Fellow of the distinguished Litigation Counsel of America and earned the distinction of being elevated to the Order of Juris in recognition of having tried over fifty cases before a jury.

Blaine has successfully resolved employment law claims under the ADA, and Title VII, in federal court. He has handled and favorably resolved multiple excessive force cases and wrongful death claims against New Mexico Counties, Cities, and quasi-government entities. Among his many accomplishments, Blaine obtained total defense verdicts in the cases of Minton v. Doña Ana County and Landau v. Las Cruces Public Schools. He also successfully argued two civil rights cases in the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, one which resulted in a published opinion. Gutierrez v. Cobos, 841 F.3d 895 (10th Cir. 2016).

Areas of Practice

• Civil Rights
• State and Local Government
• Insurance Defense
• Torts
• Employment
• Commercial
• Property

Bar Admissions

• State of New Mexico (2007)
• U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico (2010)
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (2010)
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas (2014)
• State of Texas (2014)
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (2017)

New Mexico Supreme Court Appointments

• Rules of Civil Procedure for the District Courts Committee (2017)
• Rules of Civil Procedure for the State Courts Committee (2018)

Education

• B.S. Indiana University, Kelley School of Business (2003)
• J.D. Indiana University, Robert H. McKinney School of Law (2007)

Background & Practice Experience

Brad is a Managing Director of Mynatt Springer P.C. and has 15 years of trial and appellate experience in both the state and federal courts. He began his career as an attorney in 2007, representing the State of New Mexico as an Assistant District Attorney in the Third Judicial District. In 2010, Brad joined the firm as an Associate Attorney and in 2017 became a Shareholder and Director.

In his civil practice Brad has built on the firm’s core practice areas including representation of individuals, private companies, and government entities across New Mexico, both as general counsel and in litigation. Brad’s current practice focuses on defending public and privately insured individuals and entities in tort, civil rights, and employment litigation. In the past three years, Brad successfully resolved 47 lawsuits for his clients; 36 through negotiated settlements and 11 through dispositive motion practice.

Areas of Practice

• Civil Rights Litigation
• Governmental Representation & Litigation
• Insurance Defense
• Municipal Liability
• Labor & Employment Law
• Commercial Litigation

Bar Admissions

• State of New Mexico (2012)
• U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico (2012)
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (2015)
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas (2016)
• U.S. Supreme Court (2018)

Education

• B.A., New Mexico State University (2008)
• J.D., University of New Mexico School of Law (2012)

Background & Practice Experience

Ben is a native New Mexican. After graduating from New Mexico State University with his B.A. in 2008, he enrolled at the University of New Mexico School of Law in 2009 and earned his Juris Doctorate in 2012. He was admitted to the State Bar of New Mexico in September 2012.While Ben was in law school, he spent his summers as a law clerk at the Firm. He accepted a position with the Firm as an associate upon graduation and became a director in 2018.

During his time at the Firm, Ben has become an experienced litigator, defending governmental and private entities, in state and federal district and appellate courts. In addition to litigation, Ben has served as counsel for various governmental entities, including Hidalgo County, Grant County, Otero County, the City of Anthony, Village of Williamsburg, the City of Sunland Park, the Town of Hurley, the City of Anthony, the City of Elephant Butte, the City of Bayard, the Village of Columbus, the Mesilla Valley Public Housing Authority, the Mesilla Valley Regional Dispatch Authority, and the Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley. The areas of advice are varied, covering most legal issues that affect government entities throughout the state, including compliance with statutory requirements, contracts, employment matters, transactions, administrative law, the New Mexico Municipal Code, zoning issues, animal law, and jurisdictional questions, to name a few.

While Ben is originally from Las Cruces, he grew up in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico where he learned to speak, read, and write Spanish fluently. These language skills have become indispensable when communicating with the firm’s Spanish-speaking clients.

Areas of Practice

• Civil Rights Defense
• Public Law
• Commercial Law/Litigation
• Employment Law
• Insurance Defense
• Real Estate

Bar Admissions

• State of Texas (2004)
• State of New Mexico (2016)
• U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico (2016)
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (2017)
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas (2017)

Education

• B.S., Texas A&M University (2001)
• J.D., South Texas College of Law (2004)

Background & Practice Experience

Sara grew up in Texas, and graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics in 2001. She earned her Juris Doctorate in 2004 from South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas, and began her career practicing civil litigation in Texas. She then worked as a Claims Examiner for the U.S. Department of Labor in Colorado, and eventually relocated to New Mexico where she joined Mynatt Springer P.C. in June 2016.

The bulk of Sara’s practice involves representing government entities and commercial clients in employment matters concerning claims of discrimination, harassment and wrongful termination. This includes handling cases before the EEOC and New Mexico Human Rights Bureau, and defending clients in both federal and state court in New Mexico and Texas. The remainder of Sara’s practice is defending government entities and their employees against claims of federal and state constitutional violations. Sara also assists the firm’s directors in handling litigated and non-litigated matters for insurance companies, municipalities, and counties. She is involved in all aspects of litigation including discovery, motions practice, oral arguments, and hearings.

During her tenure with Mynatt Springer P.C., Sara has successfully argued seven motions for summary judgment and motion to dismiss, on behalf of Doña Ana and Otero Counties, the City of Sunland Park, and the local school districts. Sara also recently served as co-counsel in a commercial arbitration, resulting in a favorable defense decision for the firm’s client and an award of $642,893.69.

Dispositive Motions

• Michael Cadena v. Silver Consolidated School District, Beth Lougee, and Lon Streib
• Anthony Nodine v. Carlsbad Municipal Schools et al.
• Angel Martinez and Jessica Cazares v. Adrian Agustin Munoz and R. Perea Trucking

Areas of Practice

• Civil Rights Litigation
• Governmental Representation & Litigation
• Insurance Defense
• Municipal Liability
• Labor & Employment Law
• Commercial Litigation

Bar Admissions

• New Mexico (2015)
• U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico (2015)

Education

• B.A., Summa cum laude, University of New Mexico (2012)
• J.D., Magna cum laude, J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University (2015)

Background and Practice Experience

Alan Dahl is an associate with over seven years of experience at the Firm. His practice focuses on representing governmental clients as both general and litigation counsel. He also frequently represents private entities in both these capacities.

As general counsel to governmental entities, Alan regularly presents issues in open meetings, drafts his clients’ interests into law, and advises on substantive and procedural matters. Due to his expertise in governmental law, Alan has given multiple presentations at the request of the New Mexico Municipal League. As general counsel to private entities, Alan advises his clients on employment matters and contracts.

Alan is deeply involved all aspects of litigation practice in both state and federal court. Alan’s skills in both research and writing have allowed to him repeatedly obtain dispositive relief for his clients. Alan often presents arguments in the court room and was lead counsel in obtaining a complete defense verdict for his client in a state-level jury concerning alleged construction defects. With respect to appellate work, as recently as June 2022, Alan obtained a favorable opinion from the New Mexico Court of Appeals reversing the district court and compelling the plaintiff employee to arbitrate his claims against his state agency employer.

Prior to coming to the Firm, Alan studied law at the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University where graduated magna cum laude in 2015. Before that, he studied at University of New Mexico where he graduated summa cum laude in 2012 with a degree in history.

Outside of work, Alan enjoys running, cycling, and trying his hand at art. He actively serves in his church and is also a proud member of the local chapter of the J. Reuben Clark Society, an organization dedicated to promoting fairness and virtue founded upon the rule of law through public service and professional excellence.

Areas of Practice

• Civil Rights Litigation
• Governmental Representation & Litigation
• Cannabis Law
• Insurance Defense
• Commercial Litigation
• Municipal Liability
• Labor & Employment Law

Bar Admissions

• State of New Mexico (2016)
• U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico (2016)
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (2017)
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (2018)

Education

• B.A., Summa cum laude New Mexico State University (2013)
• J.D., University of New Mexico School of Law (2016)

Background & Practice Experience

Haley attended New Mexico State University and graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Government and a minor in International Relations in 2013. Haley went on to attend the University of New Mexico School of Law (“UNMSOL”) and served as a Manuscript Editor on UNMSOL’s Law’s Natural Resources Journal. During law school, Haley worked in multiple capacities including interning with the Appellate Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Appellate Division of the New Mexico Public Defender Department, and an administrative law judge at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as well as working as a contract criminal defense clerk under the federal Criminal Justice Act.

Currently, Haley represents insurance companies, businesses, counties, cities, school districts in southern New Mexico. Haley handles both litigation and transactional matters including civil rights defense; employment compliance and litigation; cannabis licensing, compliance, and litigation; business formation and regulatory compliance; contract formation and litigation; and insurance policy coverage. Haley has prevailed in numerous dispositive motions filed with the U.S. District for the Districts of New Mexico and Arizona. Haley also has an enviable track record of never having lost on appeal with appellate briefs filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth and Tenth Circuits.

In her over six years of practice, Haley has obtained favorable results in motion practice in approximately 16 federal cases and approximately 25 cases in state court, and she has held the record for the Firm’s most annual billable hours for years 2020 and 2021. Haley has also spearheaded the Firm’s cannabis law practice and has been involved in various cannabis zoning ordinance and cannabis government regulation.

Areas of Practice

• Governmental Representation & Defense
• Civil Rights Litigation
• General Insurance Defense
• Municipal Liability
• Labor & Employment
• Commercial Litigation

Bar Admissions

• State of New Mexico (2023)
• State of Texas (2022)
• U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico (2022)

Education

• B.A., Texas Tech University (2018)
• J.D., Texas Tech University School of Law (2022)

Background & Practice Experience

Shelton is originally from Longview, TX. He attended Texas Tech University (“TTU”) in Lubbock, TX and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in accounting in 2018. He then stayed in Lubbock to attend TTU School of Law. During that time, he served on the board with the Black Law Student Association, competed in various advocacy competitions, and interned with a private law firm specializing in real property, commercial, and landlord/tenant law.

Shelton now represents insurance companies, commercial entities, government entities, and counties. Although early in his practice, he has quickly gained legal experience by handling issues involving employment discrimination; tort and civil rights defense of employers and municipalities; municipal ordinance design; contract formation; and real property disputes. In addition, he has participated in favorable depositions, mediations, hearings, and city council meetings. Finally, he has been involved in aspects of discovery, motion practice, and appellate litigation.

Looking forward, Shelton aspires to continue expanding his understanding of the legal landscape in his primary areas of practice and beyond. Past that, he works to become a better golfer, more creative musician, and further assimilated individual — on a personal and business level — within his New Mexican community.

Areas of Practice

• Civil Rights Litigation
• Governmental Representation & Litigation
• Insurance Defense
• Municipal Liability
• Insurance Defense
• Labor & Employment

Bar Admissions

• State of New Mexico (2022)

Education

• B.A., Elon University (2005)
• PhD Program - Psychology in the Public Interest 2007 NC State University
• J.D., Cum Laude, Elon University School of Law (2016)

Background & Practice Experience

Jennifer attended Elon University where she was a member of the Lambda Pi Eta Honor Society and a Presidential Scholarship recipient. She graduated in 2005 with a BA in Corporate Communications. Jennifer studied law at Elon University School of Law and graduated Cum Laude in 2016. During law school, Jennifer was a recipient of the Acorn Scholarship and was also a Leadership Fellow and Leadership Scholarship recipient. She was a member of the Moot Court Board, Treasurer of the Health Law & Bioethics Society, and a member of the Delta Theta Phi law fraternity. Jennifer was a Teaching Assistant to two of her law school professors, where she focused on international trade agreements and asylum/refugee law. She also won three Outstanding Performance Awards (recognizing the top performer for the course) for Torts, Contracts, and Criminal Law.

Recently relocated to New Mexico, Jennifer currently practices in insurance defense, governmental defense, and employment law. Jennifer plans to continue developing her specialty practices in healthcare law, intellectual property, and Federal health programs.

Prior to joining Mynatt and Springer, Jennifer worked in the legal department of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of North Carolina (“BCBSNC”) and was the Founder & CEO of “Superbloom: Patient Solutions.” At BCBSNC focused on Federal healthcare regulations and compliance, governmental contracting, Administrative and Employment law, and taxation for non-profit entities. She was also responsible for spearheading the creation of risk assessment tools for company-wide use. At Superbloom, Jennifer assisted clients in overcoming financial, insurance, and healthcare obstacles. She also counseled clients on HIPPA, data privacy, appeals determinations, and government regulations.

Areas of Practice

• General Tort
• Ethics
• Law Enforcement & Corrections Liability
• Employment
• Civil Rights
• Insurance Defense
• Property
• Class Action

Bar Admissions

• State of New Mexico (2007)
• U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico (2008)
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (2013)

Education

• B.A., University of Texas of Austin (2000)
• J.D., University of Colorado (2003)

Background & Practice Experience

Rob joined Mynatt Springer P.C. as an associate in May 2023. His primary practice of law is civil rights, personal injury, and employment law. He has represented clients in the New Mexico state district courts, the New Mexico Court of Appeals, and the New Mexico Supreme Court. He has also represented clients in the U.S. District Court in the District of New Mexico and the Tenth Circuit.

Rob earned his J.D. at the University of Colorado in Boulder in 2003 and a Master of Public Administration at the University of Texas at El Paso in 2008.

Prior to joining Mynatt Springer P.C., Rob worked as a prosecutor for the Third Judicial District Attorney’s Office. As a prosecutor he specialized in domestic violence and related crimes. In 2011, the New Mexico State Bar awarded him the accolade of Domestic Violence Prosecutor of the Year. In 2013, he became an attorney for the City of Las Cruces. As an attorney for the City he worked as general counsel, drafted municipal legislation, and litigated various torts, civil rights suits, employment cases, and administrative matters for his client. Eventually he was promoted to Deputy City Attorney in 2021.