Rosemary J. Beless

Rosemary J. Beless is an Of Counsel attorney at Fabian VanCott in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her practice focuses on natural resources, water rights, environmental law, oil and gas, mining, condemnation, and land use. She represents businesses, public entities, and property owners in regulatory proceedings, litigation, and transactions involving natural resources. Beless also advises on environmental cleanup obligations, development projects, and the legal questions that arise when land and resource rights overlap.

Beless earned her J.D. from the University of Utah College of Law in 1980, where she served as Senior Editor of the Utah Law Review and was named a William H. Leary Scholar. She previously earned a Ph.D. in English in 1977 and an M.A. in English in 1972 from the University of Utah. Her B.A. in English, magna cum laude, was completed in 1969 through the University of Utah and Newcomb College.

Admitted to practice in Utah in 1980, Beless has handled water rights adjudications, environmental compliance matters, contaminated-site remediation, and oil and gas disputes. She currently represents the Utah National Guard, Granite School District, and other water users in Utah water rights proceedings. She also represented prevailing parties in Cowling v. Board of Oil, Gas & Mining and helped draft Utah legislation addressing oil, gas, and mining liens.

Beless received The Best Lawyers in America’s 2021 Lawyer of the Year recognition for Natural Resources Law in Utah and was recognized by Chambers USA 2026 and Utah Business 2025 for natural resources and environmental work. She has chaired the Utah Mining Association’s Public Lands Committee and received a Distinguished Service Award from the Utah State Bar’s natural resources section. Rosemary J. Beless brings decades of experience to disputes involving water, land, and environmental regulation.

Law Office Affiliations

• Attorney/Of Counsel, Fabian VanCott
• Member, Utah State Bar
• Chairman, Utah Mining Association

Licensed State

• Utah

Education

• University of Utah College of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• University of Utah
  PhD in English
• University of Utah
  MA in English
• University of Utah and Newcomb College, Tulane University, New Orleans, La.
  BA in English with Magna Cum Laude

Awards & Badges