Churchill Owen
After law school, in 1926, Church went to work for the Denver law firm of Dines, Dines and Holme. He became a partner in the firm in 1932. The firm changed its name from time to time over the years (for example, at one time, it was Holme, Roberts, More, Owen & Keegan), becoming known as Holme Roberts & Owen in 1960. Church was still with the firm at the time of his death in 1992. Thus, he was with that same law firm, as associate and partner, for more than sixty-five years.
During his years of service, the firm grew from approximately seven attorneys to more than 200 attorneys, with offices in several other states, as well as outside the United States. His particular fields of legal expertise were estate and trust and corporate and banking law. Church helped start the United Banks of Colorado, serving as Director of the United Banks of Colorado and predecessor banks from 1948 to 1974. He also was on the Board of Directors of Argo Oil Company and Midwest Oil Corporation, and was active in the sale of those oil companies to major oil companies. In January 1992, J. Churchill Owens was elected to the Colorado Business Hall of Fame.
Church worked on the Colorado legislation for the ownership of "property rights in the air" that led to the sale of the old Denver Club Building and the construction of the new Denver Club Building, with the Club owning only the upper floors. He also served on the Advisory Board to the Dow Jones Company, the publisher of The Wall Street Journal. During World War II, he and his family moved to Washington, D.C., where he served as a "dollar a year man" for the United States, essentially donating his services. He was an attorney for the War Production Board in charge of mineral procurement from 1942 to 1945, and served as Assistant General Counsel to the Board in 1944 and 1945. He returned to his Denver law practice immediately after the war. HRO still plans an annual social function for the partners and their spouses to occur on Church’s birthday.
One of Church’s longtime partners, Robert E. More, had this to say about Church in A Brief History of Holme Roberts & Owen: "Systematic in work habits, a natural leader, an able and meticulous craftsman, a finely trained and keen lawyer, Church was a wonderful addition to the organization. He became a partner in record time—on January 1, 1932." Church led and energized the law firm in its growing banking, corporate, natural resources, intellectual property, and telecommunication practice areas. He also was proud of the firm’s establishment of new offices in Boulder, Colorado Springs, Salt Lake City, London, and Moscow, and enjoyed working with the branches.
In 1976, HRO founded the J. Churchill Owen Endowment Scholarship Fund at the University of Denver College of Law, in recognition of Church’s fifty years in the practice of law in Colorado as an HRO partner and his role in the education of young lawyers. The main recipients of the scholarship are intended to be University of Denver law students who are former members of the Clubs. Attorneys in the law firm presented a plaque to Church at the time of the scholarship endowment, which read in part: "For advice, Denver goes to Church."
Throughout his career, Church was active in recruiting and training young lawyers. He always thought that Denver and Colorado were full of opportunities for youthful lawyers, and he relished the future of the city and state.
Sources: http://www.cobar.org/tcl/tcl_articles.cfm?articleid=2795
During his years of service, the firm grew from approximately seven attorneys to more than 200 attorneys, with offices in several other states, as well as outside the United States. His particular fields of legal expertise were estate and trust and corporate and banking law. Church helped start the United Banks of Colorado, serving as Director of the United Banks of Colorado and predecessor banks from 1948 to 1974. He also was on the Board of Directors of Argo Oil Company and Midwest Oil Corporation, and was active in the sale of those oil companies to major oil companies. In January 1992, J. Churchill Owens was elected to the Colorado Business Hall of Fame.
Church worked on the Colorado legislation for the ownership of "property rights in the air" that led to the sale of the old Denver Club Building and the construction of the new Denver Club Building, with the Club owning only the upper floors. He also served on the Advisory Board to the Dow Jones Company, the publisher of The Wall Street Journal. During World War II, he and his family moved to Washington, D.C., where he served as a "dollar a year man" for the United States, essentially donating his services. He was an attorney for the War Production Board in charge of mineral procurement from 1942 to 1945, and served as Assistant General Counsel to the Board in 1944 and 1945. He returned to his Denver law practice immediately after the war. HRO still plans an annual social function for the partners and their spouses to occur on Church’s birthday.
One of Church’s longtime partners, Robert E. More, had this to say about Church in A Brief History of Holme Roberts & Owen: "Systematic in work habits, a natural leader, an able and meticulous craftsman, a finely trained and keen lawyer, Church was a wonderful addition to the organization. He became a partner in record time—on January 1, 1932." Church led and energized the law firm in its growing banking, corporate, natural resources, intellectual property, and telecommunication practice areas. He also was proud of the firm’s establishment of new offices in Boulder, Colorado Springs, Salt Lake City, London, and Moscow, and enjoyed working with the branches.
In 1976, HRO founded the J. Churchill Owen Endowment Scholarship Fund at the University of Denver College of Law, in recognition of Church’s fifty years in the practice of law in Colorado as an HRO partner and his role in the education of young lawyers. The main recipients of the scholarship are intended to be University of Denver law students who are former members of the Clubs. Attorneys in the law firm presented a plaque to Church at the time of the scholarship endowment, which read in part: "For advice, Denver goes to Church."
Throughout his career, Church was active in recruiting and training young lawyers. He always thought that Denver and Colorado were full of opportunities for youthful lawyers, and he relished the future of the city and state.
Sources: http://www.cobar.org/tcl/tcl_articles.cfm?articleid=2795
