We received the sad news that our former partner and good friend Bob Harry died on Tuesday, June 25th. Bob had a long career as one of Denver’s finest litigators that included trials of countless important cases. Bob will also be remembered as a mentor for young litigators at DGS. Many have taken inspiration from his methods of trying cases and his commitment to professionalism, skill, and ethical behavior.
Bob represented companies across the Rocky Mountain region as well as acting as local counsel for national brands such as IBM and Carnation. Bob received both his undergraduate and law degrees from Yale, although his legal education was delayed somewhat by his decision to leave law school soon after the Pearl Harbor bombing to seek a commission in the U.S. Naval Reserve. After receiving his J.D., Bob joined the New York firm of Hughes Hubbard & Reed. In 1952, Byron White persuaded his former Yale law school classmate to leave New York and travel west to join DGS. Bob became the first litigation specialist at the firm and head of the Trial Department.
Bob had a very active civic life, including being elected to the American College of Trial Lawyers in 1965 and the Board of Regents from 1973 to 1977. He was the Tenth Circuit member of the American Bar Association Judiciary Committee from 1969 to 1973. In 2003 Bob left retirement at the request of the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals and devoted three years to organizing its Historical Society and serving as its inaugural president.