Davis Award

Each year, Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP joins the Denver Bar Foundation and Davis Family to sponsor the Richard Marden Davis Award.

The award is presented to a Denver lawyer “under the age of 40 who so combines excellence as a lawyer with creative civic, cultural, educational, and charitable leadership as to best exemplify the character and promise of Richard Marden Davis at that stage in his career.”

Dick Davis set an example of a skilled, charismatic lawyer who also made time for extensive community service. For nearly 50 years, Dick devoted himself tirelessly to the profession and the community. He served as president of the Denver Bar Association in 1959, and he played key leadership roles in the Colorado Public Expenditures Council, Museum of Natural History, Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry, Denver Rotary Club, Denver Art Museum, and other organizations. The award was created in memory of Dick Davis, not only to recognize successful and committed young lawyers, but also to inspire other young attorneys to follow in his footsteps.

In 1993, the inaugural Davis Award was presented to then-Judge Celeste Quinones. Each year since, the award has been presented to a young attorney with an outstanding record of professional and community service achievements. The previous recipients continue to uphold the tradition of leadership that the award represents. The list is impressive and diverse, and includes judges, governors, public prosecutors, general counsel, and private practitioners:

• 2020 Richard Murray, Polsinelli PC
• 2019 Theresa Wardon Benz, Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell LLP
• 2018 Hetal J. Doshi, U.S. Attorney's Office
• 2017 Stephanie Donner, Emily Griffith Technical College
• 2016 Cristal Torres DeHerrera, Denver International Airport
• 2015 Qusair Mohamedbhai, Rathod Mohamedbhai LLC
• 2014 Denise Hoffman White, Hoffman Nies Dave LLP
• 2013 Shannon Stevenson, Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP
• 2012 Franz Hardy, Gordon & Rees LLP
• 2011 Stacy Carpenter, Polsinelli PC
• 2010 Mark Clouatre, Nelson Mullins
• 2009 Monica M. Marquez, Justice, Colorado Supreme Court
• 2008 Mari Newman, Killmer, Lane & Newman LLP
• 2007 Michael Carrigan, Holland & Hart LLP
• 2006 Kristin Bronson, City Attorney’s Office, City and County of Denver
• 2005 Kenzo S. Kawanabe, Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP
• 2004 Tim Macdonald, Arnold & Porter LLP
• 2003 Todd Fredrickson, Fisher & Phillips LLP
• 2002 Chris Little, Montgomery Little & Soran, PC
• 2001 Richard Gabriel, Justice, Colorado Supreme Court
• 2000 Gilbert Roman, Judge, Colorado Court of Appeals
• 1999 Paul Chan, General Counsel, University of Denver
• 1998 Natalie Hanlon-Leh, Chief Deputy Attorney General, Colorado
• 1997 David Powell, Deputy Attorney General, Colorado
• 1996 Allan Hale, Hale Westfall LLP
• 1995 Kathleen Odle, Sherman & Howard LLC
• 1994 A. William “Bill” Ritter, Jr., Former Colorado Governor
• 1993 Celeste Quinones, former Judge, City and County of Denver