McGeady Becher Cortese Williams P.C. Ranked by Best Law Firms® in 2025
February 27, 2025 — McGeady Becher Cortese Williams P.C. has been recognized in the 2025 edition of Best Law Firms® , a testament to its unwavering commitment to legal excellence. Ranked by Best Law Firms regionally in 1 practice area, McGeady Becher Cortese Williams P.C. has distinguished itself in the legal industry, earning this prestigious accolade.
Firms included in the 2025 Best Law Firms® list are recognized for professional excellence with impressive ratings from clients and peers. To be considered for this milestone achievement, at least one lawyer in the law firm must be recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. “At Best Lawyers, we are proud to recognize law firms that show an unwavering commitment to excellence, innovation, and client satisfaction,” said Philip Greer, Chief Executive Officer of Best Lawyers. “In the legal arena, credibility is earned through consistent quality, which has propelled these firms to the forefront of the legal industry.”
Achieving a ranking in Best Law Firms signifies high-quality legal practice and a depth of legal proficiency. Recognized firms, categorized into three tiers, receive acclaim on both national and metropolitan levels, reflecting the extent of their practice and geographic reach. Receiving a tier designation represents an elite status, reflecting the integrity and reputation earned by law firms.
The 2025 edition of Best Law Firms® includes rankings in 75 national practice areas and 127 metropolitan-based practice areas. The transparent, collaborative research process employs qualitative and quantitative data from peer and client reviews, supported by proprietary algorithmic technology, to produce a tiered system of industry-led rankings of the top 4% of the industry.
McGeady Becher Cortese Williams P.C. received the following rankings in the 2025 Best Law Firms®:
- Regional Tier 1
- Colorado
- Real Estate Law
- Colorado
We are also pleased to announce that MaryAnn M. McGeady, Elisabeth Cortese and Paula Williams have been recognized as “Best Lawyer.” Recognition by Best Lawyers is widely regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor, conferred on a lawyer by their peers. For more than four decades, their publications have earned the respect of the profession, the media, and the public as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals anywhere.
About Best Law Firms®
Best Law Firms®, ranked by Best Lawyers® and respected for over 14 years, is the most credible ranking of exceptional law firms globally. It is rooted in a rigorous, peer-to-peer, industry-driven evaluation. A ranking from Best Law Firms signifies a high-quality practice and a breadth of legal expertise. Ranked firms, presented in three tiers, are recognized on a national and metropolitan scale, providing legal professionals with an elevated stature from the Best Law Firms recognition. For more information, visit www.bestlawfirms.com.
About Best Lawyers®
Best Lawyers® is the oldest and most respected peer-review research and marketing company in the legal profession. Best Lawyers compiles extensive recognitions by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys in which tens of thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate the work of their fellow legal professionals within their local market and specialty. Lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore, recognition by Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. For more information, visit www.bestlawyers.com.
We are also pleased to announce that MaryAnn M. McGeady, Elisabeth Cortese and Paula Williams have been recognized as “Best Lawyer.” Recognition by Best Lawyers is widely regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor, conferred on a lawyer by their peers. For more than four decades, their publications have earned the respect of the profession, the media, and the public as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals anywhere.
Announcement
We are pleased to announce that MaryAnn McGeady, Elisabeth A. Cortese, and Paula J. Williams have been recognized by Best Lawyers® in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® in the field of Real Estate. Recognition by Best Lawyers® is widely regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor, conferred on a lawyer by their peers. For over 40 years, Best Lawyers® has been esteemed by both legal professionals and the public as a premier benchmark for legal integrity and distinction in the United States. Consequently, being recognized by Best Lawyers® is a testament to exceptional practice.
Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers recognitions are compiled based on an exhaustive Purely Peer Review® evaluation. More than 184,000 industry leading lawyers are eligible to vote (from around the world). Best Lawyers has received more than 25.8 million evaluations on the legal abilities of other lawyers based on their specific practice areas around the world. For the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, more than 23 million votes were analyzed.
McGeady Becher P.C. – “Best Law Firms” 2024
November 20, 2023…McGeady Becher P.C. is pleased to announce that we have been included in the 2024 edition of U.S. News Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” list, receiving national recognition in the Real Estate area. The complete list is available at U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firms®.
The “Best Law Firms” ranking is determined by peer reviews from leading attorneys, client and lawyer evaluations and a review of information provided by law firms for the formal submission process. Firms are required to have at least one lawyer in their practice included in Best Lawyers for that practice area to qualify for ranking. More information on the “Best Law Firms” eligibility and requirements can be found at www.bestlawyers.com/methodology.
We are also pleased to announce that MaryAnn M. McGeady has been recognized as “Best Lawyer.” Recognition by Best Lawyers is widely regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor, conferred on a lawyer by their peers. For more than four decades, their publications have earned the respect of the profession, the media, and the public as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals anywhere.
Timothy P. O’Connor Joins McGeady Becher
June 7, 2021…DENVER, COLORADO…McGeady Becher, the leading legal advisor for special district projects in Colorado, is pleased to announce that Timothy P. O’Connor has become an associate of the Firm effective as of June 7, 2021. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School, where his studies focused on real estate law. Prior to joining the firm, Timothy represented a wide variety of clients in various real estate matters involving land use, zoning, conveyancing, and title curative.
For more information, contact:
Cheryl Matlosz
Director of Practice Development
McGeady Becher
450 E. 17th Avenue, Suite 400
Denver, CO 80203
303-592-4380
The Passing of Mary Jo Dougherty
October 29, 2019…DENVER, COLORADO…It is with deep sorrow that McGeady Becher shares the news that Mary Jo Dougherty passed away peacefully on Sunday, October 29, 2019, surrounded by her family. Mary Jo began her legal career as a paralegal before attending law school at the University of Denver and later joining our firm in 1999. She was elected to shareholder of the firm two years later in 2001. You can read more about Mary Jo’s life and career here. In lieu of flowers, the family expressed their request to have donations made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) in Mary Jo’s name.
For more information, contact:
Cheryl Matlosz
Director of Practice Development
McGeady Becher
450 E. 17th Avenue, Suite 400
Denver, CO 80203
303-592-4380
Kate M. Olson Joins McGeady Becher
January 31, 2019…DENVER, COLORADO…McGeady Becher, the leading legal advisor for special district projects in Colorado, is pleased to announce that Kate M. Olson has become an associate of the Firm effective as of January 31, 2019. Ms. Olson’s practice will emphasize special districts, municipal finance, municipal law, and real estate. She brings to the Firm nearly 20 years of experience representing a wide variety of clients in matters involving real estate development, land use, zoning, housing, planned unit developments, and historic preservation.
For more information, contact:
Cheryl Matlosz
Director of Practice Development
McGeady Becher
450 E. 17th Avenue, Suite 400
Denver, CO 80203
303-592-4380
Jon T. Hoistad Joins McGeady Becher
July 31, 2018…DENVER, COLORADO…McGeady Becher, the leading legal advisor for special district projects in Colorado, is pleased to announce that Jon T. Hoistad has become associates of the Firm effective as of July 31, 2018. Mr. Hoistad practice will emphasize special districts, municipal finance, municipal law, and real estate.
Mr. Hoistad brings to the Firm several years of experience representing municipalities, special districts, development authorities, and planning and zoning commissions. His prior experience also includes land use and development, and commercial and residential real estate transactions on behalf of both private and government entities. Mr. Hoistad is a graduate of the University of Colorado School of Law.
For more information, contact:
Cheryl Matlosz
Director of Practice Development
McGeady Becher
450 E. 17th Avenue, Suite 400
Denver, CO 80203
303-592-4380
Cheryl Matlosz Join McGeady Becher as Director of Practice Development
April 16, 2018…DENVER, COLORADO…McGeady Becher, the leading advisor for special districts in Colorado, is pleased to announce that Cheryl Matlosz has joined the firm as the Director of Practice Development effective April 16, 2018. Cheryl will devote her time working on Professional Development, Business Development, and overall Firm Management activities. Cheryl brings with her a wide depth of law firm industry knowledge and practices. She has worked in the legal industry for over 18 years in both Am Law 200 firms and Fortune 500 corporate legal departments. In 2017, Cheryl was named an Outstanding Legal Professional by Law Week Colorado.
For more information, contact:
McGeady Becher
450 E. 17th Avenue, Suite 400
Denver, CO 80203
303-592-4380
Mary Jo Dougherty Named LLS Woman of the Year
May 29, 2017…DENVER, COLORADO…Congratulations to McGeady Becher shareholder, Mary Jo Dougherty, who was recently named The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Rocky Mountain Woman of the Year in recognition of her amazing fundraising efforts that yielded nearly $240,000 for blood cancer research and critical services that improve the quality of life for patients and their families.
Every three minutes, someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with a blood cancer – that’s over 170,000 people each year. In September 2013, Dougherty’s life changed overnight when she became a part of that statistic. What she believed to be pain caused by a sports injury turned out to be multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that causes cancer cells to accumulate in the bone marrow where they crowd out healthy blood cells. The cancer had eaten away Dougherty’s L3 vertebrae, requiring immediate surgery before she could begin chemotherapy, and then a stem cell treatment followed in July of 2014.
While multiple myeloma is treatable, it is not curable. Following her stem cell treatment, Dougherty was in remission for over a year, but in November of 2015 her cancer markers started rising. She is now enrolled in a clinical trial in an effort to keep the cancer at bay, and her markers continue to bounce up and down. In the meantime, Dougherty has returned to her active lifestyle, and spends as much time as possible skiing, windsurfing, hiking, and enjoying her young grandchildren.
Dougherty was honored to be nominated as a candidate for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s 2017 Man & Woman of the Year Campaign, a spirited ten-week fundraising competition among a group of 17 leaders from across the greater Denver area. Dougherty has never been comfortable asking others for money, but in the midst of so much uncertainty surrounding her own health, she knows that funding LLS research to develop new treatments is the way we will find cures for all those battling not just blood cancers, but other cancers as well. In fact, almost half of the new therapies approved by the FDA from 2000 to 2012 to treat all types of cancers were first approved for blood cancer patients.
At the conclusion of the ten-week Man & Woman of the Year fundraising campaign, the 17 Rocky Mountain region candidates collective raised almost $850,000 for the LLS, far exceeding the regional goal of $700,000. These funds will be invested in leading-edge research that investigates the causes of blood cancers, seeks better therapies, and provides information and services to patients and their families.
Dougherty and her fundraising team raised $239,833 for the LLS, the most among all the Rocky Mountain candidates, and nearly 30% of the regional total. At the Grand Finale Gala at the Denver Marriott City Center on Saturday, May 20, 2017, Dougherty was named the LLS Rocky Mountain Woman of the Year.
Founded in 1949, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is the world’s largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. The LLS mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkins disease, and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families.
Nationally, the funds generated through Man & Woman of the Year, along with all other annual campaigns, have helped the LLS to invest more than $1 billion in blood cancer research since 1954, and fund approximately $80 million in cutting-edge research annually, with a current multi-year investment plan of $286.4 million. The LLS also assists blood cancer patients by providing $49.2 million in copay assistance, providing education programs to patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers, connecting patients and survivors for one to one peer support, and sponsoring monthly support groups that provide both peer and professional counseling.
For more information, contact:
McGeady Becher
450 E. 17th Avenue, Suite 400
Denver, CO 80203
303-592-4380
Emily Murphy Joins McGeady Becher
March 7, 2016…DENVER, COLORADO…McGeady Becher, the leading legal advisor for special district projects in Colorado, is pleased to announce that Emily Murphy has become an associate of the Firm effective as of March 7, 2016. Ms. Murphy’s practice will emphasize special districts, municipal finance, municipal law, and real estate.
Prior to joining McGeady Becher, Ms. Murphy worked as in-house legal counsel for an insurance company, where she was responsible for drafting, negotiating and reviewing essential business contracts, and assisting with the risk management of businesses across a broad range of industries. Ms. Murphy is a graduate of the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.
For more information, contact:
McGeady Becher
450 E. 17th Avenue, Suite 400
Denver, CO 80203
303-592-4380
McGeady Sisneros Announces Firm Name Change to McGeady Becher
December 1, 2015…DENVER, COLORADO…McGeady Sisneros, the leading legal advisor for special district projects in Colorado, is proud to announce the Firm’s name change to McGeady Becher.
MaryAnn McGeady, Megan Becher, and Mary Jo Dougherty are shareholders of the nine-attorney firm that, since 1988, has successfully worked on many of the most complex development and redevelopment projects in Denver and throughout the state of Colorado. Concurrent with the name change, the Firm is pleased to announce the promotion of Elisabeth Cortese, Cassia Furman and Paula Williams to Senior Associates.
Shareholder Megan Becher says, “These changes to the Firm come at a very exciting time in the Colorado real estate industry, and McGeady Becher looks forward to moving into its next chapter with energy equal to that driving the development market and its thriving client base.”
McGeady Becher specializes in special district organization, representation, and public finance, developing creative strategies and solutions to ensure projects are successfully structured and communities are poised to thrive. The Firm remains committed to providing the highest standard of excellence in client service and quality work, which is demonstrated by the Firm’s responsiveness, communication, fairness and integrity.
Reflecting the Firm’s continued focus on special districts, their website and email addresses have been updated to: www.specialdistrictlaw.com. Our previous email addresses will also continue to work for a period of time.
For more information, contact:
McGeady Becher
450 E. 17th Avenue, Suite 400
Denver, CO 80203
303-592-4380