DENVER, CO— Jan. 14, 2011—Baker & Hostetler LLP announced today the return of partner Rico Munn to its Denver office, effective February 1. Munn, who joined the firm in 1996, had been a successful corporate and commercial litigation attorney for more than a decade when he was asked to serve in various Cabinet positions for Governor Bill Ritter Jr. He will resume his practice at Baker Hostetler focusing on public law, commercial litigation and regulatory matters.
In 2007, Munn was appointed Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), which includes the Divisions of Insurance, Real Estate, Civil Rights, Securities, Banking, Public Utilities, Consumer Counsel, Professional Licensing and Financial Services. He was responsible for the management of approximately 600 employees and an $80 million budget. In 2009, Munn was appointed to another Cabinet position, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education. He has been responsible for the oversight of the state’s system of higher education, encompassing more than 400 institutions, 220,000 students and nine percent of the state’s total budget.
Munn holds a degree in Secondary Education and received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. He is a graduate of the Leadership Denver program and he has served on the boards of numerous community and legal organizations. He is a founding board member and co-chair of the Denver Urban Debate League.
In 2002, Munn was elected to represent Colorado’s First Congressional District on the State Board of Education, making him the first ethnic minority to be elected to that body. While serving on the board, he focused on closing Colorado’s academic achievement gap, addressing concurrent enrollment in high school and higher education, and improving readiness for post secondary education. Munn has been recognized as one of Denver’s “Forty Under 40” business and community leaders by the Denver Business Journal. In 2008, he was awarded a Marshall Memorial Fellowship, a program recognizing future leaders in trans-Atlantic relationships.
Since 2005, Munn also has been an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.
“It has been a great privilege to serve the people of this state for the last several years. Personally, I take pride in knowing how hard we worked to create and maintain opportunities for the people and businesses in Colorado. In addition my part in managing the state’s budget challenges has given me tremendous insight into clients’ needs to get efficient results,” stated Rico Munn. “Baker Hostetler has always been a place that values people who are committed to hard work and results, making it the perfect place for me to resume my legal career.”
“It is a tremendous pleasure to have Rico return to our firm,” said Ray Sutton, managing partner of the firm’s Denver office. “Rico’s stellar track record as a partner, a Cabinet member within Governor Ritter’s administration, and an active and engaged citizen will greatly benefit our firm, our clients and the Denver community.”
About Baker HostetlerFounded in 1916, Baker Hostetler is among the nation's 100 largest law firms with 700 attorneys coast to coast, delivering the highest quality legal counsel on the most complex and critical issues facing clients today. The firm has offices in Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Costa Mesa, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando and Washington, D.C. Its five primary practice groups are Business, Employment, Intellectual Property, Litigation and Tax. For more information, please visit www.bakerlaw.com.
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