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Michael Best Expands with Combination of Modus Law
Published by Gbaf News
Posted on August 22, 2018
10 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Gbaf News
Posted on August 22, 2018
10 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Michael Best is pleased to announce the expansion of the firm’s Colorado presence with the addition of Modus Law. The group joining Michael Best will include Modus Law founder Shawn T. Stigler, who will also serve as the Managing Partner for the Broomfield and Boulder offices; Transactional attorneys David E. Cline, David M. DiGiacomo, and Elizabeth A. Prendergast; Intellectual Property attorney Jolly-Johanna Northrop; Labor & Employment attorney Kaitlyn E. Trizna; Litigation attorney Patrick J. Bernal; and two supporting staff.
Founded in 2007, Modus Law currently occupies offices in Broomfield and Boulder, Colorado.
The firm specializes in start-ups, business formations, privately held businesses with services including mergers and acquisitions, business sales and financing, employment, corporate formations, commercial litigation, and trademark matters.
This addition will enhance the firm’s “Between the Coasts” service model for their emerging and established clients alike.
“The addition of the Modus Law team represents a strategic move by the firm to expand its footprint in the growing Colorado market,” said David Krutz, Firm Managing Partner of Michael Best. “We’re excited to welcome such a dynamic and well-respected group of attorneys that have built such a strong reputation throughout Colorado. I am confident our clients will feel the effects of these talented individuals as they align seamlessly with our core values and firm culture.”
“I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve accomplished over the past ten years at Modus,” said Stigler. “We have been so fortunate to be able to work with such amazing clients through the years, and I’m excited for the opportunity to bring so many new resources and skill sets to serve our clients as well as the opportunities it will create for our team to grow and thrive. We are excited about this new venture.”
The addition of the group adds to the growing presence in Colorado and comes on the heels of other high-profile attorney hires this year in the Denver office, including the intellectual property team of Scott Alter, Alexander Clayden, Stephen Horace, and Jon Trembath from Lathrop Gage.
About the Attorneys
Shawn T. Stigler, Founder of Modus Law, specializes in business planning and formation for start-ups, privately held businesses, as well as the needs of private business owners and investors. His representation includes counsel on a variety of financial and strategic issues from fundraising to strategic business planning. Stigler also frequently assists clients with purchase and sale agreements, independent contractor and founder issues, stock purchase and sales, non-competition issues, and investment decisions. He received his J.D. from the University of Colorado and his B.S. from the University of Wisconsin- Madison.
David E. Cline advises clients on a wide range of transactional matters, including buying selling and raising capital, structuring, governance, incentive programs for service providers, succession and intergenerational planning. He principally counsels growth-stage companies and investment entities. Cline received his J.D. from the University of Colorado Law School and his B.A. from Loyola Marymount University.
David M. DiGiacomo focuses his practice on counseling entrepreneurs and investors in a variety of corporate transactional matters, including entity formation, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, contract negotiation and compliance. DiGiacomo received his J.D. and MBA from the University of Colorado Law School and earned his B.A. from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Patrick J. Bernal focuses his practice on litigation matters including trial and appellate advocacy, pre-litigation dispute resolution, employment law for employers and employees. Bernal earned his J.D. from Boston College Law School and his B.A., magna cum laude, from Colby College.
Elizabeth A. Prendergast specializes in social enterprise law, where she assists entrepreneurs, nonprofit, for-profit, hybrid entities and investors secure reliable income through positive social change and community impact. Prendergast received her J.D. and MBA from Loyola University Chicago and her B.S.B.A., summa cum laude, from Creighton University.
Jolly-Johanna L. Northrop focuses her practice on trademark prosecution and enforcement, intellectual property counseling, branding, licensing, contract negotiation, and dispute resolution. Prior to joining Modus Law, Northrop served as in-house counsel for L’Oreal for nearly 15 years. She received her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and her B.A. from Wheaton College.
Kaitlyn E. Trizna served as in-house counsel with Community Funded, a technology startup, prior to her tenure with Modus Law’s Labor & Employment group. Her practice focuses on the scale-up during a company’s growth phase and handled matters ranging from insurance to investor relations, recruitment to retention, and business development to accounting. Trizna received her J.D. from Western Michigan University and her B.A., cum laude, from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
In addition to the seven attorneys joining Michael Best, there are two staff members coming as well – Amy Nolan-Horvey (paralegal) and Lee Scheer (office coordinator).
About Michael Best & Friedrich LLP
Michael Best is a leading law firm, providing a full range of legal services to clients on a global, regional, and local basis. The firm has more than 340 legal professionals, including more than 250 attorneys, serving clients in 13 offices across the U.S. in Colorado; Illinois; North Carolina; Texas; Utah; Washington, D.C.; and Wisconsin. Michael Best’s areas of practice include: intellectual property, labor and employment relations (including employee benefits), litigation, corporate and transactional, environmental and natural resources, privacy and cybersecurity, real estate, regulatory, and tax. The firm serves a variety of industries, such as advanced manufacturing, agribusiness, digital technology, energy, food and beverage, higher education, and life sciences. For more information, visit michaelbest.com.
Michael Best is pleased to announce the expansion of the firm’s Colorado presence with the addition of Modus Law. The group joining Michael Best will include Modus Law founder Shawn T. Stigler, who will also serve as the Managing Partner for the Broomfield and Boulder offices; Transactional attorneys David E. Cline, David M. DiGiacomo, and Elizabeth A. Prendergast; Intellectual Property attorney Jolly-Johanna Northrop; Labor & Employment attorney Kaitlyn E. Trizna; Litigation attorney Patrick J. Bernal; and two supporting staff.
Founded in 2007, Modus Law currently occupies offices in Broomfield and Boulder, Colorado.
The firm specializes in start-ups, business formations, privately held businesses with services including mergers and acquisitions, business sales and financing, employment, corporate formations, commercial litigation, and trademark matters.
This addition will enhance the firm’s “Between the Coasts” service model for their emerging and established clients alike.
“The addition of the Modus Law team represents a strategic move by the firm to expand its footprint in the growing Colorado market,” said David Krutz, Firm Managing Partner of Michael Best. “We’re excited to welcome such a dynamic and well-respected group of attorneys that have built such a strong reputation throughout Colorado. I am confident our clients will feel the effects of these talented individuals as they align seamlessly with our core values and firm culture.”
“I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve accomplished over the past ten years at Modus,” said Stigler. “We have been so fortunate to be able to work with such amazing clients through the years, and I’m excited for the opportunity to bring so many new resources and skill sets to serve our clients as well as the opportunities it will create for our team to grow and thrive. We are excited about this new venture.”
The addition of the group adds to the growing presence in Colorado and comes on the heels of other high-profile attorney hires this year in the Denver office, including the intellectual property team of Scott Alter, Alexander Clayden, Stephen Horace, and Jon Trembath from Lathrop Gage.
About the Attorneys
Shawn T. Stigler, Founder of Modus Law, specializes in business planning and formation for start-ups, privately held businesses, as well as the needs of private business owners and investors. His representation includes counsel on a variety of financial and strategic issues from fundraising to strategic business planning. Stigler also frequently assists clients with purchase and sale agreements, independent contractor and founder issues, stock purchase and sales, non-competition issues, and investment decisions. He received his J.D. from the University of Colorado and his B.S. from the University of Wisconsin- Madison.
David E. Cline advises clients on a wide range of transactional matters, including buying selling and raising capital, structuring, governance, incentive programs for service providers, succession and intergenerational planning. He principally counsels growth-stage companies and investment entities. Cline received his J.D. from the University of Colorado Law School and his B.A. from Loyola Marymount University.
David M. DiGiacomo focuses his practice on counseling entrepreneurs and investors in a variety of corporate transactional matters, including entity formation, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, contract negotiation and compliance. DiGiacomo received his J.D. and MBA from the University of Colorado Law School and earned his B.A. from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Patrick J. Bernal focuses his practice on litigation matters including trial and appellate advocacy, pre-litigation dispute resolution, employment law for employers and employees. Bernal earned his J.D. from Boston College Law School and his B.A., magna cum laude, from Colby College.
Elizabeth A. Prendergast specializes in social enterprise law, where she assists entrepreneurs, nonprofit, for-profit, hybrid entities and investors secure reliable income through positive social change and community impact. Prendergast received her J.D. and MBA from Loyola University Chicago and her B.S.B.A., summa cum laude, from Creighton University.
Jolly-Johanna L. Northrop focuses her practice on trademark prosecution and enforcement, intellectual property counseling, branding, licensing, contract negotiation, and dispute resolution. Prior to joining Modus Law, Northrop served as in-house counsel for L’Oreal for nearly 15 years. She received her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and her B.A. from Wheaton College.
Kaitlyn E. Trizna served as in-house counsel with Community Funded, a technology startup, prior to her tenure with Modus Law’s Labor & Employment group. Her practice focuses on the scale-up during a company’s growth phase and handled matters ranging from insurance to investor relations, recruitment to retention, and business development to accounting. Trizna received her J.D. from Western Michigan University and her B.A., cum laude, from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
In addition to the seven attorneys joining Michael Best, there are two staff members coming as well – Amy Nolan-Horvey (paralegal) and Lee Scheer (office coordinator).
About Michael Best & Friedrich LLP
Michael Best is a leading law firm, providing a full range of legal services to clients on a global, regional, and local basis. The firm has more than 340 legal professionals, including more than 250 attorneys, serving clients in 13 offices across the U.S. in Colorado; Illinois; North Carolina; Texas; Utah; Washington, D.C.; and Wisconsin. Michael Best’s areas of practice include: intellectual property, labor and employment relations (including employee benefits), litigation, corporate and transactional, environmental and natural resources, privacy and cybersecurity, real estate, regulatory, and tax. The firm serves a variety of industries, such as advanced manufacturing, agribusiness, digital technology, energy, food and beverage, higher education, and life sciences. For more information, visit michaelbest.com.
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