Montgomery and Andrews Law Firm

Overview

Sarah Singleton has a litigation practice primarily in the areas of natural resources law, including contract, property, and personal injury litigation; products liability; employment law, and other complex litigation. She also handles appeals. She also advises employers on personnel matters.

Education

Ms. Singleton earned her undergraduate degree from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York. She graduated magna cum laude from the Indiana University School of Law in Bloomington, Indiana. She was elected to Order of the Coif. She was also selected as a Fellow of the Academy of Law Alumni Fellows.

Professional Memberships and Activities

Ms. Singleton is a member of the New Mexico Bar. She served as President of the State Bar of New Mexico in 1995-96. She is also a member of the Texas State Bar, the Federal Bar for the District of New Mexico, and the Tenth Circuit Bar, and she is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court and the United States Court of Federal Claims.

She is also a member of the American Bar Association, the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, New Mexico Women’s Bar Association, the First Judicial District Bar Association, and the New Mexico Defense Lawyers Association.

She holds a presidential appointment to the Legal Services Corporation Board of Directors and a New Mexico Supreme Court appointment as co-chair of the New Mexico Access to Justice Commission. She formerly served two terms on the ABA Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants and on the New Mexico Civil Legal Services Commission.

Honors

Ms. Singleton has received the State Bar Outstanding Contribution Award four times, the Outstanding Service to the Court and Judiciary for service on the Board of Bar Examiners, the State Bar Distinguished Service Award, the State Bar Pioneer Award, the Woman’s Bar Power and Caring Award, and the State Bar President’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Ms. Singleton has an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell. She is listed as a Leading Lawyer in Natural Resources Law in New Mexico by Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, listed in Best Lawyers in America – Natural Resources Law and Appellate Law, as a New Mexico Local Litigation Star in the areas of oil and gas and products liability in Benchmark, America’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys, and listed in Southwest Super Lawyers – Natural Resources Law.

Speaking Engagements

Ms. Singleton has been a speaker at numerous CLE programs on appellate practice, employment law, professionalism and ethics. She has also spoken at many national and local programs on access to justice issues and on providing legal services to the poor.

Representative Cases and Transactions

Davis v. Devon Energy Corporation, Santa Fe County No. D101CV200301590 (class action natural gas royalty litigation)

Estate of Romero v. City of Santa Fe, 2006-NMSC-28, 139 N.M. 671, 137 P.3d 611 (amicus brief on discoverability of police records)

Wilson v. Massachusetts Mutual Life Ins. Co., 2004-NMCA-51, 135 N.M. 506, 90 P.3d 525 (modal premium class action against a life insurer)

San Juan 1990. A, L.P. v. El Paso Production Co., 2002- NMCA - 41, 132 N.M. 73, 43 P.3d 1083 (natural gas royalty class action)

Norwest Bank New Mexico NA v. Chrysler Corp., 127 N.M. 397, 981 P.2d1215 (Ct.App. 1999) (products liability case alleging defective latch design)

Sandoval v. Chrysler Corp., 1998-NMCA-085 (products liability case involving alleged design defect)

Flores v. Baca, 117 N.M. 306, 871 P.2d 962 (1994) (funeral director negligence)

City of Raton v. Vermejo Conservancy Dist., 101 NM 95, 678 P.2d 1170 (1984) (water rights case)

Bartlett v. New Mexico Welding Supply, 98 N.M. 152, 646 P.2d 579 (Ct.App. 1982) (tort case that abolished joint and several liability).

Representative Clients

Devon Energy Corporation

Chrysler LLC

SOC Los Alamos

The Santa Fe New Mexican