Christian Otteson

Christian Otteson is a partner with Shapiro Bieging Barber Otteson LLP, and is the director of the firm’s financial services practice. Mr. Otteson’s principal areas of practice include assisting corporations and financial institutions with mergers, acquisitions, public and private securities offerings and securities reporting, governance issues, general commercial agreements, technology-related issues and matters involving state and federal banking laws, regulations and supervisory agencies. He also assists financial institutions with the negotiation of regulatory agreements, business and capital plans, and with administrative proceedings related to cease and desist orders and other forms of regulatory enforcement action. Mr. Otteson serves as outside general counsel for many banks and bank holding companies, and in that capacity assists boards and management with strategic and risk management planning, and execution of resulting strategies.

Prior to joining Shapiro Bieging Barber Otteson LLP, Mr. Otteson practiced for many years in the Corporate and Securities Section of an international law firm, working specifically in the Financial Services Group. Mr. Otteson also worked in various positions as corporate counsel for a public regional bank, including as General Counsel and Secretary, where he represented the bank and its holding company on matters involving mergers and acquisitions, capital raising and securities reporting, governance, compensation matters, as well as its outsourcing activities, regulatory compliance and general commercial agreements.

Mr. Otteson has lectured extensively on a variety of banking law topics, including bank mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, strategic planning and regulatory compliance. From 2005 to 2008 Mr. Otteson served on the National Arbitration Board of the National Automated Clearing House Association. He is a Texas Business Hall of Fame Scholar.

Mr. Otteson was named Barrister’s Best “People’s Choice” in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 by Law Week Colorado.  In this statewide annual survey, the staff and readers of Colorado’s top legal publication choose winners in over 100 different categories celebrating the best of the legal world in Colorado. Mr. Otteson was voted “Best Banking Lawyer.”

Denver’s top lifestyle publication, 5280 magazine, named Mr. Otteson to its list of Top Lawyers in the “Banking” category in 2018, 2019 and 2020. The rankings are based on ballots cast by thousands of lawyers in the seven-county Denver metro area, as well as the magazine’s extensive research.