Welborn Sullivan Meck & Tooley, P.C.

Welborn is pleased to announce that attorneys Sam Bacon, Edward Blieszner, and Matt Nadel recently secured dismissal of all claims in a real estate dispute in federal court in Northern California. Plaintiffs sued more than a dozen contractors, developers, investors, and affiliates alleging negligence and construction defects related to a luxury home. Representing one of the developer investors, the Welborn team argued ripeness, statute of limitations, and statute of repose defenses by motion to dismiss. The Court granted the motion, making the Welborn client the only defendant to be dismissed on substantive grounds. “We are thrilled to win dismissal at this early stage of the case, saving our client considerable time and money by preempting discovery,” said lead counsel Sam Bacon. Other defendants are now following Welborn’s lead with similar defenses. See Bohannon v. McDonald et al., Case No. 3:22-cv-04422-RFL (United States District Court, Northern District of California). Well done, Welborn team!

Welborn had a blast at our attorney retreat in Vail last week! The retreat gave our attorneys time to bond and learn from one another about how to better serve our clients. On Friday, we held our inaugural Welborn Olympics. Naturally, the passion and competitiveness our attorneys exhibit in their work each day extended to their quest to take home the Tooley Cup. Team Giraffe 🦒 (Mike Fredregill, Amelia Marsh, and Allison MacKinnon) emerged victorious after an impressive egg toss to edge out Team Troll 🧌 (Kayla Albertson, Andrew Comer, Amy Seneshen, and Brian Tooley). Congrats to Team Giraffe!

Congratulations to the Welborn team of Sam Bacon, David Hrovat, and Joe Pierzchala, who recently won a summary judgment rejecting claims of more than $40 million. The plaintiff sued attempting to retroactively add assets to a transaction, alleging claims of quiet title, breach of contract, tortious interference with contract, civil conspiracy, unjust enrichment, and constructive fraud. The Welborn team defended the case from the regulatory stage though complex discovery to pre-trial motions in trial court. Just before trial, the Court entered summary judgment in favor of Defendants on the plain-language theory developed and argued by Welborn. Asked about the result, Sam Bacon observed that “isolating the legal arguments from the factual disputes was critical to securing this victory that avoided the expense of trial. Having skilled specialists like Joe and David, who really understand the nuances of the subject matter, allowed us to craft an understandable theory of the case tailored to the circumstances here.” David Hrovat, who took the lead through discovery, added “we recognized from the beginning the strengths and weaknesses of the case, which helped us develop a clear theme and consistent framing that facilitated everything from document requests to witness preparation. Though we were excited and ready to try the case if needed, we couldn’t be happier about this great result in motions practice.”

The weather was ideal for last week's 2024 Annual Denver Petroleum Club Golf Tournament! Welborn was proud to sponsor the event, and our attorneys Scott Turner, Amy Seneshen Allison MacKinnon and Joe Pierzchala enjoyed a fantastic day for a great cause.

Two Welborn attorneys’ work featured in recent publications In the Summer 2024 edition of the American Bar Association's Natural Resources & Environment, Danielle DiMauro authored the article "Renewable Energy on Federal Public Lands – BLM Initiatives and the Value of Regional Planning."   In the August 2024 edition of the Wyoming State Bar’s Wyoming Lawyer magazine, Kayla Albertson authored "What I Wish I Learned in Law School: Struggles and Insights." Read both at https://lnkd.in/gSJMhhBi

We are thrilled to announce the newest additions to our Denver office: Andrew Comer, a seasoned corporate and transactional attorney, and Kaitlyn Dehmer, a talented corporate associate. Joining them is Miranda Hunter, a highly experienced paralegal whose expertise is a tremendous asset to the team. Together, they will further strengthen our corporate team. Welcome aboard, Andrew, Kaitlyn and Miranda!

24 Welborn attorneys were selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2025 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, the legal profession’s most respected peer-review publication for more than four decades. Recognition by Best Lawyers is rooted in a rigorous, peer-to-peer, industry-driven evaluation and is widely regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor, conferred on a lawyer by their peers. This year’s rankings include 20 Welborn attorneys as The Best Lawyers in America® and 4 Welborn attorneys as Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America™.   The Best Lawyers in America® honorees:   Casper, WY: Hampton O’Neill – Personal Injury Litigation (Defendants) Jennifer McDowell – Corporate Law, Oil & Gas Law, Real Estate Law John Masterson – Appellate Practice, Energy Law, Litigation (Real Estate), Natural Resources Law Ken Barbe – Corporate Law, Litigation (Mergers and Acquisitions), Mergers and Acquisitions Law   Denver, CO: Edward Blieszner – Construction Law, Litigation (Construction), Litigation (Municipal) Carolyn Burr – Water Law, Natural Resources Law Andrew Comer – Corporate Law Kendor Jones – Oil and Gas Law Mike Fredregill – Real Estate Law Allison MacKinnon - Oil and Gas Law, Energy Law Jim Noble – Water Law Joe Pierzchala – Energy Regulatory Law, Oil and Gas Law Kelly Reiman – Corporate Law, Tax Law Julie Rosen – Energy Law, Environmental Law Jim Sanderson – Energy Law, Environmental Law, Natural Resources Law, Utilities Law, Water Law Amy Seneshen – Energy Law, Natural Resources Law, Oil and Gas Law Eric Snyder – Real Estate Law Brian Tooley – Commercial Litigation, Natural Resources Law Keith Tooley – Commercial Litigation, Natural Resources Law Rebecca W. Watson – Energy Law, Natural Resources Law   Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America™: Kaitlyn Dehmer – Corporate Law Mallory Hasbrook – Oil and Gas Law, Elder Law, Trusts & Estates Marissa Kazemi - Banking and Finance Law Kathleen Pritchard - Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Environmental, Natural Resources Law Learn more at https://lnkd.in/eMfRV2U6 #bestlawyers #award #onestowatch #toplawyers #Colorado #Wyoming #attorneys #law

Congratulations to 3 of Welborn’s Wyoming attorneys for being selected by their peers for inclusion in the Mountain States Super Lawyers 2024 edition: - Ken Barbe - Mergers & Acquisitions - Jennifer McDowell - Mergers and Acquisitions - John Masterson - Civil Litigation: Defense

Welborn had two teams run in the Denver Colfax Marathon Relay last month: Team “Move to Strike” and Team “Learned Foot.” Team Move to Strike, led by Anthony Roeber, took second place in the legal division. As a result, the organization made a $1,250 donation to charity on our firm’s behalf. We chose Water For People, a Colorado-based global nonprofit organization that works to provide communities with access to clean water in Latin America, Asia, and Africa.

The 2024 edition of Chambers and Partners USA ranked Welborn Sullivan Meck & Tooley, P.C. as a top firm in Colorado in both the Energy & Natural Resources and Environment practice areas, while our Wyoming office was recognized as a top firm in Corporate/M&A and Real Estate. In addition, congratulations to Welborn’s attorneys who earned individual rankings: Keith Tooley - Energy & Natural Resources (Colorado) Amy Seneshen - Energy & Natural Resources (Colorado) James Sanderson – Environment (Colorado) Julie Rosen – Environment (Colorado) Ken Barbe - Corporate/M&A and Real Estate (Wyoming) Jennifer McDowell - Corporate/M&A (Wyoming) John Masterson - Litigation: General Commercial (Wyoming)