In Memory of Tony van Westrum

By J. William Callison, Faegre Baker Daniels LLP

Always to shine,
to shine everywhere,
to the very deeps of the last days,
to shine –
and to hell with everything else!
That is my motto –
and the sun’s!
            – Vladimir Mayakovski

It is exceedingly difficult to write a memorial for a friend who died, suddenly by a fall into the deep, and while he still did shine, everywhere, as the sun.

Tony van Westrum was a kind, thoughtful and generous man, who also happened to have an engineer’s mind and was as smart as a whip. He was humble, and would have disagreed with his many friends who have memorialized him by saying he was always the smartest person in the room. As people who spent many hours in a room with Tony, working through complex legislative drafting problems, then retreating to the late, great Shelby’s for conversations on books, politics, law, religion and its absence, friends and family, we disagree with Tony’s self-assessment – he certainly was a brilliant man.

But when we think of Tony, we think of generosity of spirit and grace, and of the pleasure he took in contributing to the happiness of others. One of Bill’s prized possessions is a thin book, “The Wit of Oscar Wilde,” which was the only gift Tony brought back with him from Ireland. Tony’s pleasure in the giving and in his inscription to Bill were the best things a friend could possibly receive. Tony’s spirit is magnified by his giftedness and his giving of enormous gifts of himself to his friends. He is, and will always be, missed. To us, Tony shines as brightly as the sun, to his last days and beyond, and to hell with everything else!

Venture Law Summit Registration is Open

Friday, March 29 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Venture Law Society at the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law is hosting the second annual Venture Law Summit, being held on Friday, March 29, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. This year, the Summit will include panels and lectures on venture capital, intellectual property, marijuana ventures, ethics in representing the startup client, and opportunity zones. Registration is free for students, $25 for community members and attorneys not seeking CLE credit, and $50 for attorneys seeking CLE credit. For access to more information, the schedule, and registration, please click here. If you have any questions, email the Venture Law Society President, Becky Stifter, at [email protected].

Bankruptcy Subsection CLE Programs

First Quarter Denver Brown Bag Lunch at the Bankruptcy Court — Wednesday, March 6, 12:00 p.m.
Leo Weiss (former trial attorney, U.S. Trustee’s office), Zach Sanderson (Markus Williams & Young LLC) and Jason Greene (Loomis & Greene) will be presenting on recent Supreme Court and Circuit Court cases impacting bankruptcy local practitioners. 1.0 CLE credit is available. No advance registration is required. This brown bag event will be held at the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Colorado, Room 183, 721 19th Street, Denver CO 80202. There is no cost for this program.

Spring Case Law Update at the CBA’s New Headquarters — Thursday, April 25, 4:00 p.m.
Please join the Honorable Michael E. Romero, Lacy Bryan of Wadsworth Warner Conrardy, P.C., and Andrew J. Roth-Moore of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP, for the Bankruptcy Subsection’s annual Spring case law update. The speakers will present on recent bankruptcy cases from within the District of Colorado and Tenth Circuit. 2.0 CLE credits will be earned for attending this seminar and registration is required at cle.cobar.org. This event will be held at the new CBA headquarters at 1290 Broadway, Suite 1700, Denver CO 80203.

Bankruptcy Subsection Co-Chairs
Matthew Faga (Markus Williams & Young LLC) and Timothy Swanson (Moye White LLP) are the current co-chairs of the Bankruptcy Subsection. If you have ideas, suggestions or comments for future subsection events or CLEs, please contact Matt at [email protected] and Tim at [email protected].

CBA-CLE Upcoming Programs

Fundamentals of Public Company M&A on March 5 from 8 to 9 a.m.
Co-sponsored by the CBA M&A and Securities Subsections – Topics include pre-transaction, transaction and post-transaction matters, including a discussion of fiduciary duties during the different transaction phases as well as deal protections and fiduciary “outs”. Register now!

CLE Program on Colorado’s New Rule 1.5(h) Flat Fees on March 11 from Noon to 1 p.m.
Amended Colorado Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5(h) took effect on January 31, 2019. Register today and stay updated on the changes. Register now!

Pivotal Legal Issues for Small Businesses on March 15 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Co-sponsored by the CBA Business Law Section – Attend this program if you are a practitioner with clients who want to start or sell a business, protect their businesses’ intellectual property, do business worldwide, or raise capital for a startup. Register now!

Bankruptcy Case Law Spring Update on April 25 from 4 to 6 p.m.
Co-sponsored by the CBA Bankruptcy Subsection – This CLE program will be presented by the Hon. Michael E. Romero, Lacey S. Bryan, Esq. and Andrew J. Roth-Moore, Esq. Learn about recent court decisions, rule changes and more. Register now!

Save the Date for the 2019 Business Law Institute – September 12–13 at the Ritz-Carlton, Denver

Contributions for future newsletters are welcome.
Contact Ed Naylor at [email protected], 303-292-2900.
This newsletter is for information only and does not provide legal advice.