Denver City Council Approves $970,000 Legal Services Contract

The Denver City Council voted 8-4 on Monday to approve a $970,000 legal contract with Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell to represent the city and City Attorney Michiko "Miko" Brown in two lawsuits.

Brown worked as a partner at the firm for a decade until 2017. She told council members that hiring a new firm would cost the city more money and stated that the selection did not present a conflict of interest.

The contract drew debate over the firm's legal work for the GEO Group, a private company operating the immigration detention facility in Aurora. Councilmember Stacie Gilmore voted against the agreement, citing human rights concerns related to that client. Councilmembers Flor Alvidrez, Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez and Shontel Lewis also opposed the contract.

Councilmember Kevin Flynn supported the approval, describing the objections as a purity test and pointing out that the law firm has also conducted pro bono legal work alongside the American Civil Liberties Union in litigation against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Flynn noted that replacing the firm mid-case would increase municipal expenses.