Denver firms are feeling pressure to raise starting salaries as national firms with Denver offices apply firmwide raises. Cooley Godward Kronish, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, Morrison & Foer ster and Hogan & Hartson are four such firms that have raised first-year pay to $160,000 in all U.S. offices. In comparison, the largest local firms such as Holme Roberts & Owen and Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck pay between $105,000 and $110,000; out-of-state firms pay around $120,000. In thousands of dollars in debt, many recent grads seek out high-paying jobs to pay off their loans; local firms know this, hence the pressure to bump up salaries and remain competitive. However, local Denver firms have certain perks such as fewer billable hours requirements and a faster track to partnership, that for some outweigh the astronomical salaries at national firms.
Source: www.denverpost.com

Hogan & Hartson’s Denver managing partner, Tom Strickland, is leaving to become the chief legal officer of UnitedHealth Group, Inc., one of the firm’s clients. At United, Strickland will address issues within the national healthcare debate such as the rising cost of healthcare and the senior’s market. Strickland was a former U.S. attorney, and a two-time Democratic candidate for the Senate. Cole Finegan will fill Strickland’s shoes at Hogan & Hartson’s Denver office. As a former Denver city attorney, Finegan re-organized the city attorney’s office of 100 attorneys, which saved the city more than $1 million.
Source: www.bizjournals.com

West coast firm Gordon & Rees has opened an office in Denver. Litigators and co-managing partners, Scott Cook and Miles Scully, will head the new office which will focus mostly on commercial litigation initially. Senior associate Amy Darby will join them in Denver; she deals with complex business disputes, class action matters, and general business litigation. The San Francisco-firm’s Colorado client based spurred the opening of a branch there. Gordon & Rees now has 14 offices nationwide.
Source: www.denver.bizjournals.com