The Colorado Judicial Department celebrated the accomplishments of seven employees and one court team at a recent Judicial Excellence Awards ceremony.
Receiving special recognition was Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Nancy Rice, who will retire at the end of June after 31 years serving as a judge, including nearly 20 years as a member of the Supreme Court.
“It has been a privilege to share my time at the Judicial Department with these and thousands of other people dedicated to the efficient and effective administration of justice in our state,” Rice said. “The Judicial Excellence Awards provide a great avenue to honor exemplary work in serving the public.”
Second Judicial District (Denver County) Jury Commissioner Genevieve Rotella was named Court Employee of the Year in part for helping stage a temporary security station when glass panels fell from fifth-floor railings in her courthouse, for helping develop an employee shadowing and mentorship program and for working with the Denver County Court in restructuring its jury call days.
Two people shared the 2017 Probation Employee of the Year award: Chris Jensen of Denver Juvenile Probation and Robert Murphy of the 18th Judicial District (Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties) probation office. Jensen’s efforts to maintain a rapport with clients played a central role in increasing the success rates of his unit’s probationers. He also worked as a coordinator for the Gang Reduction Initiative in his district. Murphy’s work supporting restitution collection led to more than $3 million being collected for economic crime victims, and he helped restructure training programs to improve safety for probation officers.
Winning the State Court Administrator’s Office Employee of the Year honors was Angelia Meaux, who among her many responsibilities helps plan conferences using collaborative management techniques. She was recognized for her solid teamwork, attention to detail and problem-solving capabilities.
The Wellness Court Team in the 8th Judicial District (Jackson and Larimer counties) was named Outstanding Team of the Year. During 2017, the team served 77 clients, significantly reducing the load on jails in the jurisdiction. The team accomplished this while its size was temporarily reduced.
Kenneth “Grant” Thomas, a supervisor in the 14th Judicial District (Grand, Moffat and Routt counties), was posthumously named Supervisor of the Year. He has been described as a passionate supporter of probation services, a role model and a teacher whose leadership was vital to helping the probation department weather difficult changes in 2017.
Honored as the Manager of the Year was 3rd Judicial District (Huerfano and Las Animas counties) District Administrator Bob Kreiman, who has led efforts including restoration of a historic judicial building in Walsenburg and creation of a commission to address underfunded judicial facilities.
Judge Paul King of the 18th Judicial District Court was named Judicial Officer of the Year, in part for exemplary docket management, courtroom demeanor and community involvement.
FIRM PROMOTIONS
Faegre Baker Daniels announced a number of leadership transitions and strategic changes to group structures that took effect on March 1.
Jared Briant has become Denver office leader. His practice focuses on intellectual property and other complex medical device litigation matters in state and federal courts nationwide. He also counsels clients on patent, copyright, trademark and false advertising matters.
ASSOCIATE WATCH
Davis Graham & Stubbs announced Wednesday that Teghan Setty and Tessa Weingold have joined the finance and acquisitions department of the firm. Setty will be in the firm’s corporate group, and Weingold will be in the real estate group.
Setty and Weingold are both admitted to practice in New York but are not admitted in Colorado. Setty’s practice focuses on corporate and transactional matters including mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and private equity financings, and corporate governance.
Prior to joining DGS, Setty practiced at a New York law firm, where she represented emerging growth companies and venture capital firms in a wide range of matters including mergers and acquisitions, equity financings, debt transactions and corporate formations.
She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado and her law degree from New York University School of Law.
Weingold’s practice focuses on real estate transactions including acquisitions, dispositions, financing and leasing of real property.
Prior to joining Davis Graham & Stubbs, she was an associate at two New York law firms. She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of St. Andrews and her law degree from Cornell Law School.
CORRECTION
The name of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton partner Jonathan Neiditz was misspelled in the May 28 article “Businesses Now Better at Protecting ‘Crown Jewels.’ We apologize for the error.