Firm History
In 2003, six attorneys made a decision that would define the trajectory of their careers. They built a distinguished reputation as colleagues at a boutique law firm known for tackling complex, high-stakes problems with creative solutions. When that firm merged with a large international practice, those six attorneys assessed the risk. They decided that their close-knit, deeply specialized way of working was too valuable to lose.
So, they started their own firm. Kaplan Kirsch LLP was founded in Denver, Colorado, on a simple premise: that the public projects shaping American infrastructure—the airports, rail systems, water supplies, and energy facilities people rely on every day—deserve attorneys who understand the law and the public mission behind it. From day one, the founding partners focused on transportation, infrastructure, land use, and environmental law, with specialized expertise in large public development projects and private ventures with significant public investment at stake.
What began as a smaller practice has expanded alongside the needs of our clients. In 2006, we deepened our bench in the transit sector and opened our Washington, DC office. This positioned the Firm at the center of federal policy and regulatory decision-making. In 2017, we established a public-private partnerships practice to meet the rise of innovative project delivery models and expanded our presence to New York City. This allowed us to serve clients at the heart of the nation’s financial and infrastructure markets. In 2020, we welcomed a tribal law practice, bringing particular sensitivity and expertise to our work with sovereign Indian nations and the federal agencies they engage with. This also served as a major milestone, as we opened a San Francisco office to extend our reach across the West Coast. Each addition became a natural extension of the same commitment that started it all, growing with the clients and communities we serve. We’re proud of where we came from and are energized by where the work is taking us next.
Today, Kaplan Kirsch is a national law firm devoted to solving problems at the intersection of natural resources, energy, water, infrastructure, public projects, land use, development, environmental, airport, and tribal law. Our attorneys have been counsel to a variety of public agencies, including municipal utilities, across the United States, represented public interest organizations in high-profile environmental litigation, served as government counsel at the highest levels of federal, state and local government, and represented a wide range of clients on cutting-edge compliance issues.
We have a national reputation for advising clients on some of the country’s largest and most sophisticated public infrastructure projects, including water supply projects, major urban developments, energy facilities, rail and transit systems, airports, highways, and transit-oriented developments. Core to our firm’s work is our environmental, energy, and natural resources practices, which guide clients through environmental cleanup, permitting, enforcement, and compliance matters under a complex array of state and federal law.
Our Approach
Collaborative
Collaboration is how we work. While most law firms assign one or two attorneys to a matter, the complexity of the projects we handle demands a different approach. Every attorney in the Firm is available to contribute to any matter, depending upon the client’s needs. We think of every client as a firm client. That means our clients can call on any of our lawyers at any time, drawing on their specific expertise to meet the moment.
Legal and Strategic Advisors
Our clients often need not only legal advice, but also strategic counsel. We provide both. We understand that real-world problems don’t arrive in neat packages, which is why our attorneys work across law, policy, economics, environmental sciences, and engineering to craft innovative solutions that are legally sound and practically actionable.
Project Leadership and Management
Many of our clients’ projects and cases often need more than legal guidance—they require leadership and management of cross-functional teams. We understand the structure and demands of large, complex undertakings. Our lawyers frequently step into the role of lead project advisor, convening and supervising teams of attorneys, consultants, and other professionals to keep challenging matters moving forward.
Private and Public Sector Clients
Private and public sector clients have dramatically different needs. Our private sector clients value our deep understanding of government processes and regulation to translate their goals into meaningful action. For public sector clients, including local, state, regional, and tribal government agencies,, we bring command of technical and legal detail alongside sensitivity to political issues, community interests, and the unique features of local or tribal law. That dual fluency is one of our greatest strengths.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Kaplan Kirsch is dedicated to fostering a diverse law firm and a more inclusive legal profession, guided by three distinct commitments.
Diversity means recognizing individual differences and ensuring that multiple identities, backgrounds, and life experiences are represented within our firm. We strive to bring more varied perspectives, talents, and interests to the practice of law and the administration of justice.
Equity means embedding impartiality and fairness throughout the Firm, including how we recruit, develop, evaluate, and advance our people. Our goal is straightforward: to identify and dismantle barriers that prevent the success and advancement of legal talent, so that every member of our team has the opportunity to participate fully and without limitation.
Inclusion means actively valuing the thoughts, ideas, and perspectives of each employee and ensuring those perspectives shape how we work and make decisions.
Together, these commitments make us more creative, effective, and just. They create a culture of belonging, where every person feels valued, respected, and able to bring their most authentic self to work.
To achieve our diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) goals, we have implemented various initiatives and policies, including:
- Recruitment and retention practices focused on building a workforce that reflects diversity including—without limitation—race, color, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, age, disability, and marital and parental status.
- Mentorship programs tailored to each individual’s career goals and professional needs.
- Internal committees that give employees a platform to connect, share experiences, and advocate for themselves and their communities.
- Development of and support for a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee dedicated to recommending best practices, deploying firm-wide strategies, and driving accountability.
- Ongoing DEI training and education for all employees.
- Benefits designed to support real lives, including comprehensive medical coverage for all families, wellness programs, and flexible work schedules.
Kaplan Kirsch recognizes that creating a truly diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace requires ongoing effort and commitment. We are dedicated to continually assessing and improving our DEI practices to ensure that everyone at our firm feels valued, respected, and empowered to succeed.
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