Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton announced Thursday that it has named Justin Krieger managing partner of the firm’s Denver office. He succeeds Gene Bernard, who served in that role since 2015 and will continue to be a member of the firm’s Denver team.
“Gene has done an outstanding job leading this office over the past five years, and he will be a tough act to follow,” Krieger said. “Denver is a hotbed of innovation so it’s an exciting place to be a patent attorney right now. We have the most talented intellectual property team in Colorado, and I look forward to working closely with them to continue delivering exceptional service to our clients.”
Krieger has a track record challenging and defending patents in inter partes review and post-grant review proceedings before the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board. He also has more than 20 years of experience handling patent prosecution and litigation
matters.
Krieger has a technical background in the chemical, chemical engineering, agrochemical, pharmaceutical, medical device and consumer product fields.
Krieger received a bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary and a law degree from the University of Florida College of Law.
JUDICIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Gov. Jared Polis on Dec. 27 announced the appointment of Robert Samuel Willett of Alamosa to serve as 12th Judicial District Attorney. His appointment is occasioned by the appointment of Crista Newmyer-Olsen to serve as a 12th District judge.
Willett is a senior deputy district attorney at the Office of the 12th Judicial District Attorney, a position he has held since March.
Previously, he was a deputy district attorney at the Office of the 4th Judicial District Attorney and a Deputy District Attorney at the Office of the 12th Judicial District Attorney.
Willett received a bachelor’s degree from Metropolitan State College and a law degree from Appalachian State School of Law.
The appointment is effective Jan. 1.
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock has received the following seven nominees for Denver County Court Judge from the Denver County Court Judicial Nomination Commission: Arnie Beckman, David Blackett, Andrew Luxen, Michelle Martinez, Richard Ott, Tanya Wheeler and James Zobel.
Hancock will interview the nominees and announce his selection on or before Jan. 16. The appointment will fill the vacancies created by the retirement of judges Johnny Barajas and Brian Campbell, as well as the vacancy due to the creation of a new judicial seat on the Denver County Court.
The Judicial Nomination Commission is established by charter. It is composed of three attorneys and four non-attorneys, appointed by the mayor, serving a term of four years.
The presiding judge of the Denver County Court, Theresa Spahn, serves in an ex-officio advisory capacity. When a judicial vacancy is created, the JNC announces the vacancy and the timeline in which to apply for nomination.