Briggs F. Cheney
Mr. Cheney has practiced law since 1973 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He has been associated with the law firm of Sheehan & Sheehan, P.A. in an Of Counsel capacity since October 1994. Mr. Cheney's law practice has focused on the representation of lawyers, and he has been recognized for his work in this area annually by The Best Lawyers in America since 1995 and by Southwest Super Lawyers since 2007. He has been recognized for his skills as a mediator in The Best Lawyers in America since 2005. Mr. Cheney has an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell .
Mr. Cheney has been very active in local, state and national bar activities. He served on the State Bar of New Mexico's Board of Bar Commissioners for nine years, and is a past-president of the New Mexico Bar Foundation and the Albuquerque Bar Association. He served three terms as New Mexico's delegate to the American Bar Association House of Delegates, where he also served as a member of the ABA's Nominating Committee, the Executive Committee of State Delegates to the ABA (past co-chair), the Steering Committee to the ABA House, the ABA's Standing Committee on Lawyers' Professional Liability, the ABA Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs (CoLAP), and the ABA's Standing committee on Lawyer Referral. He is a past chair and currently serves as a commissioner for the State Bar of New Mexico's Client Protection Fund. He also was a past chair and serves on the State Bar's Professional Liability Committee, and as a member of the State Bar's Lawyers Assistance Committee. He has received recognition as Outstanding Lawyer of the Year from the Albuquerque Bar Association, the Distinguished Bar Service Award in 2005, and outstanding achievement awards from the American Bar Association and the State Bar of New Mexico in 2008. Also in 2005, Mr. Cheney was recognized by the University of New Mexico Alumni Association with its Zia Award.
Areas of Practice
- Defense of Lawyers and Related Professional Issues
- Litigation
- Mediation
Litigation Percentage
- 80% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Bar Admissions
- New Mexico, 1973
- U.S. Court of Appeals 10th Circuit, 1973
- U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 1973
- U.S. District Court District of New Mexico, 1973
Education
- University of New Mexico School of Law, Albuquerque, New Mexico
- J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence - 1972
- University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico
- B.B.A., Bachelor of Business Administration - 1969
- Major: Business Administration
Representative Cases
- Computer One v. Grisham & Lawless, 2007-NMCA- 079, 141 N.M. 869, 161 P.3d 914 (2007)
- In re Treinen, 2006-NMSC-013, 139 N.M. 318, 131 P.3d 1282 (2006)
- In re Zamora, 2001-NMSC-011, 130 N.M. 161, 21 P.3d 30 (2001)
- Estate of Galloway v. Guaranty Income Life Ins., 104 N.M. 627, 725 P.2d 827 (S. Ct. 1986)
- Gelinas v. Gabriel, 741 P.2d 443 (N.M. App. 1987)
- Harmon v. Atlantic Richfield, 623 P.2d 1015 (N.M. App. 1981)
- Hardin v. Farris, 530 P.2d 407 (N.M. App. 1974)
- Brunacini v. Kavanaugh, 889 P.2d 821 (N.M. App. 1993)
Representative Clients
- Safeco Select Markets (Professional Liability)
- Clarendon / Lawyer's Protector Plan
- Westport Insurance
- CNA Pro
- Attorneys Liability Protection Society (ALPS)
- XL Specialty (Professional Liability)
- Home Insurance Company/REM, Management, Ltd. (Professional Liability)
- Firemen's Fund Insurance Company
- Electric Insurance (General Electric)
- St. Paul/Travelers
- Bankers Life and Casualty
- Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Company
- DaimlerChrysler Motor Company
- Fiduciary Trust Company International
- Albuquerque Cab Company, Inc.
- The Bar Plan (Professional Liability)
Honors and Awards
- The Best Lawyers in America, Woodward/White, Inc. (Representation of Professionals), 1995 - Present
- The Best Lawyers in America, Woodward/White, Inc. (Mediation and ADR), 2007 - Present
- Albuquerque The Magazine - Albuquerque's Top Lawyers, 2006
- Southwest Super Lawyers (Recognized in the Area of Defense of Legal Professionals), 2007 - Present
- The American Bar Association, Recipient of General Practice and Solo's Small Firm Division "Making a Difference Award", 2008
- State Bar of New Mexico's Sandia Award for the "Lifetime Commitment to CLE", 2008
- State Bar of New Mexico - Distinguished Service to the Bar Award, 2005
- Recipient of the University of New Mexico Zia Award for Outstanding Alumni, 2005
- State Bar of New Mexico, Outstanding Service to the Bar Award for Nine Years Service on Board of Bar Commissioners, 1994
- Albuquerque Bar Association, Outstanding Lawyer of the Year, 1992
- State Bar of New Mexico, Outstanding Contribution to the Bar, 1992
Professional Associations and Memberships
- American Bar Association, Member, Nominating Committee, 1995 - 2004
- American Bar Association, Member, Standing Committee on Lawyers' Professional Liability, 1999 - 2002
- American Bar Association, Member, Standing Committee on Lawyer Referral and Information Service, 2002 - Present
- American Bar Association, Member, Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs, 1995 - 1997
- American Bar Association, Co-Chair, Executive Committee of the Conference of State Delegates, 2000 - 2001
- American Bar Association, Steering Committee to the House of Delegates, 1998 - 2002
- American Bar Association, Member, Advisory Committee, Standing Committee on Substance Abuse, 1997 - 2000
- State Bar of New Mexico, Member, Board of Bar Commissioners, 1985 - 1994
- State Bar of New Mexico, Past Chair, Lawyer Professional Liability Committee, 1992 - Present
- State Bar of New Mexico, Member, Executive Committee, 1991
- New Mexico Client Protection Fund Commission, New Mexico Supreme Court Appointee, Commissioner and Past Chair, 2005 - Present
- New Mexico Supreme Court, Member, Code of Professional Conduct Committee, 2010 - Present
- State Bar of New Mexico, Member, State Bar Lawyer Assistance Committee, 1987 - Present
- State Bar of New Mexico, Member, Board of Directors, Continuing Legal Education, 1985 - 1994
- State Bar of New Mexico, New Mexico Supreme Court, Judicial Evaluation Committee, Initial Exploratory Committee
- Albuquerque Bar Association Member, President, Board of Directors, 1994-1997, 1978 - Present
- New Mexico Bar Foundation, Member, Board of Directors, President, 1993, 1986 - 1997
- New Mexico Bar Foundation, Member, Interest on Lawyer's Trust Account (IOLTA) Grant Committee, 1992 - 1997
- Bill Kitts Society Mentorship Program, a Joint Project of the New Mexico Bar Foundation and the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of New Mexico, Chair
- Large Complex Case Panel, American Arbitration Association, Member
- Martin Chavez, Mayor of the City of Albuquerque, Mayor's Blue Ribbon Committee, 1994
Past Employment Positions
- Butt, Thornton & Baehr, P.C., Director and Shareholder, 1976 - 1994
- Toulouse, Krehbiel & Cheney, P.C., 1973 - 1976
Fraternities/Sororities
- Phi Delta Theta
