Spencer Kontnik

Ryan Lessmann is the office managing principal of the Denver, Colorado, and Salt Lake City, Utah offices and is a client solutions leader of Jackson Lewis P.C. He practices primarily in the area of employment litigation, including representing employers against claims alleging discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful termination, matters involving trade secret protection, restrictive covenants and unfair competition, and various contract issues. Ryan also counsels and defends employers in wa...

Elisabeth A. Cortese is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Real Estate Law. Elisabeth A., who practices law in Denver, Colorado, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Elisabeth A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Ms. Caton practices in the areas of trusts and estates, including estate planning, estate and trust litigation, probate, elder law, disability planning, public benefits planning, and protective proceedings. She works with individuals and families in Englewood, Colorado and throughout the surrounding communities to address legal needs related to long-term planning, administration, and dispute resolution. Ms. Caton began her legal career as an assistant district attorney, where she prosecuted n...

Melissa was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1968. She attended Colorado State University (graduating in 1990 with a B.A. in Political Science) and obtained her law degree from the University of Denver in 1994, where she served as an Editor on the Denver Journal of International Law and was a recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award in Estate and Gift Taxation. Melissa studied overseas and attended the University of London while serving as an intern in the House of Commons in London, England i...

Monica L.C. Lester is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Insurance Law. Monica L.C., who practices law in Denver, Colorado, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Monica L.C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Terry Freeman is a Shareholder and a member of the Firm’s Commercial Finance practice group and practices in Denver and Dallas. Mr. Freeman represents banks and other financial services clients in connection with commercial and corporate lending transactions and related activities. Mr. Freeman has over 40 years of experience in structuring, documenting, servicing, and workout of commercial and corporate finance transactions. During his almost 30 years of providing legal counsel to finan...

Mr. Timmins has over 25 years of experience representing clients in connection with a wide variety of real estate transactions and land use matters. His experience includes representation of developers in all phases of the development process, from land acquisition through annexation, zoning, development agreements, subdivision, preparation of CCR's, marketing, construction, and sales in connection with projects ranging in size from large master planned communities to individual residential a...

Elizabeth practices exclusively in family law, having served hundreds of clients during her tenure with their divorces, parenting, and child support cases. Elizabeth’s family law practice has focused on asset and business valuation, income valuation, complex divorce, parental responsibilities, child relocation, and child support matters, among others. Elizabeth speaks both Spanish and Italian and uses these skills to assist non-native speakers in navigating through domestic matters. Eli...

K.C. Harpring is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. K.C., who practices law in Denver, Colorado, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which K.C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Karen Chapman is a Member in Sherman & Howard’s Corporate and Business Department. She is a highly respected specialist in mergers and acquisitions and corporate financings, leading teams that close sophisticated transactions valued in the hundreds of millions and billions of dollars. Karen plays a preeminent role representing airlines in jet fuel storage and distribution system leasing, contract and financing matters at major airports throughout the United States. Karen’s pra...