Sherman & Howard

Sherman & Howard
Name	Sherman & Howard
Founded	1860
Headquarters	Denver, Colorado
Num attorneys	150
Practice areas	Corporate, Litigation, Real Estate, Energy, Banking, Insurance

Sherman & Howard is a Denver-based law firm with deep roots in Colorado legal and commercial life. The firm has participated in landmark matters touching on banking, mining, transportation, public utility, and energy development and has served clients ranging from regional enterprises to national corporations. Sherman & Howard attorneys have engaged with federal and state adjudicative bodies, leading corporate transactions, and complex litigation across the Rocky Mountain West and beyond.

History

Sherman & Howard traces its origins to mid-19th century legal practice during the Colorado Gold Rush era, intersecting with figures and institutions such as the Territory of Colorado, Denver Pacific Railway and Telegraph Company, Union Pacific Railroad, and the early banking houses that financed western expansion. Over successive generations the firm advised clients involved with the Homestead Acts, Transcontinental Railroad, and frontier mineral claims associated with the Comstock Lode and Colorado mining districts. In the 20th century partners appeared before tribunals including the United States Supreme Court, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, and state courts in matters implicating Interstate Commerce Commission regulation and the development of western water rights rooted in doctrines influenced by cases like Prior Appropriation Doctrine controversies. The firm expanded through strategic mergers and lateral additions, aligning with sectors such as Public Utilities Commission proceedings, oil and gas leasing tied to Rocky Mountain Oil and Gas development, and corporate finance associated with regional exchanges influenced by the evolution of the New York Stock Exchange and later securities regulation derived from the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Practice Areas

Sherman & Howard maintains practice groups addressing corporate matters involving mergers and acquisitions, commercial lending tied to institutions like Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and regional banking chains; energy and natural resources counseling for clients active in the Denver–Julesburg Basin, San Juan Basin, and interstate pipeline negotiations involving entities such as Kinder Morgan; environmental compliance and litigation intersecting with statutes and agencies like the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Environmental Protection Agency; real estate development and finance transactions involving municipal authorities including City and County of Denver and regional planning commissions; insurance defense and coverage counseling for carriers under oversight from regulators such as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners; intellectual property counseling for technology clients in competition with firms represented before the United States Patent and Trademark Office; and white-collar defense and regulatory investigations relating to enforcement by the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Notable Cases and Transactions

Sherman & Howard attorneys have represented parties in significant corporate acquisitions and financing rounds involving energy producers and utilities, advising on transactions that required filings under statutes enforceable by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and reviews by state utility commissions. The firm has litigated precedent-setting matters in state supreme courts such as the Colorado Supreme Court and federal venues including the District of Colorado and circuits like the Tenth Circuit. Matters have included mineral title disputes tied to historical claims similar to controversies surrounding the Anaconda Copper era, insurance coverage litigation echoing disputes involving carriers represented in landmark cases such as those arising from large-scale wildfires in the Western United States, and creditor rights proceedings related to commercial reorganizations reminiscent of filings under the United States Bankruptcy Code.

Offices and Locations

Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, the firm maintains additional offices serving clients across the Mountain West and nationwide markets. Satellite locations have facilitated representation in jurisdictions where resource development, transportation, and finance are concentrated, with matters often filed in courts and agencies in cities like Colorado Springs, Boulder, Fort Collins, Grand Junction, and regional hubs such as Salt Lake City, Phoenix, and Albuquerque depending on client needs and venue requirements.

Attorneys and Leadership

Leadership throughout the firm’s history has included partners and practicing attorneys who previously served in roles interfacing with institutions such as state executive branches, including appointments to state commissions, legislative service in bodies like the Colorado General Assembly, and judicial appointments to trial and appellate courts. Firm lawyers have been active in professional associations such as the American Bar Association, the Colorado Bar Association, and specialty sections of the American College of Trial Lawyers, and have been recognized by national directories that list distinguished litigators, transactional attorneys, and regulatory counselors with credentials often tied to clerkships at courts including the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and academic affiliations with institutions like the University of Colorado Law School and other regional law faculties.

Community Involvement and Pro Bono

The firm and its attorneys participate in civic and philanthropic initiatives engaging entities such as local bar foundations, university endowments, and nonprofit organizations addressing legal needs in areas served by statewide charities and community service groups. Pro bono engagements have included representation before administrative agencies, assistance with veterans’ benefits claims involving the Department of Veterans Affairs, and support for civil legal aid programs coordinated with providers such as state legal aid societies and national initiatives sponsored by professional networks including the American Bar Association.

Category:Law firms based in Colorado