Profile
Bill Owens served as the 40th Governor of Colorado from 1999-2007 and is a member of the firm’s Government Law & Policy Practice Group. Prior to his service as Governor, Bill was Colorado State Treasurer where he managed a $5 billion investment portfolio. He also served in the State Senate and State House. He focuses his practice in the areas of public policy, energy, infrastructure and water.
As Governor of Colorado, Bill – called the “Best Governor in America” in a cover story in National Review magazine – was elected by his colleagues to serve as Chair of both the Western Governors Association as well as the Republican Governors Association. Bill was a frequent participant in the national policy debate, appearing on the Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS Morning News, Bill O’Reilly, Hannity & Colmes, Hardball, the Wall Street Journal Report and Lou Dobbs.
He began his career in the private sector on the Management Services staff at Touche Ross & Co (today’s Deloitte), followed by nearly a decade as Executive Director of the Colorado Petroleum Association/Executive Vice President of the Rocky Mountain Oil and Gas Association, which represented 400 energy companies active in Colorado and the Rockies.
Bill served as non-executive Vice Chairman of the Royal Bank of Scotland (Global Banking and Markets) and as a Senior Advisor to PCL Construction (Canada’s largest construction company, as well as the fifth largest construction firm in the U.S.), where he specialized in Private Public Partnerships (P3s). Bill served on the board of two private companies prior to their IPO launch: Keating Capital (NASDAQ: KIPO) and Century Communities (NYSE: CCS). He also served on the board of Vision Logistics, an oilfield portfolio company owned by Welsh Carson.
Bill was actively involved in the Soviet Union and Russia from the 1980’s until February 2022, when he ceased all involvement following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, stating, “I stand with my country and Ukraine.” During those years, he was a guest lecturer at Moscow State University, Russia New University (Moscow), Kazan State University in Tatarstan and the Kazakh-British Technical University in Almaty, Kazakhstan. He addressed the Kazakh Senate in Astana, Kazakhstan and has been the keynote speaker at the RAND US/Russia Business Forum in Moscow.
Bill served five years on the Board of Directors and as Chair of the Strategy Committee of the Far Eastern Shipping Company, a Russian railroad, port and shipping company, listed on the MICEX and RTS. Bill served from 2014 until his resignation in February 2022 as the Chairman of the Board of the Credit Bank of Moscow, an investor-owned bank listed on the Moscow Stock Exchange. Bill was an independent director on both boards, representing investors such as the World Bank and the European Bank of Recovery and Development.
Bill earned a master’s degree in public affairs from the University of Texas, where he was awarded a two-year fellowship, and his Bachelor of Science from Stephen F. Austin State University.
Concentrations
- Energy
- Public policy
- Infrastructure
- Water
Capabilities
Recognition & Leadership
- Team Member, Best Lawyers in America® "Top Listed – Government Relations," 2018
- Vice Chairman of the Board, ACE Scholarships
- Co-Chairman of Coloradans for Responsible Energy Development
- Extensive involvement in a wide variety of additional community, civic, charitable and educational organizations, 1980-Present
Credentials
- M.P.A., The University of Texas at Austin, LBJ School of Public Affairs, 1975
- B.S., Stephen F. Austin State University, 1973