Overview

For more than 35 years, Charles “Chuck” Goldberg has represented numerous religious organizations, colleges, and universities in litigation in Colorado and throughout the United States. He regularly represents clients in religious liberty matters, complex civil litigation, and probate disputes.

Chuck has also served as a trial lawyer, judge, arbitrator, and mediator in a wide range of matters, including complex commercial real estate transactions, borrower/lender disputes, disputes over real estate commissions and how the same should be split, condemnation valuation issues, negligence and product liability disputes, condemnations, landlord/tenant disputes, estate planning matters, undue influence, will and trust construction, business valuations, and partnership and corporate dissolutions.

For more than three decades, Chuck served as General Counsel to the Archdiocese of Denver and as General Counsel to the Diocese of Fargo, North Dakota, for more than a decade. Along with Martin Nussbaum, he co-founded and co-chaired the Religious Institutions Group at Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie LLP for more than 20 years. Subsequent to his retirement after 40 years of practice at that firm, Chuck joined Nussbaum Gleason as Of Counsel.

Chuck remains available for client services and consultations, particularly involving religious institutions, where he has devoted more than 35 years of his law practice. Chuck’s religious institutions experience ranges from providing legal advice and counsel to religious leaders on extremely sensitive matters, addressing issues arising out of the Religion Clauses of the U.S. and Colorado Constitutions, sexual abuse issues, drafting employment contracts faithful to the law of the Church, issues arising from employment relationships, Religious Freedom Restoration Act issues, condemnation of church or synagogue properties and unrelated business income tax issues.

Chuck is available to arbitrate or mediate ecclesiastical issues based upon the particular religious laws of the church and to arbitrate or mediate disputes applying Colorado, federal, and common law.

Education

• University of Denver Sturm College of Law, J.D.
• University of Colorado, B.A. English Literature

Bar and Court Admissions

• Colorado
• U.S. Supreme Court
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
• U.S. District Court – Colorado

Affiliations and Awards

• Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation, Bet-the-Company litigation, First Amendment Litigation (2008-2019)
• Isaac Hecht Law Client Protection Award, American Bar Association’s National Client PRotection Organization (2011)
• DU “Law Star” Alumni Professionalism Award, University of Denver Sturm College of Law (2011)
• Benemerenti Medal, award by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI for faithful service to the Roman Catholic Church (2010)
• Colorado Super Lawyers, Civil Litigation, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Appellate (2006-2020), Top 100 Ranking (2012)
• Civis Princeps Award, Regis University (2010)
• Chambers USA, Annual Client’s Guide to Business Lawyers, Commercial Litigation (2005-2015)
• Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year Award, Denver Bar Association (1969)
• Denver and Colorado Bar Associations (1964-Present)
• National Diocesan Attorneys Association, Executive Committee Member (1992-2017)
• American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow (2003-Present)
• Colorado Attorneys’ Fund for Client Protection, Chairman of the Board of Trustees (appointed by the Colorado Supreme Court) (1999-Present)
• Colorado Supreme Court’s Committee on Pattern Jury Instructions (1972-1992)