New Office for a New Era

Following issuance of the stay at home order in March, Werge Law left the downtown office we had called home for the last four years and went 100% remote. Now that the quarantine is lifting, we are excited to announce that we have opened a new office! We are now located in the City Park West neighborhood of Central Denver, inside Steno at 1627 North Vine Street, Suite 200, Denver, CO 80206. We have taken over two offices on the second floor of this beautiful 1905 post-Victorian mansion.

Although moves can add a tinge of chaos and complexity, they can also give a fresh new drive to usual office life. We are enjoying being located in a vibrant and historical neighborhood, which also happens to be a short six-block walk from Tom’s home. It also brings with it a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of downtown, while remaining only a mile and a half from the Capitol and courts. And most importantly, it allows us a great new work environment to continue to fight for our clients.

While enjoying the new space, we are also adapting to our new times by limiting the number of us at the office on any given day, allowing those team members who prefer to work from home to do so as much as possible, continuing our adoption of the use of video conferencing and other remote communication technologies to stay in touch, and continuing to employ social distancing and mask wearing in the office.

Cheers to a new office for a new era for the Werge Law Team!

- photo cred: our fabulous law clerk Travis Miller!

Werge Law Is Moving Forward, Six Feet Apart

During these challenging times, Werge Law is up and running and moving forward for our clients. As demonstrated by the (pre-pandemic) photo above, we are keeping a safe distance, while still vigorously fighting for our clients. We completed a smooth transition to 100% remote operations before the stay at home order went into effect, and we have rolled out a robust video conferencing and electronic communication system which has allowed the entire team to remain in regular communication. We will soon also roll out a video conferencing option for our clients, to allow us to communicate as effectively as possible during this trying time and into the future. The courts remain open, electronic filing is ongoing, and judges are still issuing orders. And we are still hitting deadlines for our clients, pushing forward each matter as diligently as possible, and continuing to be retained by new clients who need legal help more than ever.

It has also been amazing to see our community begin to join together and rise above the crisis. We realize many of you are experiencing additional challenges due to this unprecedented event. If we can be of assistance, we want to hear from you. If we stick by each other and continue to care for our neighbors and communities, we will be able to start to grow and build from this experience. Please be safe and healthy.

- the Werge Law team: Tom, Dan, Shelby, Christina, Peggy, and Travis

photo: Casey Wigotow, Two One Photography

Werge Hires Rising Stars, Selected as Same for Sixth Consecutive Year

2020 has started strong for Werge Law. Tom Werge has been selected as a Colorado Super Lawyers Rising Star for the 6th consecutive year. And we have added some amazing “rising stars” to the Werge Law team: paralegal Christina Stoner, law clerk Travis Miller, and office manager Shelby Sims. Together with attorney Dan Williams and paralegal Peggy Quines, we are excited to grow the team and continue to expand our ability to serve our amazing clients.

Werge Law 2nd Annual Ski Day

The Werge Law crew headed out of the city for some quality team building and bonding in the mountains. Our 2nd annual ski day was a great way to end the work week and connect with new faces that have joined the team recently. We were all smiles while hitting the slopes at A-Basin, enjoying five inches of fresh powder, and some amazing weather. Joined by our friends from Sequoia Legal and Signal Law, we were able to track everybody down in time to have a great lunch together at the lodge. With refreshed minds and strengthened relationships, we are happy to get back to the great work of representing our wonderful clients.

Werge Law Obtains Dismissal and Award of Attorney Fees

Werge Law has prevailed in obtaining a complete dismissal of a negligence lawsuit brought against our small business client -- a drug testing facility. An ex-spouse, embroiled in a family law dispute, brought their child to be drug tested for potential exposure to marijuana. After the test results came back positive, the ex-spouse filed for sole custody. Subsequently, the plaintiff filed suit against the facility and laboratory, alleging negligence for a "false positive" -- based on the theory the plaintiff was feeding his child CBD-infused honey on his breakfast cereal.

Werge Law moved for dismissal, and obtained the same, on the basis that the client did not owe any legal duties to the plaintiff. And because the case was outright dismissed, Werge Law also successfully received an award of attorney fees for its client.

Small businesses face many challenges, and when those include contentious disputes and litigation, Werge Law is here to help our clients solve these difficult problems.

Werge Law Prevails in Successive Spurious Lien Actions

Sometimes overly aggressive parties file documents with the county clerk and recorder to either prevent real property from being sold or to transfer interests to themselves. But in 1997, the Colorado legislature passed a law to deal with just this type of situation. The Spurious Lien Statute provides an expedited procedure to remove invalid liens and documents. See C.R.S. sec. 38-35-201 et seq.

Werge Law represented a limited liability company that owns agricultural property in Southeastern Colorado. Following a dispute over a related cannabis business, a disgruntled former associate filed a certificate of authority and a quitclaim deed purporting to transfer the property to himself. Werge Law filed a spurious lien petition on behalf of its client, and following a hearing, obtained a decree nullifying the deed, and transferring title back to its client with an award of attorney fees. See Sunlife AG v. Peterson, No. 2019CV30000 (Colo. Dist. Crowley, Jan. 24, 2019).

Separately, Werge Law represented the owner of land and gold mining interests in and around Cripple Creek, Colorado. The client entered into an agreement to sell the land and to share in the proceeds with a debt collection company. However, when the client finally found a buyer, the debt collection company decided it wanted the property itself and filed a lis pendens to prevent the third-party sale. Werge Law filed a spurious lien petition on behalf of its client, and following an evidentiary hearing, the Court directed the debt collection company to release the lis pendens, and entered an award of attorney fees against it. See High Country Dreams v. New Falls Corporation, No. 2019CV30064 (Colo. Dist. Teller, Sep. 13, 2019).

Fraudsters beware: filing invalid documents impacting real property rights can result in serious consequences against you. And if you are dealing with a situation involving an allegedly improperly liened property, or any other matter involving disputes between small businesses or individuals, Werge Law is here to assist.

Werge Receives AV Rating from Martindale-Hubbell

Werge Law attorney Tom Werge has been awarded the AV Preeminent Rating from Matindale-Hubbell, given for the highest level of professional excellence and legal ethics for attorneys. Martindale-Hubbell’s ratings take into consideration attorney-peer reviews to develop a comprehensive rating of an attorney. Reviews are submitted anonymously when individuals are asked to rate attorney based off of a new of categories including communication ability, responsiveness, quality of service and value for money. These ratings are intended to allow clients to asses attorneys with honest reviews received by attorneys and clients. Tom is honored to be A/V peer rated, and looks forward to continuing to provide the clients of Werge Law with outstanding legal services.

Cheers to Four Years!

The Werge Law team recently got together outside of the office for an end-of-the-summer barbecue. We celebrated a successful season with summer associate Bri Champ, who is now returning to CU Law to finish her final year of law school. And this time of year also marks the fourth anniversary of the date Tom Werge started his independent legal practice, after leaving Denver’s largest litigation-only firm. We are proud to continue our practice, focused on representing small businesses and individuals, especially in navigating disputes and litigation-related matters. We look forward to continuing to help our clients achieve their goals for years to come.