Werge Law Group Helps Client Defeat 20-Year-Old Judgment

Werge Law Group is excited to announce a big win for our client. In a business deal-gone-bad, our client ended up not responding to a complaint and having a $50,000 judgment entered against him and his business way back in 2002.

Twenty years later, and after the creditor sold its judgment to an individual doing collections work (who later became a lawyer in 2017), the accruing interest caused the judgment to balloon to more than $200,000. However, the judgment was set to expire in April of 2022 due to the 20-year statute of limitations. 

Pursuant to Rule 54(h), a judgment can be revived for an additional 20-year period, so long as the proper steps are taken, including again serving the defendant with a copy of a court order and giving the defendant an opportunity to respond before the expiration of the 20-year period.  

The Plaintiff timely moved for revival of the judgment in February, but then claimed to have only served our client on April 1, 2022. Under Rule 54(h), our client had 14-days to respond, through April 15, 2022. But before the end of the day on April 15, 2022, the Court entered an order reviving the judgment for an additional 20-year period – all the way through 2042. This was a devastating development for our client.

It was around this time that Werge Law Group was retained as counsel. After reviewing the case, we identified that the original judgment order was signed on April 17, 2002, but entered nunc pro tunc (Latin for “as if it had been” entered) to April 12, 2002. We quickly filed a motion for reconsideration of the revival order, identifying that the judgment was void because the plaintiff did not serve our client sufficiently in advance. In what we believe to be a matter of first impression, the Court agreed, citing to Robbins v. A.B. Goldberg, 185 P.3d 794, (Colo. 2008), and finding the responsibility for the delay “lays at the feet of Plaintiff.” Accordingly, the Court reversed its prior decision and vacated the judgment in its entirety. 

We were pleased to obtain such a great result for our client – after twenty years, no longer having to live under the threat of enforcement. If you have a commercial judgment in need of enforcement, or if a judgment has been entered against you related to a business obligation, Werge Law Group would be happy to speak with you about potential representation.

O’Kelly v. Riggs, Case No. 2001CV000080 (Dist. Colo. JeffCo. June 2, 2022, Lochary, J.).

Tom Werge Selected for Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America

Werge Law Group is pleased to announce that Tom Werge was selected for inclusion in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.

Best Lawyers, a U.S. News and World Report affiliate, is “the oldest and most respected peer review publication in the legal profession.” Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch acknowledges outstanding attorneys in the earlier stages of their careers for outstanding professional excellence in private practice. Recognition is based on peer review and employs a five-step methodology to vet all candidates. This is the second consecutive year Tom has been selected. 

At Werge Law Group, we are honored to continue to have our team members recognized for their hard work in support of our wonderful clients. Congratulations, Tom!

Werge Law Group Team Member Spotlights - Sarah Groven

Werge Law Group is excited to announce that Sarah Groven is joining our team as our new Office Manager. Sarah brings many years of administrative and IT experience. Sarah has already impressed us with her amazing hard work, positive attitude, and new insights she has brought to the team.  We look forward to all the great contributions Sarah will add to our growing firm!

Here’s a little more about Sarah:

Q.     What are some of your hobbies? and how did you get into them?

Answer: My biggest hobby is dungeons and dragons. I first got into it when I saw my older brothers playing as a kid, and from there I found my own group of people to play with. They are all over the world, we play online, and I would have never been able to meet these interesting people without this hobby. Every game is interesting, and we all include parts of our individual cultures in the game and it’s very interesting to see how they mix in. This bleeds into another hobby, which is going to conventions such as Denver Comic Con, or just the Renaissance Festival.

Q.     If you could live anywhere, where would it be?   

Answer: I’d love to live in Ireland. I would also love to be surrounded by all the history there, and all around think it’s a very pretty country. I also have ancestors from there and would love looking into that part of my family history. It helps that I also adore rainy weather. 

Q.  What is the first career you dreamed of having as a kid?

Answer: The first career I dreamed of having as a kid was a conservationist, though I didn’t know the word at the time. I remember watching ‘The crocodile hunter’ on the television when I was a kid, which was the start of my passion for animals. I’d go around telling everyone what I learned on the show that week, and all the animal facts would get written down in one of my many notebooks. The passionate way he talked about animals, even the ones people don’t normally like, made me want to help protect them and their environments. 

Q.  What is a dream you have that you have yet to achieve?

Answer: I’ve always had a dream of owning my own house. I am still working towards that goal slowly but haven’t made it quite yet. It’s my main motivation.

Q.  What is a quote or expression you live by?

Answer: “Do good recklessly.” Magnus Burnsides, The Adventure Zone. 

Q.  What are some of your favorite movies?

Answer: My favorite movie of all time is ‘Castle in the sky,’ by Studio Ghibli. I watched it every night for months when I was growing up. It's a very sweet movie and I watch it with all my younger family members when I babysit them. This is quickly followed by ‘Kiki’s delivery service’ and ‘Princess Mononoke’ by the same studio. 

Kaitlin Turner Appointed District Court Judge

On June 29, 2022, Governor Jared Polis appointed Kaitlin Turner to be a District Court Judge for the 11th Judicial District! Kaitlin has been Of Counsel with Werge Law Group since early 2021. We are honored to have been a part of her journey, and we are so proud of her for achieving this sensational accomplishment. We know that Kaitlin will be an amazing judge, and that she will serve Fremont County with fairness and grace. Congratulations Judge Turner!

Werge Law has merged with Signal Law!

Werge Law LLC and Signal Law LLC law firms have officially merged. Effective April 1, 2022, the firm is now Werge & Corbin LLC and will continue to do business as Werge Law Group. Tom and Greg are enthusiastic to join forces and this expansion represents meaningful additions that will benefit our clients. Our team is excited for this partnership and we look forward to strengthening our relationship with clients and prospective clients as we begin this new venture.

Law Week Colorado covered the merger in an article available here.

BusinessDen also covered the merger in an article available here.

Werge Law Group Team Member Spotlights - Nicole Bartone

Werge Law Group is excited to welcome Nicole Bartone to the team as our new Litigation Paralegal! Nicole graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and a minor in Business.Prior to joining Werge Law Group, Nicole worked at the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office where she managed felony intake and trial preparations. While mostly working on the beginning stages of a case, she also worked on cases involving various economic crimes as well as a fugitive of justice cases. Along with her criminal law background, Nicole has also been a part of the restorative justice program at the Boulder District Attorney’s Office. In her spare time, she enjoys golfing and taking her dog on hikes around Colorado. 

Here is a little more about Nicole:

1.     What do you do to turn things around when you are having a bad day?

a.     I usually take a minute to myself and just regroup. I like to refresh when having a bad day and change my mindset. I also like to do something I enjoy for a short break.

2.     Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your 18-year-old self?

a.     I would say to take everything at your own pace. It may feel like everything, and everyone is moving through life fast but it’s best to always take things at your own time because there is so much of it left.

3.     What motivates you to work hard?

a.     What motivates me is being passionate about whatever I am working on. If I am interested in the topic or subject, it’s very easy for me to slip into the “work hard” mode.

4.     If you could live anywhere, where would it be? 

a.     I would live in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico if I could live anywhere because it is warm all the time and near the water.                                                  

5.     Where is the most interesting place you have been?

a.     The most interesting place I have been to is a small town in Brazil called Buzios. It is about 2 hours outside of Rio and is also right on the coast. The people and food are amazing along with the weather.

6.     What are some of your hobbies? and how did you get into them?

a.     My main hobby is playing golf. My dad started me playing golf when I was 7 years old, and I have been playing ever since. I was on my high school golf team and enjoy playing in the summer months in Colorado.

Kelsey Martin, it's official!

We are proud to announce that Kelsey Martin is officially an attorney! She was sworn into the Minnesota bar on March 29th and admitted to the United States District Court for the District of Colorado the same week.

Kelsey joined Werge Law in September of 2021 shortly after graduating from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. That same week she immediately got to work, helping with a contentious arbitration where Werge Law Group successfully fought for our clients. Kelsey has been an excellent addition to our team and has quickly made herself an integral part of our firm. She is an intelligent, driven, and confident individual and we cannot wait to see the great things she will accomplish. We are excited for Kelsey’s future as an attorney at Werge Law Group and her continued advocacy for our amazing clients.

Kelsey is admitted to the state bar of Minnesota and US District Court for the District of Colorado. Kelsey sat for the Colorado state bar exam in February of 2022, and her results are pending.

Werge Law Group Wins Jury Trial for Client

On February 16, 2022, Werge Law won a complete defense verdict for its client following a three-day jury trial in the El Paso County District Court. The case was filed in January of 2019 by two disgruntled former business associates of Werge Law’s client. Werge Law filed a motion to dismiss, and successfully obtained dismissal seven of the eight claims brought by the plaintiffs.

A single count for alleged defamation survived the motion, and the trial was originally scheduled for trial in the fall of 2020. Due to the pandemic, however, the trial was continued multiple times. Finally, on February 14-16, 2022, Werge Law attorney Dan Williams represented our client for the jury trial. Following the presentation of evidence, the jury deliberated for only two hours and fifteen minutes before delivering their verdict completely in favor of our client. We are thrilled that we were able to assist our client in obtaining justice after such a long ordeal.