Steptoe & Johnson Accelerates Denver Growth with the Addition of Five Attorneys

DENVER – Scott M. Campbell, Nick A. Swartzendruber, Paul Upsons, Rob Willis, and Austin Cole have joined Steptoe & Johnson PLLC’s Denver office. Campbell and Swartzendruber have joined the firm’s Litigation Department as Members, Willis joins the firm’s Litigation Department as Of Counsel, and Cole joins the firm’s Litigation Department as an Associate, while Upsons will join the firm’s Energy Department as Of Counsel.

“We’ve been looking forward to welcoming this group of respected litigation and energy attorneys to our Denver office,” said Christopher L. Slaughter, CEO of Steptoe & Johnson. “This team is well-known for their decades of sophisticated counsel to the energy sector and are a great addition to the firm’s growing presence in the Mountain West region. We are focused on building out our Denver office and the addition of Scott, Nick, Paul, and their team keeps that ball rolling.”

“We’re eager to join Steptoe & Johnson and be part of a full-service firm,” said Scott Campbell, who is joining as a Member in the Litigation Department. “We look forward to working with clients and helping them navigate complex issues and meeting their needs across the Denver area and beyond.”

Campbell focuses his practice on energy and natural resources litigation and has a proven track record of successfully litigating multi-million-dollar cases. He represents clients in both state and federal courts, a before the Colorado and Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commissions and the United States Department of the Interior. Campbell earned his law degree from University of Denver Sturm College of Law and his bachelor’s degree from Pennsylvania State University.

Swartzendruber handles a variety of complex oil and gas litigation and regulatory matters with a focus in title and joint operations disputes. He has significant trial experience, both as a litigator and as an expert witness. He earned his law degree from University of Wyoming College of Law and bachelor’s degree from University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

Upsons focuses his practice on energy and natural resources law and mineral title examinations. He is experienced in closing transactions and litigating cases involving water law, zoning, and land use. He has performed title examinations and has managed oil and gas title opinion projects across Colorado, North Dakota, and Wyoming. Upsons earned his law degree from University of Denver Sturm College of Law and his bachelor’s degree from University of Denver.

Willis represents oil and gas clients before regulatory bodies on a variety of issues. Before pursuing a career in law, he worked as an engineer where he gained valuable experience in drilling, completion, production, and property evaluations in the San Juan and Anadarko basins. Willis has a deep understanding of the real-world issues that face oil and gas clients. He earned his law degree from University of Wyoming College of Law and bachelor’s degree from University of Wyoming.

Cole focuses his practice on natural resources, administrative law, and real property matters. He assists clients with a variety of complex oil and gas litigation and regulatory issues, lease interpretations, federal oil and gas leases and transfers, and in resolving title issues. Cole earned his law degree from University of Colorado at Boulder and his bachelor’s degree from University of Florida.

These additions to Steptoe & Johnson’s Denver office, which opened in 2013, will enhance the firm’s reputation as a go-to law firm for energy operators in the Mountain West.

About Steptoe & Johnson

Steptoe & Johnson PLLC is a law firm nationally recognized for its strengths in energy law with more than a century of know-how in the areas of business, labor and employment, and litigation. Steptoe & Johnson has over 400 lawyers and other professionals practicing in 18 offices in Colorado, Kentucky, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia. Visit and connect with us on X and LinkedIn.

For more information, contact Ryan Daniels, Chief Marketing Officer, at (614) 456-1647 or by email: press@steptoe-johnson.com.