Paul R. Orme’s practice focuses on representing special districts in water, electric power and utility law matters.  He serves as General Counsel to five special districts in Pinal County, Arizona.  These include Central Arizona Irrigation and Drainage District, Maricopa – Stanfield Irrigation & Drainage District, New Magma Irrigation & Drainage District, and Electrical Districts Nos. 3 and 4 of Pinal County, Arizona.  Paul has worked with most of these Districts for 40 years during which they have built their water and electricity delivery systems through the issuance of hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue and general obligation bonds.  Paul lives on and helps manage the Yavapai County Cattle Ranch his family has owned since 1929.

Representative Professional Experience

• Regular appearances before the Central Arizona Project board of directors, the Arizona Water Banking Authority, the Arizona State Certification Board, the Bureau of Reclamation and the Arizona State Land Department on issues relating to the irrigation districts he represents.  He has also appeared before the Arizona Corporation Commission and the Arizona Power Authority on behalf of his electrical district clients.
• Represented individual ranchers and farmers on water related matters as well as the Arizona Cattlegrowers Association and various towns and small municipal water districts in Yavapai County.
• Testified before Congress and the Arizona State Legislature on district related legislation.
• Served on the Arizona Water Protection Fund Commission for the first 6 years of its existence and on the Arizona Water Banking Study Commission.
• Served on The Governor’s Water Working Group Committee (2017) and Colorado River Drought Contingency Planning Committee (2018) for Pinal County Agriculture.

Honors & Awards

• Martindale-Hubbell, AV rating (20+ years)
• 2006 Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers

Professional & Civic Activities

• President of The Family Farm Alliance
• President of The Orme School Of Arizona (3 ½ years)
• Trustee of the Orme School (20 + years)
• Board of Directors of the Central Arizona Land Trust
• Board of Directors of Arizona Farm and Ranch Group

Speaking Engagements

• Multiple CLE presentations on The Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 due diligence on buying land in irrigation districts and Drought Contingency Planning for the Colorado River.
• Multiple presentations on Arizona Water Issues and Drought Contingency Planning for Universities and various water organizations.

Memberships & Affiliations

• Arizona Farm and Ranch Group
• Arizona Cattlegrowers Association
• Yavapai County Farm Bureau
• Family Farm Alliance
• Arizona Agribusiness and Water Council
• American Bar Association
• State Bar of Arizona

*Paul Orme, through Paul R. Orme, P.C., is an independent contractor of SLW.