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Law firm updates
Foley Hoag announced Feb. 25 that Melanie Bartlett has joined the firm’s Denver office as a partner in its tax practice. Bartlett’s work focuses on representing nonprofit organizations, including handling mergers, governing board compliance standards and advising on expansions into new mission-aligned activities. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Southern Methodist University, her J.D. from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law and her LL.M. from Georgetown University Law Center.
Sirius XM Holdings Inc. on Feb. 21 announced the appointment of Richard Baer as executive vice president, general counsel and secretary, effective March 3. Baer succeeds Patrick Donnelly, who is retiring. Baer is an attorney and business advisor with more than 40 years of experience. Most recently, Baer served as chief legal officer at Airbnb, Inc., where he oversaw its legal, community policy and ethics and compliance functions. Prior to joining Airbnb, Baer served as chief legal officer at Liberty Media, UnitedHealth Group and Qwest Communications. He also previously served as chairman of the litigation department of Sherman & Howard in Denver. Baer received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Columbia University and a J.D. from the Duke University School of Law.
The judiciary
On Feb. 20, pursuant to her authority as acting governor under the Colorado Constitution, Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera appointed Ian Kellogg to the 2nd Judicial District Court. The appointment fills the vacancy left by the resignation of Judge Darryl Shockley, and is effective immediately. Kellogg is a trial attorney for the Securities and Exchange Commission, a position he’s held since 2022. His practice consists of civil and federal securities matters. Previously, he was an assistant U.S. attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office from 2014 to 2022, associate attorney at Morrison & Foerster from 2011 to 2014, associate attorney at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck from 2008 to 2011 and law clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch when Gorsuch was a judge on the the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals from 2007 to 2008. Kellogg earned his bachelor’s degree from Gonzaga University in 1999 and his J.D. from Stanford Law School in 2007.
Movers & shakers
Global law firm Reed Smith announced Feb. 24 the opening of a new office in Denver, its 33rd office globally and 20th in the U.S. The Denver office will open with 20 lawyers, including 11 partners, three counsel and six associates. This marks the second office the firm has launched in the past month, following the successful opening of its Atlanta office in January, which added 37 lawyers. Finance lawyer Jay Spader joins Reed Smith from Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, where he formerly chaired Brownstein’s corporate and business department. Spader will serve as managing partner of Reed Smith’s new Denver office. Spader will be joined by fellow Brownstein corporate partners Brendan Leanos, Jason Larkin and Chris Hand; emerging technologies partner Tyler Thompson from Greenberg Traurig; litigation partners Adam Massaro and Joyce Williams from Akerman; insurance recovery partners Chris Mosley and Brooke Yates from Foley Hoag; and real estate partner Camille Bacon-Schulte from Dentons. Four current Reed Smith lawyers are also joining the Denver office, including partner James Martin and counsels Garrett Parks, Lizbeth Rodriguez-Johnson and Michael Sandusky. The partners add appellate, investigations and labor and employment law practices.
Kudos
Davis Graham on Feb. 21 announced Desta Asfaw was honored with the 2024 Richard Marden Davis Award at a dinner celebrating her service to the legal community, along with her civic and charitable leadership. The Davis Award is presented annually, in partnership with the Denver Bar Association and the Davis family, “to a Denver lawyer who is 40 years old or younger and combines excellence as a lawyer with civic, cultural, educational, and charitable leadership.” The award was created in memory of Richard Marden Davis, one of the founders of Davis Graham.
Colorado Legal Services announced Feb. 25 that it was celebrating 100 years of service. The organization serves roughly 10,000 Coloradans every year with civil legal challenges, and its work is focused on a wide range of issues and clients, including tenants, victims of domestic violence, those being targeted for unfair debt collection, public benefits, tax disputes, farmworkers rights, survivors of human trafficking and severe crime and complicated ID issues, according to a press release from CLS.