Douglas R. Griess

Partner

Practice Areas

Business Law, Business Acquisitions and Sales, LLCs, Commercial Law, Exit & Succession Planning, Estate Planning, Real Estate, Non-Profits, Intellectual Property, Trademarks

Biography:

With family roots in Nebraska and Wyoming, Douglas lived all over the country and in Italy as the son of an Air Force officer before ending up in Virginia where he finished school. Although Douglas had plans to work in public policy and government in Washington, D.C., his experiences and calling led him to focus on building family and engaging with community as his first and highest priorities. Accordingly, after law school, Douglas and his high-school sweet-heart moved west to the Denver area to be near family and put down roots.

Douglas’s practice then began in litigation representing both plaintiffs and defendants in the areas of insurance defense and bad faith, personal injury, commercial disputes, and construction. After several years litigating, Douglas began advising businesses on transactional issues from formation to dissolution, particularly regarding LLC Operating Agreements, corporate structure, business exit and succession planning, contracts, and soft intellectual property issues from trade secrets to trademarks.

Mr. Griess started The Griess Law Firm, LLC at the end of 2010 to focus on building his business practice where he built a broad client base that includes working with manufacturing, distributing, construction, technology, and professional service companies and their owners. After joining up with Aaron Atkinson in 2015, Doug and Aaron joined Hackstaff, Snow, Atkinson & Griess, LLC as partners in January 2016.

Douglas lives with his incredible wife and six amazing children in Centennial, CO. He’s active in his church, with various non-profits, and otherwise enjoys cooking, smoking meats, reading, studying, woodworking, playing guitar, and time with family.

Sample M&A Transactions:

- Representation of the RIM Bio companies, a single-use medical materials manufacturer with substantial operations in China, in an international transaction involving a combination of asset and stock sales to Avantor, a publicly traded medical and chemical materials producer.
- Sale of a seasonal automotive repair business to an investor group for $8MM.
- Shareholder sale of stock on exit from dental practice support company for over $5MM.
- Sale of a residential awning manufacturing and sales company to family relocating to Colorado for over $2MM.
- Sales of various books of business in the insurance industry between agencies, between producers, and between agencies and producers, totaling over $2MM in value.

Speaking and Publications:

- Indemnification in the Corporate Context vs. in the LLC Context and Special Considerations with Indemnification and LLCs, NBI Live CLE Webinar, Indemnification and LLCs: Indemnification 101, November 25, 2014.

- Special Allocations in Operating Agreements, LLC Operating Agreements Gone Wrong, Operation of the LLC – Process, Procedure and Pitfalls, and Dividing, Issuing and Transferring Member Interests, NBI Live CLE Webinar, LLCs from A-Z, June 29, 2015.

- Proper Business Succession Planning for Your Business and LLC Member/Manager Indemnification, Live Sessions, 2015 National Public Records Research Association Annual Conference, September 2015.

- Specific Uses for LLCs, Top LLC Mistakes to Avoid and Ethical Considerations, NBI Live CLE Webinar, LLCs From Start to Finish, December 30, 2015.

- Limitation of Personal Liability, Exceptions to Limited Liability and Taxation as Corporation vs. Partnership, NBI Live CLE Webinar, Liability of the LLC, February 3, 2016.

- Initial Client Considerations, Outside Creditor Protection, Estate Planning Advantages of an LLC, Using LLCs and Trusts Together, and Putting It All Together – Case Studies, NBI Live CLE Webinar, Use of LLCs in Asset Protection and Estate Planning, November 28, 2016.

- Using Trusts and LLCs Together in Estate Planning, NBI Live CLE Teleconference, November 15, 2017.

- Choice of Entity and Its Implications: LLC vs. FLP vs. Corp. vs. Qualified Plan and Structuring and Funding the LLC, NBI Live CLE Webinar, Top Uses of LLCs in Asset Protection, March 28, 2018.

- Material Participation by Trusts: Complying with the Tax Rules, Using Asset Protection Trusts and LLCs Together, and Legal Ethics, NBI Live CLE Webinar, Using Trusts and LLCs Together in Estate Planning, October 30, 2018.

- Using LLCs to Invest in Real Estate and Examining Common Uses for LLCs, NBI Live CLE Webinar, LLCs: Everything You Need to Know, May 3, 2019. (Rebroadcast February 10, 2020.)

- Easement and By-law Considerations when Considering Alternative Services, Breakout Session at the 2019 Tax, Financing & Accounting Conference for Cooperatives, National Society of Accountants for Cooperatives (NSAC) and National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA).

- Single Member LLC (SMLLC) Veil Piercing: Initial Considerations and Drafting Single-Member LLC Operating Agreements to Limit Veil Piercing, NBI Live CLE Webinar, Single Member LLCs-Piercing the Veil, November 18, 2019.

- LLC Tax: New Rules and Challenges and Advanced Concerns for Real Estate Investment, NBI Live CLE Webinar, Top 10 LLC Formation and Operation Problems – Solved, June 5, 2020.

- Atkinson, J, and Griess, D., How careful transactions can help parties avoid litigation down the road, Cobiz Magazine Online Edition, November 11, 2020.

- Atkinson, J, and Griess, D., COVID-19 precautions for every Colorado business owner this winter, Cobiz Magazine Online Edition, December 9, 2020.

- Structuring and Protecting Single Member LLCs, NBI Live CLE Webinar, December 29, 2020.

- Using LLCs to Invest in Real Estate, How to Handle Common LLC Tax Issues, and Examining Common Uses for LLCs, NBI Live CLE Webinar, LLCs: Everything You Need to Know, January 22, 2021.

- Atkinson, J., and Griess, D., IP on IG: marking your business without infringing on another’s rights, Cobiz Magazine Online Edition, February 8, 2021.

- Griess, D., and Snow, J., The mutual benefits of worker-owned cooperatives in Colorado, Cobiz Magazine Online Edition, June 23, 2021.

- Atkinson, J., and Griess, D., How to safeguard your business trade secrets, Cobiz Magazine Online Edition, July 6, 2021.

- Griess, D., and Snow, J., Smart estate planning to reduce estate tax, Cobiz Magazine Online Edition, August 23, 2021.

- Griess, D., and Snow, J., Understanding how to protect and grant licenses to use creative content, Cobiz Magazine Online Edition, August 24, 2021.

- Griess, D., Am I signing my life away, Cobiz Magazine Online Edition, September 1, 2021.

- Griess, D., and Snow, J., Smart estate planning to reduce estate tax, Cobiz Magazine Online Edition, August 23, 2021.

- Griess, D., and Snow, J., Understanding how to protect and grant licenses to use creative content, Cobiz Magazine Online Edition, August 24, 2021.

- Drafting Management-Related Provisions, and Transfers, Withdrawals and Transitions, NBI Live CLE Webinar, How to Draft LLC Operating Agreements, January 20, 2022.

- Griess, D., and Snow, J., Why you need to keep your deal teams small for mergers & acquisitions, Cobiz Magazine Online Edition, January 24, 2022.

- Griess, D., and Snow, J., The Value of Ongoing Contract Reviews, Cobiz Magazine Online Edition, April 4, 2022.

- Griess, D., and Snow, J., Buying a New Business? Don’t Forget to Review all Contracts, Cobiz Magazine Online Edition, April 18, 2022.

- Griess, D., and Snow, J., Tips for a Business Succession Plan, Cobiz Magazine Online Edition, May 18, 2022.

- Griess, D., and Snow, J., What Employers Must Know About FMLA, Cobiz Magazine Online Edition, June 20, 2022.

- Federal Laws Update, Tax Planning Updates, Revising Operating Agreements: What to Look For, and Legal Ethics in LLCs Practice, NBI Live CLE Webinar, LLC Rules Changes Guide 2022, June 22, 2022, available on demand.

- Griess, D., and Snow, J., Conduct a Mid-Year Tax Strategy Audit, Cobiz Magazine Online Edition, June 30, 2022.

- Griess, D., and Snow, J., What to Do If Someone Uses Your Trademark, Cobiz Magazine Online Edition, August 5, 2022.

- Ethical Considerations, NBI Live CLE Webinar, New LLC Rules and Regs You Need to Know, August 30, 2022, available on demand.

- Atkinson, A., Griess, D., and Snow, J., Increased Cybersecurity Risks Are a Threat to Corporate Governance, Cobiz Magazine Online Edition, August 31, 2022.

- Atkinson, A., Griess, D., and Snow, J., What is Trade Secret Misappropriation: Is Your Business at risk?, Cobiz Magazine Online Edition, October 26, 2022.

- Atkinson, A., Griess, D., and Snow, J., What Business Owners Need to Know About the Employee Retention Credit, Cobiz Magazine Online Edition, November 14, 2022.

- Griess, D., and Snow, J., What is the Difference Between Business Succession Planning and Estate Planning?, Cobiz Magazine Online Edition, November 28, 2022.

Community Involvement:

Christian Legal Society (CLS), 2004-present; Denver Chapter Board Member 2007-2008, Chairman of Events Committee 2007, Secretary 2008.
Legal Aid Clinic Volunteer, Denver Rescue Mission, Larimer Street and Salvation Army Clinic, Harbor Lights Center, 2006 to present, Sponsored by Christian Legal Aid and JAMLAC.
Highline Community Church, EPC, Centennial, CO, Member 2004 to 2018; Elder Board 2008-2012, Moderator/Clerk of Session 2010-2012.
Justice and Mercy Legal Aid Center (JAMLAC), Volunteer 2008 to present; Advisory Board 2013-present, Chairman of the Board, 2021 (launched independent 501(c)(3) in 2021).
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), Allied Attorney, 2012-present.
Rockies Venture Club, Angel Capital Summit Volunteer 2013, Logistics and Facilities Committee; HyperAccelerator Mentor 2017.
Trinity Anglican Church, Littleton, CO, Member 2019 to present.
Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation, Leadership Denver Class of 2022.

In addition to the above, Douglas has also: raised funds for cancer research with the Cancer League of Colorado through the Over the Edge Event, rappelling down a 30 story building…three times; provided legal services to, and raised funds for, Denver’s Open Door Ministries as it provides transitional housing services to marginalized populations, including helping to secure use of property in the Capitol Hill area and a remodel of the Treasure House backyard as part of his son’s Eagle Boy Scout project; volunteered with the Westside Christian Fellowship and Rebuilding Together, Metro Denver to landscape and repair/remodel west Denver residences; raised funds for Project 1.27 which supports families engaged in foster care and adoptions in the Denver metro area; and taken on various pro-bono cases for indigent members of the community over the years, including for the Metro Volunteer Lawyers and JAMLAC.