Brownstein announced Jan. 8 that Abby Kirkbride has rejoined the firm as a shareholder in its real estate department. She will be based in the Denver office.
“We are proud to have Abby return to the firm after spending time in-house with longtime client McWhinney as both vice president and associate general counsel as well as general manager of Centerra. It is a testament to the culture of the firm that we consistently have alumni attorneys choose to return to Brownstein,” Blair Lichtenfels, chair of the firm’s real estate department, said in a press release.
“Her executive-level work on high-profile master-planned communities throughout Colorado allows her to bring a client-focused approach to her real estate, development and financing work. Her subsequent role as vice president of development with Generation Development, another firm client, has given her unique insight into the challenging world of condo construction,” Lichtenfels added.
Kirkbride’s expertise spans all phases of real estate development, from joint ventures and due diligence to overseeing renovation projects and navigating municipal development review processes. Her background in urban planning and land use, combined with her experience working with local governments, enables her to guide clients through complex entitlement and zoning matters across Colorado.
Her work includes advising on the strategy, vision and execution, as well as the development and management of master-planned communities. Kirkbride has also served as both in-house and outside corporate counsel, using her understanding of real estate law, particularly at the intersection of corporate and development issues.
As vice president of community development at McWhinney, Kirkbride led development and land monetization for the company’s holdings in northern Colorado, including the Centerra community in Loveland, which comprises more than 3,000 acres and 5 million square feet of development capacity.
Kirkbride also oversaw master planning, public finance, community and government relations, marketing and homebuilder sales. As vice president of development at Generation Development, Kirkbride underwrote condo and mixed-use vertical projects, oversaw residential sales and used her legal background to mitigate construction risk on this unique product type.
Kirkbride earned her bachelor’s degrees from John Brown University, holds a master’s degree from the University of Colorado and received her law degree from the University of Colorado School of Law.