Overview

Laura Arentsen focuses her practice on regulatory counsel for energy clients operating in Colorado and the Mountain West. She represents companies before the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC), advising on everything from oil and gas development plan applications to rulemakings and comprehensive area plans. Known for her collaborative, practical approach, Laura helps clients navigate Colorado’s complex regulatory landscape with clarity and precision.

Before joining Beatty & Wozniak, Laura advised public energy companies on U.S. securities compliance, including Exchange Act and Securities Act reporting, cross-border transactions, and corporate governance. As someone who has been deeply embedded in local energy communities — from Texas to Scotland — Laura brings a personal passion to her work in the oil, gas, and natural resources industries.

Laura’s proudest legal moment is helping free an innocent man — and her peers once voted her “most likely to die smiling.” In the winter, she and her family head for the slopes in Jackson Hole, her favorite place to be when the snow starts to fall.

Representative Experience

  • Representing a wide range of clients before the ECMC on regulatory matters, including oil, gas, and helium development applications.
  • Advising companies and trade associations during multiple ECMC rulemakings, including produced water and midstream regulations.
  • Counseling clients on ECMC applications related to spacing, pooling, development plans, cost recovery disputes, and enforcement actions.
  • Advising an interstate operator on federal and state permitting issues for gas storage infrastructure.
  • Assisting in drafting, revising, and advocating for administrative rules for complex and technical state regulatory matters.
  • Provided counsel on securities transactions and SEC reporting for natural resources clients, including M&A and cross-border deals.

Professional Affiliations

  • Colorado, Wyoming and Utah Bar Associations
  • Colorado Oil and Gas Association

Honors & Awards

  • The Best Lawyers In America Ones to Watch, 2023 – 2024
  • People on the Move – Denver Business Journal

Published Works

  • Melendez-Diaz: Upholding the Goals and Guarantees of the Confrontation Clause, 88 Den. U. L. Rev. 271, 2011

Pro Bono Activities

  • Rocky Mountain Children’s Law Center, 2012 to 2023
  • Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network, Present