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Law firm updates
Holland & Hart announced Oct. 30 that securities and capital markets attorney Andrea Leider joined the firm as of counsel in its Denver office. With more than two decades of experience, Leider advises clients across a range of industries on securities law requirements, corporate governance and corporate law matters. Before joining Holland & Hart, Leider served as counsel at an Am Law 100 firm and as senior counsel at a public company.
Sherman & Howard on Oct. 31 announced it welcomed six associates to the firm’s litigation, business and real estate and trusts and estates practice groups in Denver. Five of the attorneys returned to Sherman & Howard after completing the firm’s summer associate program. Eliz Espinoza is an associate in the firm’s litigation practice group and focuses her practice on family law. Erick Franz Hughes is an associate in the firm’s business and real estate practice group and focuses his practice on water and natural resources law. Bob Neel is an associate in the firm’s litigation practice group, Lillian Rigby is an associate in the firm’s litigation practice group, Morgan Ryan is an associate in the firm’s trusts and estates practice group and Leah Schwartz is an associate in the firm’s trusts and estates practice group.
Kilpatrick announced Oct. 31 the election of 10 members to its partnership effective Jan. 1, 2025. Among the 2025 new partners, Andrea LaFrance is a trademark attorney in Denver. She focuses on global trademark portfolio management and handles a wide range of domestic and international clearance, prosecution and enforcement matters. Her practice extends to specialized areas such as social networking, video games, software and cloud services, space technology and cosmetics.
Movers & shakers
Vinson & Elkins announced Oct. 31 it plans to open a Denver office in the city’s Cherry Creek neighborhood on Nov. 1. Partners Sarah Morgan, Mike Joyce and Ramey Layne will open the office and plan to hire additional partners and associates. Morgan co-heads Vinson & Elkins’ capital markets and mergers and acquisitions practice group and will serve as the managing partner for the Denver office. Joyce is one of the leaders of the firm’s work in tax equity transactions and co-heads the firm’s energy transactions and projects practice group. Layne, a member of the firm’s capital markets practice, represents clients in public and private securities offerings.
Odds & Ends
Gov. Jared Polis on Oct. 25 appointed Jessica Waggoner as the district attorney for the 7th Judicial District. This appointment is effective Nov. 1 and fills a vacancy created by the resignation of Seth Ryan. Waggoner is currently an assistant DA in the 7th Judicial District Attorney’s Office where she has worked since 2008. Her practice consists of criminal prosecution, according to the announcement. Previously, she was an associate attorney at Wilderson, O’Hayre, Dawson & Norris, P.C. from 2005 to 2007 and associate attorney at Fleming & Kidney, LLC from 2004 to 2005. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Western State College in 2000 and her J.D. from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 2002.