Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani Denver partner and Chair of the firm's Diversity Committee, Franz Hardy, has been selected by Colorado State University's (CSU) Rams Juris Doctor (Rams JD) group as this year’s recipient of the Bill Ritter Public Service Award. An alum of CSU and member of Rams JD, Hardy will be presented with the award at the Rams Juris Doctor Networking Dinner on Tuesday, February 20, 2018 in Denver, Colorado.
Hardy was named as this year's award winner for the extensive work he contributes to the legal community outside of his full time law practice at Gordon & Rees. Hardy currently serves as president of the Denver Bar Association and on the Executive Council of the Colorado Bar Association. He is a past president of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Colorado and is a past chair of the University of Colorado Law School Alumni Board. In addition, Franz has served and continues to serve on a number of boards and committees.
The Bill Ritter Award was created by the Rams JD group to recognize outstanding individuals who exhibit exceptional community service and contribute significantly to his or her field. A CSU graduate, Bill Ritter is a former governor of Colorado and currently is a professor of Political Science at CSU. Throughout Ritter's career he has been actively involved in charitable work and bettering the legal community by serving on the Denver Foundation's Human Services Committee, the Mile High United Way Board and the Denver Public Schools' Commission on Secondary School Reform.
Rams JD was created by CSU's College of Liberal Arts alumni who have entered the legal field. The group fosters networking, professional development and passion for law by providing connections among members. This group hosts its annual fundraising dinner to benefit the Rams Juris Doctor Scholarship that since 2014 has raised more than $20,000 to benefit three deserving students who plan to enter law school after graduation from CSU.
Hardy is a trial attorney with a focus on business and insurance litigation, including commercial disputes, directors and officers liability, coverage and employee benefits. He is also recognized as an accomplished professional liability practitioner representing attorneys and law firms. He maintains an active state and federal court practice, including handling numerous appeals. Hardy is a frequent author and lecturer on various topics affecting attorneys and the practice of law, including ethics, privileges, confidentiality and diversity.
Gordon & Rees is a national litigation and business transactions firm with more than 800 lawyers in 47 offices across the United States. Our lawyers provide full service representation to public and private companies ranging from the Fortune 500 to start-ups. Founded in 1974, Gordon & Rees is recognized among the fastest growing and largest law firms in the country and continues to climb the ranks of both the Am Law 200 and The National Law Journal. Additionally, in 2017 Law360 ranked the firm among the top 50 largest U.S. firms and The American Lawyer ranked the firm among the top 35 on its Diversity Scorecard.