A.M. Hunter, III

After graduating from the Lawrenceville School in New Jersey in 1977, Kip attended the University of Colorado during the 1977-78 academic year as a President’s Scholar. He graduated Cum Laude from the University of Virginia in June 1981. Kip received his Juris Doctor from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in December 1986. Kip completed his JD working as an intern for the General Counsel of the United States Tobacco Company where he specialized in the drafting of marketing, licensing, sales, promotion, distribution, employment, consulting, leasing and asset acquisition and disposition contracts. He also assisted with corporate product liability litigation, governmental regulatory compliance and the development of an industry lobbying platform.

In March of 1987, Kip joined the New York offices of the law firm Graham & James where he specialized in international corporate litigation and commercial transactions. His litigation experience included product liability, antitrust and white-collar criminal defense, while his commercial transaction experience included negotiating and drafting international product licensing, distribution and leasing agreements, asset acquisitions, secured transactions, letters of credit and general corporate matters in the representation of major domestic and international banks, financial institutions and other businesses.

In 1990, Kip formed his own firm called Hunter & Associates. Hunter & Associate’s practice consisted primarily of corporate liability defense for several insurance and transportation entities, including a Fortune 500 Company, encompassing preliminary settlement negotiations through trial and appeals for cases pending throughout the country. Kip's practice also included sitting as General Counsel for several small entities, as well as corporate finance for start-ups through medium size international capital ventures.

During his tenure at Hunter & Associates, from 2001-2004, Kip also sat as the CEO and Chairman of the Board of Atlas Engine Technologies. This research and development start-up managed the prototype development phase of a revolutionary combustion engine. Kip’s responsibilities included raising capital, managing extensive intellectual property efforts and government relations as well as all of the generally understood duties of a Chief Executive Officer and Chair of a start-up venture.

Following his time at Atlas, Kip returned to full-time private practice where, among other ventures, he assisted one of his clients, Sundance Energy Australia Ltd., to list on the Australian Stock Exchange in April of 2005. Kip officially joined Sundance as its General Counsel in 2007. As General Counsel, Executive Director and Director of Communications for this publicly traded Australian oil and gas exploration and production company with development assets in excess of AU $500 million, the emplacement of various related credit facilities equal in scope and US $1 billion+ in asset sales and acquisitions. His responsibilities spanned all transactional and operational matters, securities and market compliance, media and shareholder relations, and the full range of corporate regulatory governance.

After leaving Sundance in mid-2012, Kip returned to his private practice until joining Hall Estill in April 2016. His practice continues to encompass a broad spectrum of general corporate representation, including formation, finance, governance, securities, human resources, litigation, and transactional work.

In June 2020, Kip was elected to the Board of Directors of Hall Estill.