Hal Stratton is an attorney, former state legislator, former Attorney General of New Mexico and former Chairman of the
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Hal Stratton

Hal began his private practice career in Albuquerque in 1977. After founding his own firm in the early 1980s he was joined by N.M. state senator, Mickey Barnett and formed the firm of Stratton & Barnett until he was elected state Attorney General in 1986. After being term limited and leaving the state Attorney General's office, he founded the firm of Stratton & Cavin with prominent oil and gas attorney Sealy Cavin in Albuquerque New Mexico where he specialized in commercial and oil and gas litigation along with state legislative lobbying until assuming the position of Chairman of the CPSC in 2002. After leaving the CPSC he eventually returned to New Mexico and joined the Albuquerque and Washington, D.C. offices of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. where he practiced until January of 2024.

Hal has tried and argued cases in all courts including state district and appellate courts, federal district and circuit courts and the U.S. Supreme Court where as New Mexico Attorney General he successfully argued the case of Cotton Petroleum Corp. v. New Mexico, 490 U.S. 163 (1989) on behalf of the state.

As Chairman and principal executive officer of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission from 2002-2006 Hal managed and oversaw the principal U.S. consumer product agency in charge of regulation of 15,000 plus consumer products, including consumer product recalls, consumer product regulation and penalty proceedings for stakeholder failure to timely report the existence of consumer products creating substantial product hazards. During his tenure at the CPSC, he made speeches on consumer product regulation and safety in 35 states and 11 foreign countries.

After departing the CPSC, Hal joined the Albuquerque office of the Denver based law firm of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. At Brownstein he has handled gaming and horse racing legal matters, mining and oil and gas matters, commercial litigation matters as well as consulted on all aspects of consumer products including regulatory recall and penalty actions, voluntary and mandatory product standard issues. He also serves as a consulting and testifying expert in consumer product matters.

Hal now works as a sole practitioner and consultant at his own firm of Hal Stratton Law and Consulting, LLC located in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Hal Stratton is an attorney located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In 1978 he was elected to the New Mexico House of Representatives and eventually served as Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee before leaving to run for state attorney general. In 1986 he was elected New Mexico Attorney General, being the only Republican to be elected and serve in that position since 1930. In 2002 after being nominated by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate he served as Chairman of the U.S. Consumer Products safety Commission through 2006.