After working on Wall Street for several years, fourth-generation Colorado native Gil Selinger is grateful for the “Western ethos” of trust and respect that permeates the Colorado bar, he said.
A shareholder at Fairfield and Woods, Selinger prides himself on offering a full-service, independent experience even as the local market consolidates. He views independent midsize firms like his own as an “endangered species” filling a vital niche for clients who want full-service capabilities without navigating substantial institutional overhead.
“I’m accessible. My clients can get a hold of me,” Selinger said. “Also, there’s something relatable: We’re a Colorado business, too. There’s a real way that our clients relate to that and not a couple of names out of Manhattan you’ve seen in the newspaper.”
Selinger’s transactional caseload is focused on complex mergers and acquisitions and private securities offerings. He is passionate about guiding multigenerational family businesses through difficult transitions and maintains a niche representing restaurant and hospitality clients. As the borderless nature of e-commerce has introduced unexpected risk assessment challenges for Colorado companies, Selinger spends a significant amount of time helping clients traverse administrative red tape and anticipate assessment concerns.
Economic realities have impacted the types of issues landing on his desk. Many businesses are “trying to balance debt repayment with operating a business, particularly as pandemic-era federal loans come due,” he said.
Selinger leverages a global footprint for his local clients by serving as the chair of the quality assurance committee for Meritas, an international alliance of independent law firms. “I really like the ability to have a global reach for my Colorado clients without having the cost or the overhead of having to send them to another firm,” he said.
The global reach empowers him to develop his practice in his home state, too. “I appreciate the pace of life and the work-life balance that even the people that work the hardest still experience in Colorado.” He said, laughing, “Even if you’re the lawyer billing 2,400 hours a year, which I’m not, I still like to think that that person in Colorado versus that person in Manhattan is living a better life.”