The Denver-based business law firm, Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe, PC, has added two attorneys to its regulatory practice group—former Deputy Attorney General and former Colorado Secretary of State Bernie Buescher, and former Denver Department of Excise and Licenses Hearings Manager John E. Jennings.

Buescher, a renowned statesman, has joined the firm as Of Counsel. “I’m excited to join Jim Tarpey, Tom Downey and the other fine attorneys in the regulatory group at Ireland Stapleton. Helping clients deal with the state and federal governments is challenging and important work,” said Buescher. Most recently, Buescher served as a Deputy Attorney General of the State of Colorado, overseeing the individual units representing elected state officials; the Public Utilities Commission; and the Departments of Human Services, Health Care Policy and Financing, and Personnel and Administration. Buescher was also appointed Colorado Secretary of State by Governor Bill Ritter. He served two years in that office. Additionally, he served in the Colorado House of Representatives from 2005 to 2008.

“Bernie Buescher is a true Colorado statesman. I know he will continue to be a tremendous public asset as a private attorney,” said Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper.

“What I love about Bernie is not just that he is a superb attorney, brilliant policy mind and someone who really gets things done, but that he also derives such joy out of the process of making the state he loves a better place. You can see it in his infectious smile, I’m so glad to call him my friend,” said Mayor of Colorado Springs and former Colorado Attorney General John Suthers.

Prior to joining Ireland Stapleton as an Associate, Jennings was the Hearings Manager at the Denver Department of Excise and Licenses. He managed the department’s administrative hearings process for all city business licenses, drafted agency final decisions and orders, procedures and rulemaking documents, conducted evidentiary licensing hearings as a hearings officer, and analyzed business licensing filings.

“Having worked with John in his government capacity, I know that his great legal mind and particular licensing experience will be a great asset to the private sector,” said John Carlson, Executive Director of the Colorado Brewers Guild.

“In addition to being first class individuals, Bernie and John are great lawyers who significantly expand the scope of what we can do to serve our clients in regulatory and other matters,” said Managing Director K.C. Groves.