John P. Frey
January 2022
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John at his desk in the 1970s.
John P. Frey’s career as a lawyer in Greater Colorado is proof positive that practicing law outside the Denver metropolitan area is a path to success, shining reputation, and enduring influence.
John grew up in Philadelphia. He received his BA from Marietta College in 1968 and his JD from the University of Colorado School of Law in 1972. Along the way, John developed a personal style that drew people to him. His preference for straight talk and honest delivery has created a circle of friends and professional colleagues extending into every corner and still reaching back to his college days.
John is not one to conceal an agenda and tends to lean away from those who do. These virtues drew John into a strong fabric of successful law firms over his 40-plus-year career in Fort Collins, starting with a summer law student internship in the Public Defender’s office under the supervision of Don Nelson. Don took John under his wing, introducing him to the legal and judicial communities in Larimer County. Don’s mentorship was key to John’s early integration into the community.
John built his professional reputation by combining his abundant natural intelligence with his love of the law. Driven by adventurous curiosity, he solved complex legal problems and made it look easy. His approach to the practice allowed him to find joy in applying the law to the infinite nuances of human experience. His trial method placed special emphasis on meticulous preparation (to the point of over-preparation, he would readily admit). His scholarly approach to the details earned him high marks from fellow lawyers, judges, and judicial staff. Word got around, and John’s talents as a litigator were in high demand.
Aside from his litigation background, John’s reputation for scholarship and thoroughness led him to a 30-year term as town attorney for the Town of Windsor and 26 years as general counsel to the Larimer Emergency Telephone Authority. These institutions came to trust, respect, and rely on John over decades of intense population growth in Northern Colorado. His fingerprints are found throughout the groundwork that serves public safety and public welfare across Larimer County and into Weld County.
In smaller communities, lawyers can’t just practice law; they must be visible in the community. John built his network through sustained service to the legal community. Starting with his gold-glove play as a right-side phenom on the local bar association’s softball team, John served as president of the Larimer County Bar Association, and received its highest honor, the Professionalism Award, in 2002. At the state level, he served on the CBA committee that hatched the COBALT program and was a longstanding member of the Colorado Legal Services Board of Directors.
John has served the greater Northern Colorado community as chair of the Larimer County Humane Society and the Poudre River Library District Board. During his tenure as Humane Society chair, John devised a complicated (and successful) voter-approved financing arrangement that built the organization’s animal shelter facility. His collaborative spirit and trusted position with the Humane Society reflect his talents as a lawyer and community member.
John retired from active practice in 2014. He spends his time cycling, golfing, and chasing his grandkids. He has been married to Chris for over 40 years. He still reconvenes his Marietta frat brothers and stays close with his former partners in the law.
Resourceful, trusted, honorable. John P. Frey successfully built a reputation as an advocate, advisor, and community leader in his chosen home of Northern Colorado.
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