Have an announcement for Law Week Colorado’s people section? Let us know.
Law firm updates
WilmerHale announced Nov. 18 that it had hired eight associates across three practice areas in the firm’s Denver office. Rebecca Beames and Cole Feinberg joined the firm’s transactional practice area; Suchinder Kalyan, Peter Lusk, Mercedes Martel Rodriguez, Tiana Wilson-Blindman and Ricardo Zorce joined the litigation practice area; and Teresa Udall joined the regulatory practice area. The firm’s associate class size in Denver has more than doubled over the past five years, growing from three associates in 2020 to eight in 2024. The firm hired four associates in 2021 and five in both 2022 and 2023.
Ogletree Deakins announced Nov. 19 that Mark Nelson has joined the firm’s Denver office as a shareholder. Nelson comes to the firm from Spencer Fane, where he was a partner. Nelson’s legal experience spans more than three decades, including representing employers in complex labor relations and employment issues. He works with business management leaders to provide strategies related to human resources counseling, employment litigation and traditional labor law. Nelson is a member of the American Bar Association and the Colorado Healthcare Association for Human Resources Management. He earned his J.D. and bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois.
Otteson Shapiro announced Nov. 19 that Evan Lee has joined the firm as an attorney. Lee has a background in insurance law and will represent clients across a broad range of industries, including personal lines, complex commercial coverage and various types of liability insurance, such as commercial general liability, owner-controlled insurance programs, directors and officers liability, errors and omissions, homeowners, automobile, excess and umbrella. Lee holds a J.D. from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and a bachelor’s degree from Duke University.
Caplan & Earnest announced Nov. 20 that Zoe Verhoeven has joined the firm as a litigation attorney. Verhoeven assists clients in a broad array of civil litigation matters before state, federal and administrative tribunals. Her practice includes counseling clients in disputes involving employment discrimination, civil rights, disability and accommodation and torts. Verhoeven earned her J.D. from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and her bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington. She was an editor on the executive board of the Denver Law Review and completed internships with the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, Caplan & Earnest and the Denver District Attorney’s Office during law school.
The judiciary
On Nov. 15, Gov. Jared Polis issued an executive order appointing judges to the new 23rd Judicial District serving Douglas, Elbert, and Lincoln counties, which will begin operations in January 2025. The executive order also appoints commissioners for new nominating commissions in the 18th and 23rd Judicial Districts, effective Jan. 14, 2025. The executive order is in accordance with House Bill 20-1026 and Amendment D, which was passed by voters in 2022.
Kudos
Amalia Sax-Bolder, a shareholder in Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s litigation department, will join the Turnaround Management Association global board of trustees, effective Jan. 1, 2025. She will serve a two-year term. Sax-Bolder has been a longstanding member of TMA, serving in a number of roles for its Rocky Mountain Chapter, including her current position as director of membership, according to a Nov. 19 announcement from Brownstein. She has also served as a member of TMA’s Global DEI Committee.
Odds & Ends
The Colorado Bar Association and Denver Bar Association on Nov. 15 announced the appointment of Nicoal Sperrazza as the new executive director of both associations, effective immediately. Sperrazza began her legal career in civil litigation and soon expanded her practice to include family law. In addition to her professional practice, Sperrazza currently serves as past president of the DBA and previously chaired the Joint Management Committee and the Colorado Bar Association’s Litigation Section Executive Council, along with the Joint Management Committee of the CBA, DBA and CBA/CLE. She is also a past president of the Asian Pacific Bar Association of Colorado and she has served on the CBA Executive Council and the CBA Young Lawyers Division Executive Council. Sperrazza is also a volunteer with Metro Volunteer Lawyers.