Gary Risley

Gary Risley is the founding director and shareholder of the Risley Law Firm, P.C. Prior to starting his own firm he was a director and shareholder in the Farmington office of the Miller Stratvert P.A.law firm. He graduated cum laude from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas in 1980 with a bachelor of arts degree, and received his juris doctor from the Baylor University School of Law in 1983. He received the second highest score among those taking the July, 1983 Texas bar examination. Gary’s practice emphasizes commercial transactions, business succession planning, estate planning, probate matters, water law, personal injury and related litigation. He also served in the part-time position as San Juan County (New Mexico) Probate Judge for two terms. Gary served as the VP of Legal Affairs, general counsel, and corporate secretary for Mesa Air Group for 11 years before he returned to practice in 1999. Risley was responsible for all legal affairs of the company. During his tenure of the publicly-traded company, it grew through merger and acquisition, as well as internally, from a company with 13 aircraft and $40 million a year in revenue to an airline with nearly 200 aircraft and over $500 million a year in revenue. He had the privilege of working on commercial transactions ranging from $1000 to $250 million. Gary is very active in his church and a number of community organizations. He has been recognized in the past as one of “New Mexico’s Top 100 Power Brokers” by New Mexico Business Weekly, and in 2004 was featured in the Four Corners Business Journal as a leader in the Four Corners Region. The San Juan Rotary Club named him its “Vocational Member of the Year for 2003.” Gary is married to Annette Risley, president of Risley CPA, PC, and they have three grown children and three grandchildren. He has more hobbies than he has time, but his favorites are flying and ham radio. He continues to serve from time to time on various charitable boards.