Court Vacancies
The 9th Judicial District Nominating Commission will meet at the Pitkin County Courthouse on Aug. 31, 2021, to interview and select nominees for appointment by the governor to the office of county judge for Pitkin County. The vacancy will be created by the retirement of the Judge Erin Fernandez-Ely. The vacancy will occur on Oct. 31, 2021.
The 2nd Judicial District Nominating Commission will meet at the Denver City and County Building to interview and select nominees for appointment by the governor to the office of district judge for the 2nd Judicial District. The vacancy will be created by the retirement of the Judge Lisa Teesch-Maguire. The vacancy will occur on Oct. 15, 2021.
Law Firm Updates
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck announced shareholders Angela Otto and Gino Maurelli as the new members of the firm’s Executive Committee. They join the firm’s current EC members: Adam Agron, Rich Benenson, Marc Lampkin, Elizabeth Paulsen and Scott Slater. The EC, including Benenson, the firm’s managing partner, guides Brownstein’s strategic direction. Otto and Maurelli replace shareholders Rob Kaufmann and Ellen Schulhofer, who transitioned off the EC after completing their terms.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Angela and Gino to the Executive Committee and know that the firm, our clients and our communities will benefit from their leadership and vision,” said Benenson. “Both Angela and Gino are active leaders within the firm, and their strategic guidance will continue to help shape Brownstein for years to come.”
Moye White LLP announced Garrett Graff joined the firm as a partner on the Cannabis and Hemp Team.
At the firm, Graff will focus on advising clients on corporate and regulatory legal needs, specializing in regulated markets such as cannabis and hemp, food and beverage and alcohol. He represents companies on matters involving corporation formation and governance; operational agreements; debt/equity financing and mergers and acquisitions; and a wide breadth of regulatory counsel including licensure, successfully obtaining licenses in numerous states in both competitive and noncompetitive licensure processes.
In addition, Graff represents hemp and natural product companies across the country on a variety of matters, including imports and exports, cultivation, processing and manufacturing and distribution, as well as navigating legislative and regulatory frameworks such as FDA and FTC regulation, inclusive of labeling and marketing compliance. He also serves on the board of the Colorado Hemp Association.
Prior to joining Moye White, Graff served as the managing partner at a cannabis-focused law firm in Denver. There, he advised companies on corporate and regulatory needs, consistent with the regulatory scheme, in drafting governing documents; corporate formation and structuring; operational agreements; financings and M&A. As managing partner, he oversaw and managed more than 50 attorneys and staff in coordination with the executive team, including practice and personnel management.
Spencer Fane LLP announced the continued growth of its insurance team, including the recent additions of Kurt Rozelsky, Dean Neuwirth, Nate Barker, Mike Kaufmann and Valentine Uduebor.
As a part of a team of 17 attorneys added in 2021, the group reinforces the firm’s commitment to making a full range of legal services available to insurance clients throughout its growing footprint while also deepening its capabilities in the Rocky Mountain West, the Midwest and the Southeast.
The attorneys join the firm with a concentrated focus on providing clients litigation defense in the areas of insurance bad faith, commercial and class actions. The group regularly represents national insurance carriers in high-stakes litigation. Attorneys in the group actively participate in a variety of prestigious national organizations relevant to their defense work, including The Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, the American College of Coverage Counsel and the American Law Institute. The senior member, Terence Ridley, currently serves as Chair of the Colorado Bar Association’s Committee on Insurance.
“We are proud to continue to grow this talented team of diverse attorneys as we focus on providing our insurance clients with exceptional service. It is important that we have the bench strength to manage complex litigation both effectively and efficiently, and we’re excited to have a team that enthusiastically embraces that mission,” said Ridley. “We will continue to assess our clients’ goals so that Spencer Fane can grow in a direction that matches their needs, as well as bring in attorneys who share our culture of collaboration and excellence.”