571 LOGAN STREET, DENVER, COLORADO 80203 | 303–292–1212 | www.LAWWEEKONLINE.com VOL. 08 | NO. 36 | $6 | SEPTEMBER 5, 2011

JEFF SHERMAN on a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter mission in northern Iraq.

A PIECE OF SHRAPNEL from a Katyusha rocket sits on the table in Faegre & Benson corporate partner Jeff Sherman’s office on the 31st floor of the Wells Fargo Center in downtown Denver. It’s a souvenir he picked up a few months ago at his last “office” — a windowless, air-conditioned shipping container in the desert in Diyala Province, Iraq. SHERMAN, 42, returned to Faegre & Benson last week after serving a 10-month deployment in Iraq as a U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate General, or JAG. His cli- ents were soldiers, and he did everything from advise commanders on the legality of military operations to helping enlisted men sort through divorces. Though the violence in Iraq has- sub sided since peaking several years ago, Di- yala Province was the most dangerous part of the country. FOB (Forward Operating Base) Warhorse, where Sherman was sta- tioned 40 miles northeast of Baghdad was rocketed about 15 times during his stay. The closest call — the attack that left shrap- nel strewn about his office — came near the end of his deployment. “We have a system we call ‘the big voice’ that uses both radar and sound systems to listen for incoming rockets,” Sherman said. When it detects rocket fire, a klaxon sounds and a voice intones, “incoming, incoming,” signaling all on the base to make immedi- ately for the reinforced concrete bunkers. “We were in our office and I heard something, but I wasn’t sure what it was,” he said. He and his JAG commander ini- tially thought it might be a test of the PA system. After a few moments, Sherman went to the backdoor of the shipping con- Jeff Sherman, 42, returned to Faegre & Benson last week after serving a 10-month deployment in Iraq as a U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate tainer and began to open it. General. | LAW WEEK PHOTO GABRIEL CHRISTUS “All of a sudden — bam! I felt hot air and really a lot of pressure in my right ear,” recently welcomed their first child. On the FOB “This will sound sappy, but it was a he said. An explosion threw Sherman back “Then 9/11 happened,” he said. Sherman took a 17-hour plane ride tremendous honor to serve these warriors into the office. The lead JAG told everyone The attack hit home for Sherman, who to Kuwait, traveled by C-130 cargo plane and commanders,” Sherman said. “These in the office to get under desks, but there started his career with a firm in the World from Kuwait to Iraq, then took a helicopter people are tremendous heroes. I was really were only three desks and four people, with Trade Center whose office space was de- to FOB Warhorse, a one-square-mile out- proud to be able to support them.” Sherman the odd man out. stroyed, though all employees were spared. post surrounded by wire fences and guard Another big part of his job was to ad- “Normally we’d have two or three rock- “Like a lot of people, I walked around towers. Security is provided by Ugandan vise commanders on rules of engagement ets at a time,” he said. “This time, over 15 in a funk for several weeks, feeling really guards working under private contract. and laws of war — a complicated subject, kept coming and kept coming. When there helpless,” he said. It was a little overwhelming to arrive in especially in contemporary Iraq. was a lull we ran to the bunker.” Teresa told him that if he still felt like 120-degree heat after exhausting travel, but For example, at nearby Camp Ashraf, They waited out the attack, then joining the JAG Corps, he had her blessing. the soldiers’ enthusiastic welcome made the Mujahideen-e Khalq, or MEK, has a emerged to inspect the damage. He didn’t know what to expect when he told him feel better. He worked with the brigade sizeable community that depends on U.S. “The rocket had landed about 10 meters the management committee at the firm that advocate general and the trial counsel. forces for protection. The MEK, which from our plywood door and put a whole he planned to enlist as a reserve JAG, but Sherman’s title was deputy brigade judge Sherman describes as an “Iranian matriar- bunch of shrapnel in the Conex container the partners encouraged his service. advocate and chief of client services; it was chal socialist Islamic cult,” left Iran in the where I do legal assistance,” Sherman said. Sherman was approved for the JAG a job that covered a wide spectrum. 1980s to fight for Saddam Hussein’s forces He noticed a large hole in the door ee- corps after a lengthy application process, Being assigned to client services — that against the Ayatollah. They have nowhere rily close to where his head had been. A car then went through a six-week officer’s basic is, helping soldiers deal with everyday per- to go now that Hussein’s gone. American and buildings near his office were directly training course, where he learned how to sonal legal issues — is about the least glam- soldiers protect the MEK against reprisals hit, but no one was hurt. Sherman tempo- march, salute, fire a rifle and navigate the orous work in the JAG corps, but it was the from Iraqis, but not because the group is a rarily lost hearing in his right ear, which woods — “basic soldiering skills.” That was aspect Sherman found “far and away the great ally — the U.S. government has desig- he has since regained, with occasional followed with a yearlong correspondence most fulfilling thing I did.” nated the MEK a terrorist group. tinnitus. course to learn military law. “The soldiers who came in to see me Sherman had to advise the Army on “I was very, very lucky,” Once he was a full-fledged JAG, he what it should do in possible scenarios: he said. “If we would have What do we do if they open fire on the run out when I first heard Iraqis? What do we do if the Iraqis open the alarm, we would have fire on them? been dead.” Sherman sometimes accompanied Sherman was stoic U.S. forces to Camp Ashraf. On those about the danger. occasions he would borrow an M4 as- “I didn’t get too sault rifle in addition to the M9 pistol stressed out about IDF, he had at all times. But there were other or indirect fire, because times he ventured “outside the wire,” it’s kind of like lightning: including trips to Iraqi If it’s your time, it’s your courts to teach judges and time,” he said. “They’re investigators how to ex- terrible at shooting them, so ploit electronic evidence. if it’s randomly going to hit you, that’s just served a weekend each month and two “In Iraq, judges are your day.” weeks a year with his unit. While the na- used to getting evidence tion was at war in Afghanistan and Iraq, in the form of direct Call to service Sherman did stints in Germany, Hawaii had really dangerous, important jobs,” he testimony,” Sherman said. “The problem It was a little more than a decade ago and Fort Carson. said. “They need to be focused on those is that in a lot of the terrorism cases, the that Jeff Sherman first considered becom- At the end of 2009, he was called up jobs, and if they’re distracted by legal issues evidence is on a computer or most often a ing an Army JAG. to Fort Hood, Texas, for three months. at home, it puts them in an unsafe position.” cell phone.” He didn’t take the traditional route His commander told him his number Sherman met with soldiers at any time, He also helped take censuses of Iraqi to JAG, as he was already in his early 30s was probably coming up for deployment. seven days a week, 24 hours a day to deal prisons to make sure inmates were moved with a thriving career as a corporate at- Rather than wait for a random assignment, with things like divorces, custody disputes through the system and didn’t languish in- torney with Faegre & Benson. But he was he volunteered for deployment. He most and consumer credit issues. Soldiers would definitely without trial. intrigued after discussing military service wanted to serve in Afghanistan, but there come to him when a spouse filed for -di Fiscal law and contract law were big with a secretary who was a sergeant in a was greater need for him in Iraq. He was vorce, or if they themselves wanted to file parts of his duties. Army commanders can JAG unit. He talked with his wife, Teresa, deployed in September last year to FOB for divorce. Others had houses that were dedicate U.S. resources to fund emergency about joining, but the timing didn’t seem Warhorse outside the town of Baqubah, in being foreclosed on. And of the more than and humanitarian aid projects, but only right: He had just made partner, which one of the most violent and least developed 1,000 clients he served in Iraq, several if they meet guidelines set by Congress. meant a lot of travel, and the couple had areas of the country. dozen sought his help drafting wills. Sherman had to authorize proposals. He Jeff Sherman accompanying the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq at Camp Ashraf in Jeff Sherman, left, and Chief Warrant Officer Whaley serve as air guards on a M1126 Stryker Diyala, Iraq. armored fighting vehicle on a convoy to Camp Ashraf in Diyala, Iraq. approved projects to build roads and teach with Sherman for 15 years and has become Spanish tinned seafood — a welcome transactions in his career,” Duran said. “To modern farming techniques, but had to good friends with him, helped take care of break from the school cafeteria-style food be 40 years old with young kids and to be nix a proposal to give a television station his firm clients while he was away. in the Army. in that position and put that on hold? It’s satellite uplink technology. In all, Sherman “We gladly stepped in and helped,” Troy Duran, vice president of corpo- comforting and humbling to have such an approved $60 million to aid Iraqis. Wright said. “I had a couple of relation- rate development at ALPS Fund Services, accomplished lawyer and such a selfless ships of Jeff’s that I sustained while he was has been a client of Sherman’s for six years person represent you.” Home front gone and worked with his clients.” and a friend for almost as long. Duran Sherman had his homecoming in Ju- The Internet age has allowed soldiers in Sherman still managed quite a bit of would send Sherman new music for his ly, complete with a heartwarming scene the field to communicate of his daughter rushing to his arms at with the home front as Denver International Airport. Their never before. Sherman first family event back in Denver was sent long monthly emails a trip to Proto’s Pizza. The firm wel- to friends, colleagues comed him back last week, and the and clients, and he also corporate partners had a big dinner talked on the phone with in his honor. those closest to him. “I’m definitely still going through He had “full and an adjustment period, but it’s been frank” discussions with unequivocally good to be back,” Sher- his wife about life in Iraq. man said. “I didn’t feel like I had to He returns to the practice of law hold back on my experi- with a new perspective. Leadership is ences with her,” he said. something lawyers some- “She took care of things times “dabble” in, but in at home so I could focus the Army it’s something on my mission overseas. If taken very seriously. He I was frustrated or lonely or nervous, she communication, with both colleagues hopes to use his new was a rock for me. I was so blessed to have and clients. Wright recalls Sherman dial- skills to train and mentor her support.” ing into a monthly conference call for the young lawyers. Midway through his tour in Iraq, corporate group, only to drop off abruptly. iPod and kept in touch via email. He did He also has new experience in critical Sherman was able to get two weeks leave He returned to the call 30 minutes later, his best to support Sherman’s family, even decision-making. to spend time with his family, including explaining matter-of-factly that he’d had to attending daughter Lucy’s figure skating “Being called out of bed at 3 a.m. and children Max, 12, and Lucy, 8. They met in seek shelter from a mortar attack. competition to cheer her on in her father’s told, ‘Hey, we have a guy who we think has Hawaii rather than home, in part to make “Jeff was very level-headed and did a absence. Duran said Sherman’s military IEDs aimed at our troops — can we shoot his return to Iraq less jarring for the kids. great job of communicating but not creat- service was humbling. him?’ Helping commanders make that kind Sherman’s network of supporters ex- ing alarm,” Wright said. “He was a partner at a pretty heavy-du- of life-and-death decision is something that tended beyond his family. Faegre & Benson The firm and clients sent him regular ty law firm that had done some serious cor- has really stuck with me,” Sherman said. • partner Doug Wright, who has worked care packages, including high-quality porate work and handled some high-end — Matt Masich, [email protected]