Chuck Cotter

Polsinelli, a law firm that has been actively scooping up lateral hires over the past few years, has just added lawyers in Denver and in Washington, D.C.

In Denver, the firm added three lawyers, led by shareholder Chuck Cotter, a corporate lawyer with expertise on venture capital deals in the food, beverage and consumer products space. In Washington, the firm announced that Iliana Peters, who worked for several years as an official in the civil rights office at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has joined as a shareholder in its health care operations practice.

Cotter, joined by associates Finity Jernigan and Christie DiNapoli, comes to Polsinelli from Holland & Hart's Boulder, Colorado office. The trio are currently based in Denver, where Polsinelli has an existing office, but the firm said in a statement that it plans to establish a presence in Boulder.

At Holland & Hart, Cotter held a leadership position as head of that firm's food, beverage and consumer products group. His practice focuses on startups and venture capital transactions as well as mergers and acquisitions and private equity deals. He has represented clients ranging from consumer products companies, including emerging growth companies and startups, to venture capital funds and angel investors, as well as executives and corporate boards.

“Chuck is a tremendous trusted advisor who has built a national reputation in the food, beverage and consumer goods industries because of his ability to help clients achieve their goals at all stages of growth—from raising capital, executing acquisitions and divestitures, or complying with regulatory requirements,” Adam Hull, co-chair of Polsinelli's venture capital and emerging growth group, said in a statement.

Cotter said in an interview on Wednesday that he was drawn to Polsinelli by its national reach and an emphasis within the firm on its venture capital-related practice. He noted that Polsinelli has offices in key markets for his clients, and that the firm has existing expertise in areas that are often crucial to clients in the food and beverage space—including a Food and Drug Administration regulatory team in Washington, D.C., and strong national tax and intellectual property practices.