Lawyer Profile

Gordon W. Netzorg

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Sherman & Howard L.L.C.

Website for Gordon W. Netzorg

633 Seventeenth Street, Suite 3000
Denver, CO 80202-3624
Phone: 303-297-2900

Listed in Best Lawyers since 1995.

Attorney Bio

Representative Matters

Trial practice focused on complex, multi-party commercial litigation, with an emphasis on partnership, limited liability company, and corporate disputes; officer and director liability, bond litigation, securities and fraud litigation; natural resources including oil and gas, mining disputes; lender liability, banking, and real estate litigation.

  • Typical cases involve issues as diverse as breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duties, corporate governance, business and investment fraud, real estate, debtor-lender disputes, intellectual property and natural resources.
  • Represents a range of clients from chief executives, board members, and multinational corporations, to individuals and small businesses, both plaintiffs and defendants.
  • Extensive familiarity with corporate, partnership, limited liability company and banking statutory requirements.
  • Has been involved with all aspects of special litigation committees, from court appointment as special litigation counsel to counsel for corporate entities in derivative litigation.
  • Successfully tried and obtained verdicts, judgments and arbitration awards in wide variety of complex commercial cases including 8-figure securities verdict, and judgment valued at 8-figures relating to real estate dispute with one of Colorado's largest ski resorts.
  • Represented First Interstate Bank in remaining state court claims against Central Bank. After the United States Supreme Court determined that there was no claim for aider and abettor liability under the 1934 Securities Act, First Interstate refiled its claims for aider and abettor liability under state law. Several months before trial, was hired as co-counsel to try the case. The case settled one week before trial, with customers of the bank receiving proceeds in excess of 100% of their investments.
  • Defended individuals and affiliated entities regarding large mountain real estate venture in connection with claims of breach of fiduciary duty, declaratory relief, interference with contract, interference with prospective relations, etc. The plaintiff asserted damages claims for $500,000,000. Judgment against plaintiff and in favor of our clients for $0.
  • Represented major Denver law firm in defense of multimillion dollar claims filed against it by its client when firm had to withdraw from representation of client during client's IPO. The law firm was exonerated after a three-day hearing.
  • Numerous other cases including shareholder and bondholder suits and class actions, representation of officers and directors in corporate investigations and lawsuits, representation of investors against brokerage firms, representation of various parties in disputed estate matters, oil and gas disputes, disputes among professionals, defense of Resolution Trust Corporation and FDIC litigations, service as court-appointed discovery and special master.
  • Regularly serves as arbitrator and mediator, as member of American Arbitration Association's complex commercial case arbitration and mediation panels.
  • Defense counsel to bank directors in administrative proceedings by FDIC relating to largest bank failure in Colorado history.

Practice Areas

  • Commercial Litigation (Banking, Business Disputes, Civil Litigation, Class Actions, Complex Litigation, Corporate Governance, Defrauded Investors, Energy, Fiduciary Duties, Fraud, Large Case Litigation, Natural Resources, Securities, Stockholders' Suits)
  • Litigation - Banking & Finance
  • Litigation - Real Estate
  • Litigation - Securities

Lawyer of the Year

  • Banking and Finance Law (2010, Denver)

Client Comments

  • I am one of the managers of a real estate investment company. Skip Netzorg has represented our company for over 10 years, including two major and complex "high stakes" pieces of litigation. Skip has always been diligent, thorough, and a zealous advocate. He has exercised superb judgment in how to handle complex and difficult issues. He brings to his representation a keen intellect, vast experience, intuitive understanding of human nature, and a true caring for the interests of his clients. As a result of these traits, Skip has obtained excellent results for us in court. There is no one who we would rather have in our corner in a piece of "bet-the-company" litigation.

    Jim Aronstein
    Manager
    Turkey Creek LLC

Education

  • University of Pennsylvania (BA) (1971)
  • Syracuse University College of Law (J.D.) (1976)

Organizations & Affiliations

  • Colorado Trial Lawyers Association — Past President; Past Chair, Commercial Law Section
  • American College of Trial Lawyers — Chair, Colorado State Committee

Awards

  • Best Lawyers' 2010 Denver Banking Lawyer of the Year
  • Best of the Bar Award for Securities Law
  • Law Week Colorado 2011 Lawyer of the Year

Clerkships

  • Colorado Supreme Court