CHICAGO – Gould & Ratner LLP announced today it has officially opened an office in Denver, Colorado, providing a foundation for the firm to serve a wide variety of local clients, as well as those spread across the Rocky Mountain region.
The new office includes Corporate partners Chris McCall and Garrett Graff, who joined Gould & Ratner after practicing at a Denver-based regional full-service law firm. Gould & Ratner’s Corporate Practice Chair Rob Chidester, who is licensed in Colorado, will also be using the office as a home-away-from-home when he is serving local clients.
“This is a terrific opportunity to expand our presence in a region where we already have had a longtime connection to representing our clients’ interests in the areas of corporate transactions, real estate, hospitality, manufacturing, litigation, employment, technology, construction, alternative energy, and family office and private investment fund work, among others,” said Jessica Lingertat, one of Gould & Ratner’s Managing Partners. “Opening this office gives us a home base for our new Denver partners and their work, as well as a platform for the entire firm to build on and grow its ever-expanding client base.”
Gould & Ratner’s Denver office in the LoDo neighborhood is its first location outside Chicago, where the firm began in the 1930s. The firm’s connections to the Denver area and the greater Rocky Mountain region have grown over the years and include representation of a variety of well-known and emerging clients such as Aspen Skiing Company, Laws Whiskey House, Float Health, Golden Aluminum, Zentana Conference Resorts, and Gillig, including its Colorado Technology Center in Loveland.
“Our growth plans for Denver and the region are strategically based on our clients’ needs,” said Lingertat, adding that Gould & Ratner has already seen significant interest from lawyers at other firms.
“We are attracting lawyers interested in a smaller but scalable platform that offers an opportunity to serve both great institutional clients as well as a wide range of entrepreneurial and emerging growth companies in industries uniquely situated for success in Denver and the region,” she said. “We are thrilled to have Garrett and Chris in Denver.”
Brief bios of Gould & Ratner’s Denver-based partners follow:
Garrett Graff – Garrett joined Gould & Ratner in April 2024 and advises a wide range of clients, from start-ups to established private middle-market companies, and from family offices to publicly traded companies, on a wide variety of corporate matters, with an emphasis on regulated industries. His counsel includes corporate formation and structuring, equity and debt financings, mergers and acquisitions, raising capital, securities, real estate and other complex commercial contracting issues, along with expertise in navigating complex regulatory environments on a federal, state and local level.
Garrett often serves as outside general counsel to clients, further advising on matters relating to corporate governance, fiduciary duties, employment law and other general corporate matters. For clients in regulated industries, Garrett often represents clients from the outset in navigating complex regulatory environments, beginning with the application process in securing appropriate licensure, in both competitive and non-competitive jurisdictions; in ongoing regulatory compliance; and in defending administrative actions concerning alleged non-compliance. Further, he frequently works with federal, state and local authorities on policy and enforcement matters.
Chris McCall – Chris, who joined Gould & Ratner in mid-2023, advises and represents entrepreneurs, start-ups, emerging growth and established private companies, venture capital funds and family offices on equity and debt financings, capital raises and securities issuances, mergers and acquisitions, entity selection and formation, complex commercial contracting, intellectual property matters, employment agreements, compliance and nuanced regulatory matters.
His clients include technology, health care, software, investment, manufacturing, cannabis, alcohol and beverage, consumer packaged goods and real estate companies. In his role as a fractional or outsourced general counsel, he helps companies, boards and executive leadership teams design and implement thoughtful and practical plans to address significant legal issues in a manner that facilitates, rather than impedes, strategic growth, capital raising, partnerships and joint ventures, and liquidity events.
About Gould & Ratner LLP
Clients come to Gould & Ratner expecting sophisticated legal and business skills, as well as personal advice and counsel. They stay with us because we provide that sophistication along with exemplary client service, giving them both practical and innovative solutions for all of their legal needs, whether simple or complex.
Our broad and diverse client base includes publicly and privately held companies, entrepreneurs, wealthy families and individuals, businesses and executives, sports and entertainment personalities, charitable organizations, professional service organizations, and more. These clients span a wide spectrum of industries: manufacturing and distribution, telecommunications, media and technology, financial institutions, gaming, hospitality, construction, and real estate and development.
By thoroughly understanding our clients’ businesses and industries, Gould & Ratner legal counselors can render better practical solutions and advice. We develop personal relationships with our clients, keeping abreast of how the current market is affecting them and their businesses to meet or exceed their goals and expectations. They come to us as clients but stay as friends.
