Willie Shepherd Email & Phone Number

Greater Denver Area

In my most recent role as chief legal counsel for this commercial construction management/engineering firm, I prepare and negotiate contracts/subcontracts, complex commercial transactions and manufacturing agreements across a variety of areas within the company. In addition, I am frequently invited to participate in strategic business discussions to drive business growth.♦Draft and edit complex commercial agreements; master service, vendor, strategic partnership, licensing and intellectual property. Devise joint venture agreements, negotiate and procure projects. ♦Prepare sub-contractor agreements, ensure alignment and compliance with main contracts for key projects at distinguished clients; Westin Hotel, Denver Center for Performing Arts Complex, Denver International Airport etc. ♦Generate change orders and proactively abate contract breaches. Assess damages and ensure adherence to payment/insurance provisions.♦Close out contract at project completion. Ensure contractual agreement was fulfilled and obtain final payment. ♦Work with business units to anticipate, identify and proactively mitigate future risks and plan strategic solutions.♦Defend and pursue claims/disputes; manage litigation and outside counsel.♦Consult with Human Resources on employment law and employee issues.♦Develop and implement company policy and procedures; compliance, ethics, and vendor set up. ♦Write and revise, stipulations, settlement agreements and corporate governance documents.

Greater Denver Area

Once again, I exercised my entrepreneurial aptitude to establish my own law practice with a focus on providing legal counsel and forming for profit and nonprofit corporations, LLC’s and LLP’s for clients. I was successful at growing this practice to six staff/contract lawyers.♦Advised on corporate governance, real estate, transaction negotiation, executive compensation, audit issues and ownership transfers. ♦Counseled banks and borrowers on construction and bridge loans, lines of credit, bond offerings and public financing.

Denver

I was a key player in this organization managing and advising senior management and organizational departments; Human Resources, sales channels (distributor, reseller, licensee distribution), governance/risk management/compliance department on legal matters, regulation and compliance adherence. ♦Partnered with CFO on M&A initiatives, managed and directed outside counsel.♦Negotiated, drafted and analyzed comprehensive contracts for joint ventures and SLAs, MSAs, SOWs, technology and IP licensing. ♦Led corporate governance and compliance, prepared resolutions, bylaws, articles, and materials for board meetings. ♦Mitigated intellectual property issues, enforced trademark and copyright registration.

Greater Denver Area

In this role, I was hired to provide legal counsel and strategic advice across multiple business units for contracts and SLAs. The company was unfortunately sold, and my position was eliminated.♦Reported to CEO and Board of Directors. ♦Selected and managed outside counsel and associated budgets. ♦Proactively mitigated legal threats, advised and educated the Board and management team on legal defense. ♦Selected to engage and manage external multi-national law firm on complex litigation for patent violation.

Greater Denver Area

I launched Shepherd, P.C. as a spin off practice from Kamlet Shepherd & Reichert, LLP when the firm dissolved. In this practice, I focused on land, environmental, energy and oil & gas development projects.♦Obtained regulatory approvals and permits from state/federal agencies and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, and NEPA. ♦Negotiated and drafted consent decrees, administrative orders of consent and negotiated compliance documents. ♦Represented clients on energy issues in transactional, litigation, regulatory, and administrative matters for public/private sectors. ♦Facilitated negotiations between state/federal regulators and electric entities to site and operate power plants; coal-fired gas plant, wind and solar demonstration projects with National Renewable Energy Laboratory. ♦Represented municipalities renegotiating complex and environmentally franchise agreements with investor-owned utilities. ♦Provided legal counsel on pending legislation and policy issues. ♦Coordinated meetings with federal agencies to align advanced materials research and development for funding. ♦Negotiated franchise right-of-way agreement with City & County of Denver.✶Partnered with government agencies to reinstate funding for $1M pilot project for remediation of radioactive waste.

Greater Denver Area

Served as the firm’s Chairman and Managing Partner from 2000-2009, during which time the firm grew to nearly 50 attorneys. Together with the firm’s Executive Committee had primary responsibility for the firm’s strategic initiatives as well as day-to-day operations.Practice focused on utilizing experience in the areas of environmental, natural resources, energy, regulatory & administrative, land use & zoning, water rights, and litigation matters. Obtained regulatory approvals from various state and federal agencies, including state departments of environmental quality and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Represented a variety of clients with regard to Superfund redevelopment and revitalization, zoning, annexation, variance. Direct involvement with numerous aspects of the energy industry including oil & gas, electric, and renewable energy with a particular proficiency regarding regulatory issues. Represented clients on energy issues in administrative, regulatory, transactional, and litigation matters in both the private sector and in government. Negotiated with state and federal regulators on behalf of electric entities seeking to site and operate power plants, including a coal-fired gas plant, a wind demonstration project, and a solar energy demonstration project with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Represented municipalities renegotiating complex and environmentally proactive franchise agreements with investor-owned utilities. Regularly counseled clients with regard to pending legislation and policy issues.

Greater Denver Area

Practice focused primarily on environmental regulatory compliance, permitting and administrative enforcement issues. Represented a variety of clients with regard to Superfund redevelopment and revitalization and zoning matters. Represented national clients regarding complex issues related to multi-media investigations conducted by the EPA in relation to a number of the underlying environmental statutes such as CERCLA, RCRA, CAA, and CWA. Also represented clients on matters related to issues surrounding NEPA, Endangered Species Act, Underground Storage Tanks, National Historic Preservation Act, and environmental litigation and Brownfields matters. Negotiated various administrative orders with a variety of state agencies including Colorado, California, Washington, North Carolina and other states throughout the United States.

Juris Doctorate (J.D.), Law

Activities and Societies: Moot Court Board, Administrative Justice

Bachelor Of Science (B.S.), Communications, General

Activities and Societies: Texas Wranglers