Russell W. Kemp

Russell Kemp is a business attorney and strategist who helps clients to prevent legal problems from arising and to resolve difficult situations.

He represents business owners, executives, and real estate investors. Russell is well-known for his work representing owners of large ranches in Colorado and neighboring states. His practice is intentionally broad to include policy issues at state and local agencies, business structure, and agreements. Further, he advises on succession planning issues, including estate planning and estate and trust administration.

Throughout his career, Russell has worked on some large and consequential issues. He led the legal team that challenged the development of an electric transmission expansion into one of Colorado’s most beautiful regions and helped turn the development threat into a landmark conservation success for wildlife habitat. He advised one of the largest estates in Colorado, helping fiduciaries navigate a quagmire of probate and trust issues. Landowners have hired him to advise on policy issues and to fend off threats from public and private actors. He led the legal team protecting private landowners in a highly-publicized attempt to condemn valuable development property for alleged urban renewal. Russell has appeared before agencies such as the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, the Colorado Secretary of State, and the Colorado Independent Ethics Commission.

Prior to joining Ireland Stapleton, Russell worked in television news in Denver. He joined the firm in 1998 and served for years on the firm’s Executive Committee. An active member in the Denver community, he gives his professional and personal time and money to various nonprofits including Community First Foundation, WorldDenver, Habitat for Humanity of Metropolitan Denver, the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, and the Women’s Foundation of Colorado. Russell is proud to have been named the first Citizen Diplomat by WorldDenver and to have been honored by the US State Department for work on international exchange, but nothing makes him prouder than his two daughters growing up to be citizens of the world.