Husch Blackwell announced that it has added 24 attorneys to its Denver office today. The addition brings to 41 the total count of Husch Blackwell attorneys in Denver.
“The addition of these highly regarded attorneys enhances the depth and experience in our real estate, banking and finance and litigation specialty practices," said Joseph P. Conran and David A. Fenley, Husch Blackwell Co-Chairmen. "In particular, these attorneys bring an expertise in resort/hospitality areas and professional and collegiate stadium development and redevelopment that will complement and expand our depth and expertise in all facets of real estate development. The litigation attorneys joining us have a 'first-in-class' reputation in Denver and the western United States.”
Husch Blackwell Denver Office Managing Partner Mary Stuart welcomes the new attorneys as well. “While Husch Blackwell’s growth in Denver has been steady since opening our office in 2008, with the addition of these 24 talented attorneys we take a great leap forward in solidifying our standing within the Denver business and legal communities.”
Paul Jacobs and Jeff Chase, icons of the Denver legal community and new attorneys at Husch Blackwell, state, “The Husch Blackwell name is very attractive to users of sophisticated legal services across the country, and we couldn’t be more pleased about joining the firm.”
Joining Husch Blackwell’s Real Estate & Development practice:
Paul A. Jacobs is one of Denver’s best-known dealmakers. Generally acknowledged as the driving force behind Denver’s 1990 Major League Baseball Expansion bid, Jacobs had primary responsibility for structuring and organizing the ownership group, processing the National League Franchise application and negotiating and documenting all major agreements of the franchise, including the partnership agreement, National League Membership Agreement, loan agreements, ballpark leases, concession agreements, broadcast rights agreements and major sponsorship agreements. Jacobs continues to be involved with major league sports and has parlayed his experience and negotiating skills into a national practice.
Steven M. Cohen has overseen U.S. acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures and financings for one of the largest ski resort developers in North America. In addition, Cohen represents numerous developers, investors and lenders, with an emphasis on structuring commercial real estate transactions and joint ventures.
Robert P. Detrick focuses on complex local, national and international development projects, land use and zoning, annexations, master-planned communities, community organization and governance, acquisitions, leasing, and the marketing and sale of commercial and residential real estate, including high-end fractional products and private residence clubs.
Lori L. Duwve represents developers of senior housing and is actively involved in various stages of the development process, including site acquisition, debt financing and capital raises, construction, sales and leasing, and management of all types of senior housing communities.
Jennifer Haynes focuses on affordable housing and senior housing. She is currently a member of the Board of Commissioners of the Englewood Housing Authority for the city of Englewood, Colo. In law school, Haynes interned with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Kevin H. Kelley’s practice is focused on senior housing, hospitality, resorts and condominium hotels and mixed-use, master planned communities. He also has significant experience in the acquisition, development, financing, leasing and disposition of vacant lands, industrial parks, retail shopping centers and office buildings.
Michelle Z. McDonald serves as counsel to local and national developers of major retail, office, hotel and mixed-use properties in all aspects of acquisition, development and disposition as well as counseling landlords and tenants on office, retail and build-to-suit ground lease transactions. She also represents national, regional and institutional banks and private equity investors and borrowers in the origination, restructuring and workout of complex financial transactions involving diverse real estate projects including local and national hotels, condominium developments and large-scale, mixed-use developments.
Michael J. Meacher focuses on commercial real estate transactions, including the acquisition, financing, development and disposition of residential and commercial condominiums, shopping centers and resort properties.
Shane C. Orr's practice covers a broad range of real estate issues, with an emphasis on complex development projects. He has experience in resort development, management, and operation, condominium hotels, hotel brand agreements, master-planned communities, and marketing and sales programs for residential projects.
Jacob R. Ross focuses on commercial real estate transactions, including the acquisition, financing, leasing, development and disposition of hotels and resorts, senior housing, shopping centers, industrial business centers and master-planned residential communities. He also represents owners of resorts and hotels and developers of mixed-use developments in the negotiation and drafting of design and construction contracts and management, consulting, vendor and service agreements.
Michael A. Smith handles all aspects of real estate transactions, including acquisition, sale, development and redevelopment. He has experience working with a wide range of real estate enterprises including industrial facilities, hotels, resorts, apartment buildings, vacant land and ranches. He has worked in all aspects of real estate finance, representing both borrowers and lenders.
Joining Husch Blackwell’s Business Litigation practice:
Jeffrey A. Chase is one of Colorado’s most prominent litigators. In 1997, he earned a national reputation when he served as lead trial counsel in obtaining a $125.5 million jury award for an international cable TV company. The verdict, the largest in Colorado history, was rendered after an 11-week trial and was affirmed by the United States Supreme Court. Chase’s practice focuses on general commercial litigation including securities, oil & gas, intellectual property, telecommunications, banking, media and legal malpractice.
Michael H. Berger practices in the areas of commercial litigation, appellate litigation, employment litigation, intellectual property litigation and legal ethics, including the representation of lawyers in disciplinary proceedings. He has successfully defended a $50 million misappropriation of trade secrets case, successfully prosecuted a Privacy Act claim on behalf of a state judge against the FBI, and handled numerous other high-profile matters.
Barbara A. Grandjean focuses on employment litigation, including extensive representation of employers and employees both inside and outside the courtroom. She frequently consults with employers spanning a wide variety of industries regarding workplace issues, employee hiring, employee discipline and terminations, reductions in force, executive employment issues, wage and hour matters, and employment handbooks, policies and training.
Elizabeth L. Harris focuses on complex commercial litigation and appeals. Early in her legal career, she worked in the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Colorado, first writing briefs, then as an Assistant Federal Public Defender, representing defendants in federal district court.
Lawrence G. Katz’ practice focuses on commercial litigation. He has handled a wide variety of disputes involving complex contracts, oil & gas, construction, real estate and employment. Katz has represented clients in state and federal court proceedings at both the trial and appellate level.
Andrew W. Myers' practice focuses on commercial litigation, including employment matters and defense of attorneys in grievance proceedings.
N. Reid Neureiter’s practice focuses on all aspects of high-stakes commercial litigation and trials, including complex litigation such as securities work and class actions. Neureiter practices both in the state and federal courts of Colorado, including appellate courts. Neureiter originally moved to Denver to work as court-appointed defense counsel in the federal death penalty trial of Terry Lynn Nichols, defendant in the Oklahoma City Bombing case.
Rebecca Payne focuses on business litigation. She provides litigation support, including researching complex legal issues, writing legal memoranda, drafting pleadings and interviewing witnesses.
Kathryn A. Reilly’s practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, real estate litigation and securities litigation. Reilly has represented clients on a variety of issues in state and federal court proceedings at both trial and appellate levels, as well as before federal agencies and in private arbitration.
Justin H. Weyerhaeuser focuses his practice on business litigation. He previously worked as a volunteer attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado.
Lawrence M. Zavadil is experienced in a wide range of commercial litigation, including non-compete/trade secrets, business torts, intellectual property, employment, construction, products liability, professional liability, creditor/debtor and securities. In addition to civil trial experience, Zavadil has had many court and jury trials as a prosecutor for the cities of Arvada and Lafayette, Colorado.
Joining Husch Blackwell’s Banking & Finance practice:
Mark F. Bell has extensive experience representing banks and other financial institutions, with an emphasis on bankruptcy, as well as financial restructuring outside of bankruptcy. Bell’s lending representation includes bankruptcy and lender-liability litigation, workout and loan structuring, regulatory and compliance matters, inter-creditor relationships and agreements, loan sales, enforcement litigation, UCC and other security interest analysis, and bank-operations matters.
Daniel L. Bray practices in banking, lending and finance. His experience includes structuring and documentation of construction, bridge, mezzanine and permanent financing; lender participations, inter-creditor and subordination agreements and promissory note sales; loan modifications, restructurings and forbearance agreements; and regulatory and depository issues.
About Husch Blackwell:
With nearly 100 attorneys firmwide, the Real Estate & Development attorneys at Husch Blackwell pursue an interdisciplinary approach to sophisticated real estate transactions, combining the firm’s wealth of experience and knowledge in areas such as finance, environmental law, construction and design, corporate entities, partnership and real estate taxation, public finance, municipal law and real estate dispute resolution to offer clients creative and flexible solutions to the variety of problems that arise in sophisticated real estate transactions.
With more than 300 Litigation attorneys, Husch Blackwell has won verdicts and negotiated settlements resulting in the recovery of hundreds of millions of dollars for clients. The firm has handled cases in virtually all areas of litigation, including business and commercial disputes, class actions, products liability, professional liability, consumer litigation and toxic tort defense.
Husch Blackwell's Banking & Finance practice focuses on the lending and regulatory activities of regional and national commercial lenders, retail banks, life insurance companies, CMBS conduit lenders, credit unions, savings associations and other financial institutions. Attorneys represent both commercial lenders and borrowers and understand the requirements and approaches of both secured and credit debt financing. The practice also focuses on regulatory compliance of financial institutions.