560 CHEROKEE STREET, DENVER, CO 80204 | 303–292–1212 | WWW.LAW WEEK COLORADO.COM VOL. 18 | NO. 47 | $6 | NOVEMBER 23, 2020 PG12 BEST Law Firms 2 | LAW WEEK COLORADO INSIDE SCOOP LAW WEEK COLORADO 03/LEGAL LOWDOWN 04/EQUAL PAY UPDATE BIG DEALS Q3* AN AWARD-WINNING Colorado’s Equal Pay for Equal NOVEMBER 30 04/CORPORATE COUNSEL INSIGHT INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER Work Act will go into effect in January, and earlier this OWNER Circuit Media, LLC 05/BUSINESS OF LAW COLORADO 200* PUBLISHER Rebecca A. Askew, Esq. month, the Colorado Depart- DECEMBER 7 06/IN THE COMMUNITY ment of Labor and Employ- | EDITORIAL | ment adopted its final rules TRENDS FOR 2021 Tony Flesor, Managing Editor 08/IN THE COURTS for job posting requirements. Jessica Folker, Reporter features DECEMBER 14 contents 09/IN THE NEWS Hank Lacey, Reporter 05/LAWBANK EXPANDS Avery Martinez, Reporter MANAGING PARTNER /BEST LAW FIRMS Colorado-based LawBank up coming Jess Brovsky-Eaker, Assignment Editor 12 recently announced what it ROUNDTABLE 15/CORONAVIRUS UPDATE plans to be the first step in DECEMBER 21 | MARKETING | a national expansion. The *These features rely on information Nick Eckerman, Account Executive 16/AROUND THE NATION submitted through surveys. All current Lisa McKell, Account Executive attorney-focused coworking surveys are online at LawWeekColorado.com Jacob Hurley, Account Executive 18/COURT OPINIONS space is opening a Las Vegas space through partnerships | DESIGN STUDIO | 19/THIS WEEK IN HISTORY with law firms. from the editor Joe Horton, Art Director Shelby Lueckenotto, Senior Graphic Designer 20/ENDNOTES 10/GROSS RESERVATIONS The Best Law Firms marks Hannah Blatter, Multimedia Specialist Denver might be hitting a the end of months of attorney 21/CONTINUED... Zack Fifer, Graphic Designer speed bump in its pursuit of rankings. Over the course of the Karen Hill, Graphic Designer a Gross Reservoir expansion. summer, we cover Super Law- contact us While Denver Water says yers, Chambers USA and Best it needs the expansion to Lawyers. We recently published LAW WEEK COLORADO ERRORS our own Barrister’s Best issue, (USPS 024757, ISSN 1942–7964), founded 2002, Please call 303-292-1212 meet the growing thirst of its is published weekly. Periodicals are paid at to report a correction or clarification. growing population, Boulder which wraps up our readers’ re- Denver, Colo. Entire contents copyrighted. sponses to the question “Who NEWS RELEASES County Commissioners and SUBSCRIPTIONS Email: [email protected] environmental groups are Are Colorado’s Best?” In early $285/year. Single copies are December, we’ll provide our OFFICE weighing the impacts of the $6 plus $1 postage and handling. Colorado 200 list, which ranks Email [email protected] 560 Cherokee Street, Denver, CO 80204 project against the demand. Colorado’s law firms according POSTMASTER ADVERTISING to headcount. And by January, Ads are taken at 303–292–1212 Send address changes to: Law Week Colorado the major rankings will have or visit us at www.lawweekcolorado.com PO Box 9404, Denver, CO 80209 begun their work all over again. LETTERS & ARTICLES Law Week Colorado retains copyrights on ON THE COVER It all makes for a busy year. submitted material. Design by Joe Horton Email: [email protected] DUI? WE CAN HELP DUI DEFENSE Tiftickjian Law Firm P.C. Recognized as a DRUG 2021 OFFENSES Tier 1 Best Law Firm CRIMINAL (303) DUI-5280 | DUI5280.com DEFENSE 1315 S. Clayton St. Suite 100 Denver, CO 80246 Phone (303)-991-5896 Fax (303)-991-5897 NOVEMBER 23, 2020 | 3 LEGAL LOWDOWN Caplan & Earnest Expands With Family Law Group The firm has added five attorneys in creation of the new practice group STAFF REPORT Ehlert have joined the firm to support commercial and bankruptcy litigation. real estate, financing, mergers and acqui- LAW WEEK COLORADO the practice group. He represents public and private enti- sitions, general business and tax law. “For more than 50 years, Caplan ties in matters including avoidance ac- He is a member of the Colorado Bar Caplan & Earnest announced & Earnest has cultivated a reputa- tions, business torts and class actions Association Tax Law Section executive Wednesday that it has added five at- tion for having innovative attorneys among others. council and a financial advisor with the torneys and three paralegals through who bring a creative, problem-solv- Prior to joining Moye White, Akers J. Reuben Clark Law Society. the creation of a family law and divorce ing approach to client matters,” said worked as an associate in the litigation Schmidt received an LL.M. in taxa- practice group. Jim Branum, managing member. group of an AmLaw tion from the University of Florida Levin All five attorneys joined Caplan & “We’re excited to have these five ex- 200 firm. Akers also served as a College of Law and a law degree from Earnest from the Boulder/Vail firm Ste- perienced attorneys join our firm and communications officer in the United the University of South Dakota Knudson vens Littman Biddison Tharp & Wein- bring that level of innovation and at- States Air Force. School of Law. Schmidt also received a berg. Andrew Littman, who has 40 tention to our new family/divorce law Akers received a legal degree from bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young years of family law and divorce experi- practice. Their knowledge, experience the Notre Dame Law School. He also University and a master’s degree from ence in Boulder and Vail, leads the new and professionalism will greatly ben- received an MBA from Auburn Univer- Colorado State University. practice group. In addition to Littman, efit our clients throughout Colorado.” sity and his undergraduate degree in Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie the attorneys who have joined Caplan international studies from the Univer- announced Nov. 11 Tyler Owen has & Earnest are Chris Tomchuck, Rohn ASSOCIATE WATCH sity of Iowa. joined the firm’s Denver office as an as- Robbins, Craig Weinberg and Del- Moye White announced Patrick Coan Payton & Payne announced sociate in the litigation practice group. phine Farr. Akers has joined the firm as an associ- Tuesday that Christopher Schmidt has Owen’s practice focuses on general Additionally, paralegals Tia Ingle- ate in the trial section. joined the firm. Schmidt’s practice focuses field, Patricia Celich and Elizabeth Akers focuses primarily on complex on all areas of commercial and residential CONTINUED ON PAGE 21… 4 | LAW WEEK COLORADO CORPORATE COUNSEL INSIGHT Labor Department Finalizes Equal Pay Transparency Rules Final rules clarify points of confusion in draft rules, but a few questions remain JESSICA FOLKER graphic reach of the regulations. Jackson Lewis principal Laura Mitch- tual type position,” she said. LAW WEEK COLORADO In the final rules, CDLE largely ell said that while the division “definite- EPEWA requires all employees to be backed away from a controversial pro- ly made some progress and made some notified of promotional opportunities at The Colorado Department of Labor posal that would have required multi- improvements” when finalizing the rule, the same time, but attorneys had noted and Employment on Nov. 10 adopted fi- state employers with at least one Col- “there still is the notion that if employ- the proposed rules’ failure to define “pro- nal rules relating to job posting require- orado employee to post promotional ers have an employee in Colorado and motional opportunity.” The final version ments under the Equal Pay for Equal opportunities and compensation infor- they have a job that can be performed clarifies that a promotional opportunity Work Act that go into effect in January. mation for jobs to be performed outside anywhere in the country, they have to exists when an employer has or antici- EPEWA requires Colorado employ- of Colorado. include compensation and benefits in pates a vacancy in an existing or new po- ers to notify employees of promotion- The final version states that employ- that job posting.” sition that “could be considered a promo- al opportunities and to include salary ees outside of Colorado don’t need to be “There still is the affirmative duty tion” for one or more employees in terms and benefits information in job post- notified of promotional opportunities and the burden on the employers to add of compensation, benefits, status, duties ings. A draft version of the rules pub- and that employers don’t need to list that pay information for jobs that are or access to further advancement. lished in October left many employers salary and benefits information on post- outside of Colorado if… the company is The final rules also carve out three and attorneys confused and concerned ings for jobs to be performed entirely open to someone in Colorado perform- about the proposed scope and geo- outside of Colorado. ing that job because it is a remote or vir- CONTINUED ON PAGE 21… Despite popular belief, lawyers do have lives outside the o ce. OUTSIDE Colorado’s legal professionals can be found performing ballet on stage, building a 1,000-horsepower Mustang THE in a mechanic’s garage, or even skiing across the Antarctic. Law Week is on the lookout for more unique LAW stories happening, “Outside the Law.” Let us know of any attorneys with any interesting non-legal hobbies at [email protected] NOVEMBER 23, 2020 | 5 BUSINESS OF LAW LawBank Las Vegas: Colorado’s Legal Coworking Space Expands West Coworking space moves into Nevada, eyes national expansion AVERY MARTINEZ By sharing the office space, attorneys LAW WEEK COLORADO have access to others within the space and for co-counsel opportunities. The LawBank, a Denver-based coworking company currently has three locations space, has opened a new location in Las in the Denver area, according to the Vegas, with immediately available com- LawBank website. mercial space for solo practitioners and LawBank started its business model small law firms in downtown Las Vegas.