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Law Firm Updates
Foley Hoag LLP announced Brooke Yates as a partner in charge of the firm’s Denver office. In this role, Yates will oversee daily operations in close collaboration with managing partners Jim Bucking and Jeff Collins. Yates will work with firm leadership to grow the Denver office, support its lawyers and business services professionals and uplift the local community. Yates is part of the firm’s insurance recovery practice. She represents businesses in multi-party commercial litigation and construction disputes throughout the U.S. and internationally. She also advises policyholders in disputes with their insurers in insurance coverage.
Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP announced the election of nine members to its partnership and the elevation of 10 attorneys to counsel. Three members from the Denver office were elected. Ted Mayle, a patent litigator, was elected to partner and focuses his practice on patent infringement litigation and appeals, and administrative actions before the Patent Office’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Torrey Spink was elected to partner and focuses his practice on patent prosecution and counseling. His practice involves patents relating to a variety of technologies including electrical devices, computer hardware, software, mechanical and medical devices. Matthew Crookston was elected to counsel and focuses his practice on patent prosecution and counseling in the areas of electronics and software, particularly photonics.
Spencer Fane LLP announced 10 attorneys have been elected to partnership. The new partners are spread across eight offices including Hannah McCalla of the Denver office. McCalla represents clients in Colorado, Montana and other states in all commercial litigation matters. Her practice focuses on the defense of insurance bad faith claims and class actions. Before entering private practice, McCalla clerked for Judge Sam Haddon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana.
Stinson LLP elected Jared Ertle to partner. Ertle specializes in advising clients on complex mergers and stock acquisitions, venture capital investments and asset dispositions. He counsels farm credit system institutions, commercial banks and equipment leasing companies on loan transactions, as well as equipment and facility lease transactions. Additionally, Ertle does pro bono legal work for the Miracle League of Metro Denver.
The Judiciary
Four participants in the Domestic Violence Court program in the 4th Judicial District are expected to graduate from the intensive treatment and supervision program. The program’s mission is to prevent future acts of intimate-partner abuse and reduce the impact on children and families by high-risk domestic violence offenders involved in the criminal justice system. The program focuses on offender accountability and provides victims with services and advocacy. It aims to promote healthier relationships, reduce recidivism and enhance victim safety by addressing underlying issues and removing barriers by providing resources to the offender. The ceremony is set for 4 p.m. on Jan. 16 in the Jury Assembly Room, at the El Paso County Combined Courts in Colorado Springs.
Gov. Jared Polis appointed Jeffrey Ruff Jan. 5 to the 17th Judicial District Court. This vacancy was created by the retirement of Judge Roberto Ramírez. Ruff is a shareholder and president of Ruff & Tartar, P.C., positions he’s held since 2013. His practice consists of dependency and neglect, juvenile delinquency and truancy matters. Previously, he was manager/owner from 2008 to 2013 and shareholder from 2003 to 2008 at Ruff & Tureson, P.C. and The Ruff Law Firm, LLC; associate attorney at Riggs, Abney, Neal, Turpen, Orbison & Lewis, P.C. from 2001 to 2003; project attorney at Toeroek Associates, Inc. from 2000 to 2001; and contract attorney at Spherion Pacific/Interim Legal Services from 1999 to 2000.
Movers & Shakers
Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe, PC announced the firm opened an office in Fort Collins. This is the firm’s third office with other locations in Denver and Grand Junction. The Fort Collins office is located at 215 Mathews Street, Suite 310. The new office will be led by Fort Collins-based attorney Tracy Oldemeyer. Oldemeyer has practiced law in Northern Colorado since 2004 and joined Ireland Stapleton in 2023. She brings nearly three decades of experience in general civil litigation, complex commercial litigation, insurance coverage, arbitration and corporate and nonprofit governance. She also focuses on matters involving public safety and telecommunications at the local, state and federal levels, including legislation, regulation and rulemaking. She also served as the past board chair of the nonprofit organization United Way of Larimer County. The Fort Collins office is located at 215 Mathews Street, Suite 310, Fort Collins, Colorado 80524.
Kudos
Holland & Hart LLP announced Rocío Portela-Berríos, an associate in the firm’s Denver office, has been recognized as an inaugural Pathfinder Atlas Award recipient by the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity. The Pathfinder Atlas Award recognizes those participating in eight or more program components during their LCLD program year. Rocío supports clients in the energy and infrastructure industries on issues regarding project development and finance. Rocio has a background in the financing of energy, infrastructure, mining and renewable energy projects in both the U.S. and Latin America.
Elaine Bailey, an associate in Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s real estate department, was appointed chair of the Special Olympics Colorado Young Professionals Board. The Special Olympics Colorado YPB helps promote the organization’s mission to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Bailey has been involved with the organization for years, serving as a law clerk in 2016 and a member of its board since 2019. In her new position, Bailey will guide the board’s direction in 2024 and serve as a resource for all executive team members and general board members. She will work directly with Special Olympics Colorado representatives to ensure the YPB meets the organization’s goals.
A team of Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP attorneys including associate Jesse Marks based out of the firm’s Denver office have coauthored Trade Secrets, a comprehensive legal treatise that gives experience-based guidance to intellectual property professionals and courts to assist professionals in navigating trade secret law. The treatise also includes a variety of sample documents professionals can use in their daily work, including entire sample agreements, individual contractual provisions, checklists, pleadings, suggested letters and more.
Miscellaneous
The Colorado Restorative Justice Coordinating Council has opened the application process for grants to be awarded in the fiscal year 2025 from July 1 to June 30. In 2018, the RJC began issuing grants to Colorado entities working to further restorative justice efforts for training, implementation or the expansion of restorative justice-related practices and services. Two types of grants are available: community engagement grants and capacity/innovation grants. Information about guidelines, priorities and eligibility for these grants is available here. Instructions may be found here and all applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 2.