Associate
Shelby Deeney
Legal Assistant
Shelby Deeney is an associate at Berg Hill Greenleaf Ruscitti. Her practice consists of criminal defense and personal injury matters.
Previously, Ms. Deeney served as a Senior Deputy State Public Defender in both the Arapahoe County Trial Office and statewide Appellate Division. In her 7 plus years at the Colorado State Public Defender, Ms. Deeney has successfully represented thousands of clients in almost every type of Colorado Court, from trials in county and district court to appeals in the Colorado Court of Appeals and Colorado Supreme Court. Shelby is a compassionate, empathetic, and dedicated defender, who provides the highest quality representation no matter the offense. She works tirelessly to resolve cases creatively by presenting novel legal arguments, collecting mitigation, and negotiating with the district attorney.
In law school, Ms. Deeney was on the nationally ranked Wash U Trial Team and served as an Executive Articles Editor for the Washington University Jurisprudence review. She received numerous awards for her academic performance, oral advocacy and trial skills, and her dedication to public interest.
Shelby grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, so she proudly loves barbeque, Elvis, and blues and soul music. When not in the courtroom or office, she enjoys hiking, skiing, camping, and spending time outside with her family: husband, son, and rescue dog and cat.
EDUCATION & ADMISSIONS
JURIS DOCTOR
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY OF LAW
BACHELOR OF ARTS
TUFTS UNIVERSITY
Colorado
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Court
Professional Associations
Colorado Bar Association
Colorado Women’s Bar Association
Criminal Defense Bar Association
Honors & Awards
Legal Practice Excellence in Oral Advocacy Award
CALI Award (highest grade in class): Natural Resources Law and Civil Justice Clinic
Honor Scholar Award 2013 (based on yearly GPA for top 10% of class)
Dean’s List: Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Spring 2013
Judge John W. Calhoun Trial Practice Award
Jack Garden Humanitarian Award
Pro Bono Pledge Award
Publications
Bioethical Considerations of Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis for Sex Selection, 5 Wash. U. Jur. Rev. 333 (2013).
Shelby’s Blog
Client Alert: Colorado Places New Restrictions on Non-Compete Agreements Between Employers and their Employees
Colorado has long disfavored non-compete agreements within the state. Historically, under C.R.S. § 8-2-113, restrictive covenants were void and unenforceable except for under specific circumstances, including: the purchase and sale of a business or the assets of a...
CA CLIENT ALERT: The Supreme Court Holds That Individual Claims Brought Under California’s Private Attorneys General Act Can Be Compelled to Arbitration
California employers scored a victory with the Supreme Court’s June 15, 2022 decision in Viking River Cruises, Inc. v. Moriana, Case No. 20-1573, which finds that individual claims brought under California’s Private Attorneys General Act (“PAGA”) can be compelled...
OSHA COVID Emergency Temporary Standard for Employers
In early September, the White House directed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to develop and issue an emergency temporary standard (ETS) mandating that employers with 100 or more employees require employees to be fully vaccinated or submit to...
In the News
Managing Partner Releases His First Book, Cobblestones, Conversations, and Corks
Today, August 16, 2022, firm managing partner Giovanni Ruscitti releases his first book, Cobblestones, Conversations, and Corks: A Son’s Discovery of his Italian Heritage, a memoir about his parents and their struggles during World War II, their extreme post-war...
Berg Hill Greenleaf Ruscitti Announces “BHGR 2030”
Environmental sustainability has been a recurring priority for Berg Hill Greenleaf Ruscitti LLP. Over the last three years, the firm has worked diligently on a progressive plan to operate sustainably and be a leader in sustainability in our communities and the legal...
DenX Summer Session
The firm joined BusinessDen on the rooftop of Expansive Coworking for the summer session of DenX, a women's networking event that the firm has presented in partnership with BusinessDen for many years. Take a look at scenes from the event, and keep an eye out for the...
Firm Happenings
Client Alert: Colorado Places New Restrictions on Non-Compete Agreements Between Employers and their Employees
Colorado has long disfavored non-compete agreements within the state. Historically, under C.R.S. § 8-2-113, restrictive covenants were void and unenforceable except for under specific circumstances, including: the purchase and sale of a business or the assets of a...
Partner Peter Nichols Talks Super Ditch Project at the Colorado Law Conference on Natural Resources
The University of Colorado Boulder hosted the 42nd Annual Colorado Law Conference on Natural Resources on June 16th and 17th. The Colorado River was the focus of this year's conference given the dramatic decline in the levels of Lakes Powell and Mead. Low Water At...
CA CLIENT ALERT: The Supreme Court Holds That Individual Claims Brought Under California’s Private Attorneys General Act Can Be Compelled to Arbitration
California employers scored a victory with the Supreme Court’s June 15, 2022 decision in Viking River Cruises, Inc. v. Moriana, Case No. 20-1573, which finds that individual claims brought under California’s Private Attorneys General Act (“PAGA”) can be compelled...