About
A lawyer who has run the companies he advises
Charlie Knight practices corporate law in Denver. He has also been the client, co-founder, chief executive, chief financial officer, and general counsel of companies that had to make payroll.
The first degree was in experimental psychology, at UC Santa Barbara — an unusual starting point for a corporate lawyer, and one that has never stopped being useful. Most deals come apart over what people believe about each other, not over the numbers.
A JD and an MBA at UCLA followed, then corporate securities in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and New York. That is the conventional half.
The other half is that he has been the client. He co-founded companies and ran them, taking turns as chief executive, chief financial officer, and general counsel across renewable energy, medical devices, real estate, and distribution — some private, some public. It is why he asks a founder about the operating consequence of a clause before arguing about its wording.
The public work runs alongside, not after: general counsel of a state housing finance authority, now a commissioner of a city one, and board seats that scale all the way down to a few blocks of South Pearl Street. The teaching came out of all of it.
A list of questions he is happy to be asked, or just write to him.
Currently
-
General Counsel
CHAI Funds — Colorado Housing Accelerator InitiativeImpact-first social enterprise that pools mission-driven capital to invest in affordable housing across Colorado.
-
Commissioner
Denver Housing AuthorityAppointed by the Mayor of Denver. Strategic oversight and governance of the agency that creates and preserves affordable housing across the city.
-
Adjunct Professor
Daniels College of Business, University of DenverEntrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and career strategy.
-
Instructor
Université Paris-SaclayMergers and acquisitions.
-
Board Member
Urban PeakDenver nonprofit serving youth who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of it.
-
Board Member
Platt Park People's Association
-
Board Member
Old South Pearl Street Merchants Association
Earlier
-
Of Counsel Milgrom Daskam & Ellis
Business and corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, real estate transactions, finance.
-
General Counsel Colorado Housing and Finance Authority
Also served on the authority's board.
-
Founding Partner Venture Law Advisors, LLC
-
Co-founder, CEO, CFO, and General Counsel Private and public companies
Renewable energy, medical device manufacturing, real estate, and product distribution.
-
Corporate securities practice Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and New York City
Education
- JD, University of California, Los Angeles
- MBA, University of California, Los Angeles
- BA in Experimental Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara
- Certified Innovation Mentor, University of Notre Dame