Added value: Two new members appointed to Primerus Board of Directors
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Added value
Two new members appointed to Primerus Board of Directors
By Tom Kirvan
A second generation of leadership has emerged on the Primerus Board of Directors with the recent appointment of two new members, according to Jack Buchanan, founder and president of the international alliance of law firms.
Nicole Quintana, a partner with Ogborn Mihm LLP in Denver, Colo., and Christian Stegmaier, senior shareholder and president of Collins & Lacy, P.C. in Columbia, S.C., have been appointed to the seven-member board that oversees the global organization of more than 160 law firms.
“Both Nicole and Christian have a history of involvement with Primerus, and each represent the second generation of their respective firms to be named to our board,” said Buchanan. “They both will bring great insight and value to the board.”
Each was appointed to a one-year term that began January 1, open to renewal in 2025. They replace outgoing members Bob Bivins of Bivins & Hemenway, P.A. in Valrico, Fla. and David Villadolid of Burch & Cracchiolo, P.A. in Phoenix, Ariz., both of whom served two years on the Primerus Board.
Quintana, a University of Colorado alumna who graduated with honors from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, practices primarily in the area of business litigation and catastrophic personal injury, while also handling legal malpractice and construction litigation, including construction defect cases.
After earning her college degree in English, Quintana obtained her paralegal certificate and began working for her future law partners, trial attorneys Murray and Mike Ogborn. She spent four years as a paralegal before enrolling at Sturm College of Law while working full time.
Despite the rigors of work and law school, Quintana excelled as a member of the trial team at Sturm. In recent years, she has maintained the connection by serving as an adjunct professor at her legal alma mater, instructing the school’s National Trial Team, in addition to teaching the Trial Practicum and Day One courses.
When Quintana launched her legal career, the Denver firm had just a handful of attorneys. It now has more than 20 combined with a like number of staff members. She became a partner in 2018, a milestone that she continues to treasure.
One of three children, Quintana and her husband, Nick, have two children of their own, Grey and Avery. A past chair of the Young Lawyers Section for Primerus, Quintana currently serves on the Leadership Committee of its Personal Injury Institute. She also serves as an ambassador to new members and as a member of the Quality of Life Committee , taking lessons learned in her own practice and sharing them with others involved in Primerus.
Stegmaier, who serves as chair of the Retail & Hospitality Practice Group at Collins & Lacy, P.C., earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of South Carolina, and also obtained a master’s degree in public health and a juris doctor degree from USC.
A member of the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), Stegmaier maintains an active practice in complex litigation, business litigation, and insurance law. He has earned a reputation in South Carolina as a “go-to” lawyer in Dram Shop/Alcohol Liability litigation.
In addition to his practice, Stegmaier has been a member of the adjunct faculty at USC’s nationally acclaimed College of Hospitality, Retail & Sport Management. He also is a major in the South Carolina State Guard, where he is a Staff Judge Advocate and commander of the JAG Detachment. As the point person for Primerus at Collins & Lacy, P.C., Stegmaier has served as chair of the Premises Liability Practice Group for the international organization.
Stegmaier earned his Eagle Scout Badge as a youth and remains an active supporter of the Boy Scouts of America. He and his family attend New Hope Lutheran Church, where he has served as president of the congregation.
Quintana and Stegmaier join a Primerus Board that includes three equity members – Jack Buchanan, Sheila Buchanan, and Rob Buchanan – and four at-large members. As at-large members, Quintana and Stegmaier are joined by Eckart Brödermann of Brödermann Jahn in Hamburg, Germany and Roger Brothers of the California firm of Brothers Smith LLP.
The framework of the board, according to President Buchanan, reflects the importance of giving members a strong voice in the operation of Primerus.
“Primerus is structured in such a way to give members a major role in the management of the organization,” said Buchanan. “From the start, we have wanted this to be a member-driven organization that is responsive to their needs and ideas. This management concept along with our commitment to the values of the Six Pillars have helped keep Primerus unique and attractive to members and clients.”