Attorney Kelsey Martin to serve on the Board of Directors for the Colorado LGBT Bar Association

Werge Law Group is excited to announce that associate attorney Kelsey Martin was recently chosen to serve as both the Mentorship and Professional Advancement Chair and the Social Media Chair for the Colorado LGBT Bar Association for 2023! Kelsey joined the bar association while still in law school and is thrilled to have a leadership position in such an incredible organization, and to give back to the bar association as a board member.

            The LGBT Bar is a professional community of LGBT law students, attorneys, and judges. It has a dual mission of advocacy and equality for its members – the bar association is committed to creating a community for LGBT folks and promoting the advancement of LGBT legal professionals. Kelsey’s focus as a chair member will be central to the LGBT Bar’s overarching goals. She will work as the mentorship co-chair to foster connections and help create a community between LGBT law students, attorneys, and judges, both through a formal mentorship program for DU and CU law students to connect with LGBT attorneys and judges, and by planning various events. Information regarding the forthcoming mentorship program and future events will be shared on the Colorado LGBT Bar Association’s social media pages and via email by joining the association. Click here (https://coloradolgbtbar.org/) for more information about the Colorado LGBT Bar Association – member registration is encouraged!

Werge Law Group 2022 Holiday Party

Our annual holiday party last week was one for the books! Our team, colleagues, and friends enjoyed a mouth-watering spread of food catered by our client, SAME Café, and an array of beverages, including a Mulled Wine creation crafted by associate Kelsey Martin. To make the night even more festive, our team also created an upbeat “Werge Law Group Holiday Party” Spotify playlist to liven up the atmosphere. It was a wonderful time celebrating our successes and it was great to catch up with everyone in such an enjoyable setting.

The Holiday Party was an excellent finish to a truly wonderful day with the team: we kicked off the morning shopping at 16th Street Mall for a family of four we sponsored this year through SafeHouse Denver. It was an incredible experience to give back to those in need this holiday season and we were all touched by the cause. SafeHouse is doing amazing work providing care, community, shelter, and counseling to adults and children facing domestic violence.

We are so grateful for another amazing year at Werge Law Group! We can't wait to see what 2023 has in store for us at Werge & Corbin LLC!!

Colorado Gives Day 2022!

Colorado Gives Day is one of the most impactful 24-hour giving events in Colorado. Since it began in 2010, Colorado Gives Day has raise $362 million for Colorado charities! (Already, this year 62,000 people have donated $25 million to over 3000 organizations!) Everyday our local nonprofits work hard to improve lives, strengthen communities, and empower people to make a difference. Today, December 6, 2022, is a day to give back and thank them for it. Werge Law Group has the pleasure of working with several nonprofits in our own neighborhood, guiding them throughout their formation and growth processes. Today, we want to thank them for their work.

Join us by supporting your favorite non-profit. If you're not sure where to give, check out the website (Colorado Gives 2022) for more information on how you can help those in need.

Or, you can click on the links below to support some of our favorite businesses that our team chooses to support.

SAME Café: SAME is a donation-based, fair exchange restaurant that feeds everyone, regardless of ability to pay. Anyone can eat by volunteering time, donating money, or giving produce in exchange for a meal!

Project Worthmore: Our vision is a world in which all people are valued, included, and empowered. Your donation will help support this vision by supporting Denver area refugees.

Colorado Judicial Institute: CJI's mission is to promote excellence, equity, impartiality, and public trust in Colorado's courts.

The Center on Colfax: The Center on Colfax is the LGBTQ community's hub for information, resources, social activities, support, and advocacy. Our focus is on ensuring that every member of the LGBTQ community has access to the programs and resources they need to live happy, healthy, and productive lives.

LinkAGES Colorado: LinkAGES reduces loneliness and social isolation by connecting generations through enriching shared experiences. LinkAGES’ programs are designed to create meaningful intergenerational relationships in which people feel seen, respected, and valued.

Tom Werge Elected to the Fellows of The American Bar Foundation

Tom Werge was nominated by his peers and elected as a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation (ABF). This recognition and affiliation is limited to one percent of lawyers admitted to practice in the United States. ABF Fellows make up a worldwide organization of attorneys, judges, and other legal scholars whose lives and careers have proved exceptional commitment to the utmost moralities of the legal profession. 

The ABF was founded in 1952 as a nonprofit, independent research institute. It is known as one of the world’s primary research institutes for the empirical and interdisciplinary study of law. Tom is honored to be a Fellow of the ABF and is committed to continued support of the organization and its mission.

About the ABF Fellows

The ABF Fellows serve as stewards of the American Bar Foundation, an independent, nonprofit research organization which conducts short- and long-term socio-legal research projects. The ABF’s mission is to serve the legal profession, the public, and the academy through empirical research, publications, and programs that advance justice and the understanding of law. The ABF’s research falls under one of three categories: learning and practicing law; protecting rights and accessing justice; and making and implementing law. The Foundation is committed to broad dissemination of research findings to the organized bar, scholars, and the general public.

METAvivor and Metastatic Breast Cancer

October is a month when football players change their sock color to pink and the nation turns their attention to the importance of Breast Cancer awareness. However, we want to bring special awareness to stage IV breast cancer, Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC). 

Metastatic breast cancer is commonly misunderstood. It simply means the cancer has traveled to other areas, not just the breast. (And the same goes for any other type of cancer, lung , pancreatic, etc.) The cancer cells have traveled to other parts of the body and they are no longer curable. Metastatic is also referred to as stage 4 or “Advanced Cancer.” MBC is the last stage of breast cancer, and all deaths from breast cancer are caused by MBC.

The patients spend their lives fighting the disease. Tom Werge’s wife, Halie, has been battling MBC for almost 3 years now. In Halie’s case, the cancer left the breast via the lymph nodes and traveled to the bones, lung, liver, and brain.  She has had a double mastectomy, radiation to the breast area and brain, and numerous rounds of chemo. 

Halie has lost 50% of her vision due to the side effects of raidation as well as most function of her right arm and hand. As you can imagine, this has made regular life difficult, and she has been unable to even drive herself. She has started hyperbaric chamber treatments to help with radiation injuries. We are optimistic she will see amazing results and positive changes from this treatment.

In addition, much more funding is needed to research MBC. Most funds raised for breast cancer go to “awareness.” In terms of stage 4, we need research and many patients need funding and grants. In the US, we have to wait a minimum of 5 months to apply for disability. And then around 2 years to qualify for Medicare and Medicaid. Most patients live an average of 3-5 years. Organizations like METAvivor are trying to change this.

METAvivor is a non-profit organization that is solely dedicated to the specific fight of MBC through research, awareness, and support. Please take a moment to check out their website, brochure, and donate to this incredible foundation in support of MBC research.

Colorado Employee Ownership Grant

The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (COEDIT) offers quarterly grants for Colorado employee-owned businesses. Employee Ownership grant offers funding for small businesses converting to an Employee-Owned Company. A business is considered a Colorado Employee Owned Company using any employee ownership model that offers an ownership stake to at least 20% of their employees. The grant will reimburse professional technical services required to convert your business to a Colorado Employee Owned Company. If you are considering converting your company to be employee owned, check out this Toolkit provided by COEDIT or reach out to our attorneys for more information on the advantages of Employee Ownership.

         The fourth round of the Colorado Employee Ownership Grant is now open and accepting applications from qualifying businesses. The grant will award up to 20 Colorado businesses $3,000 as a reimbursement. Qualifying businesses can submit applications for the Colorado Employee Ownership Grant now through November 4th, 2022. As always, our firm is here to assist small businesses to understand and navigate this opportunity.

Tom Werge elected to the CJI Board of Directors

Werge Law Group is excited to announce that Tom Werge has been elected to the board of directors for the Colorado Judicial Institute (CJI). What is CJI, you ask? Some have described CJI as one of the most important organizations in Colorado that nobody has ever heard of. Basically, CJI supports Colorado’s court system, including through public education about Colorado’s non-partisan system for the selection and retention of judges. Many people do not realize the Colorado’s system does an amazing job of keeping the politics out of our court system – something that stands in great contrast to most other state systems and the federal system. Click HERE for more information about CJI.

Each fall, CJI throws an annual judicial excellence dinner to honor outstanding judges and magistrates in our court system. The gala brings together about 500 business and civic leaders, attorneys, and judges to celebrate the honorees and demonstrate their support for the excellence of Colorado’s courts. This year CJI’s gala is scheduled for November 1, 2022. Anyone interested in supporting our court system and keeping politics out of our courts should register HERE!

Tom has been a member of CJI for many years, and is honored to now be able to increase his support the organization as a board member. Werge Law Group actively supports Colorado non-profit organizations through both volunteer participation and through Greg Corbin’s practice focus on representing non-profits.

Client Spotlight: Front Range Agility Club

Look at this terrific organization and their pups!

Werge Law Group would like to shine a spotlight on a client that we had the pleasure of assisting recently. Front Range Agility Club (FRAC) recently sought out the firm for legal assistance in filing for their nonprofit exemption.

Greg Corbin of Werge Law Group had the pleasure of working with FRAC to update their filing status to become a 501(c)(4) organization. If you're looking for a safe space to train your dog in the art of agility and looking for a welcoming community of canine-athletes and their trainers, then FRAC is the place for you. Established in 1998, they are a non-profit organization that is a "group of people dedicated to the sport of agility."

If you have questions about what it means to compete in canine agility sports or how to get started with training your dog at home, come talk with them at any event. You can check out their website here: Front Range Agility Club.