Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern
Ruegsegger Simons & Stern is a Denver-based defense law firm specializing in workers' compensation defense for employers and insurance carriers, with additional civil litigation, employment law, and Medicare Set-Aside services. Founded in 1999, the firm has 26 attorneys serving Colorado and multi-jurisdictional clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersDenver, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern does
Ruegsegger Simons & Stern, LLC is a privately held defense law firm founded in 1999 and headquartered at 1700 Lincoln Street, Suite 4500, Denver, Colorado. The firm specializes in workers' compensation defense, representing employers and insurance carriers through all phases of claims and hearings in Colorado and additional jurisdictions. It has grown to 26 attorneys plus support staff (firmographic headcount 101-250) and self-describes as the premier workers' compensation defense firm in the State of Colorado. Core practice areas include workers' compensation defense, civil litigation defense (medical malpractice, products liability, premises liability, employment claims, constitutional civil rights), appeals, subrogation recovery, and Medicare Set-Aside compliance services.
The firm serves four primary client segments: self-insured employers and Fortune 100 corporations requiring workers' compensation and employment law defense, insurance carriers needing claims defense and coverage counsel, healthcare providers facing medical malpractice and litigation exposure, and private and public companies requiring general civil litigation defense. The firm is led by Managing Member Douglas P. Ruegsegger (35+ years of workers' compensation practice) alongside founding Members Thomas M. Stern and Lisa A. Simons. Attorneys are admitted across multiple jurisdictions including Colorado, Arizona, Missouri, and Iowa, with arguments heard before the Colorado Supreme Court and Court of Appeals.
The firm operates on a professional services billing model — hourly rates, flat fees, and contingency arrangements for select matters — with fees negotiated on a per-engagement basis. There is no publicly disclosed pricing, no subscription or alternative fee arrangement published, and no technology platform; the firm is structured as a traditional partnership-style LLC with no external parent, no private equity backing, and no institutional investment. Distribution occurs exclusively through direct attorney-client engagement, supported by referral pipelines via industry associations (Professionals in Workers' Compensation), CLE instruction, and adjunct faculty positions at the University of Colorado Law School.
Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern
- Legal name
- Ruegsegger Simons & Stern, LLC
- Website
- https://rs3legal.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Ruegsegger Simons & Stern is a Denver-based defense law firm specializing in workers' compensation defense for employers and insurance carriers, with additional civil litigation, employment law, and Medicare Set-Aside services. Founded in 1999, the firm has 26 attorneys serving Colorado and multi-jurisdictional clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Defense Legal Services
- NAICS
- Offices of Lawyers (541110)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Personal Injury & Insurance Defense (BPAHAAAM)
Keywords
Where Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Denver
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Legal Services Billing: The firm generates revenue through legal services provided to employers, insurance carriers, and businesses for workers' compensation defense, civil litigation, employment law, and related legal matters. Revenue is generated through traditional legal billing mechanisms including hourly rates, flat fees for specific services, and potentially contingency arrangements for certain matters.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Legal services are provided on a quote-based per-engagement basis |
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ruegsegger Simons & Stern, LLC is a full-service defense law firm established in 1999 in Denver, Colorado, providing legal representation primarily to employers and insurance carriers in workers' compensation defense matters. The firm also offers civil litigation defense (medical malpractice, products liability, premises liability), employment law advisory and defense, appellate representation, subrogation recovery, and Medicare Set-Aside services. The firm employs 26 attorneys licensed in multiple jurisdictions and serves clients ranging from closely held businesses to Fortune 100 corporations.
Product overview
Ruegsegger Simons & Stern, LLC is a full-service defense law firm offering legal services primarily in workers' compensation defense, along with civil litigation defense, employment law, appeals, subrogation, and Medicare set-aside matters. The firm operates as a unified legal services practice rather than a modular software platform, with its core services provided by a team of attorneys across multiple practice areas. The firm's main offerings include Workers' Compensation Defense, Civil Litigation Defense, Employment Law, Appeals, Subrogation, and Medicare Set-Aside services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Workers' Compensation Defense
- Civil Litigation Defense
- Employment Law
- Appeals
- Subrogation
- Medicare Set-Aside
Quantifiable outcome
- Successfully litigated thousands of workers' compensation claims in Colorado
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP: Large full-service firm with a Denver presence and significant insurance, employment, and litigation practices. Comparable as a competitor for larger Colorado-based corporate clients seeking integrated defense services.
- Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart, P.C. National labor and employment law firm with a growing workers' compensation practice, representing employers across the U.S. Comparable as a competitor in the employment law and employer defense space, with broader geographic and practice coverage.
- Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP: National full-service defense firm with strong workers' compensation, employment, and insurance defense practices and a Denver office. Comparable as a scaled competitor targeting the same insurance carrier and self-insured employer clients.
- Jackson Lewis P.C. One of the largest U.S. employment and labor law firms representing employers, including workers' compensation matters. Comparable as a competitor in employer-side defense work, with significantly broader national reach.
- Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP: National full-service defense firm with strong workers' compensation, employment, products liability, and professional liability practices. Comparable as a direct competitor for the same insurance carrier and employer defense engagements, but with significantly broader geographic reach.
- Littler Mendelson P.C. Largest U.S. employment and labor law firm exclusively representing employers. Comparable as an employer-side defense competitor in the employment law adjacent practice area where the subject firm is expanding.
- Fisher & Phillips LLP: National labor and employment law firm representing employers, with related workers' compensation capabilities. Comparable as a competitor for employer defense engagements, with national scale.
- Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP: One of the largest U.S. defense firms with a national workers' compensation, employment, and general liability practice. Comparable on practice mix and client base, and a likely consolidator or competitor as carriers rationalize defense panels.
Direct peers
- Hall & Evans, LLC: Long-standing Denver-based defense firm offering workers' compensation, civil litigation, employment law, and insurance defense. Directly comparable as a Colorado-headquartered mid-sized defense firm with overlapping practice areas and client segments (employers, insurers).
Regional players
- Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell LLP: Denver-based litigation firm with a national trial practice spanning commercial disputes, products liability, employment, and insurance defense. Comparable as a Colorado-headquartered mid-sized firm competing for the same corporate and insurer defense work.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern social profiles
Digital presenceRuegsegger Simons Smith & Stern financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern
What does Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern do?
Ruegsegger Simons & Stern, LLC is a full-service defense law firm established in 1999 in Denver, Colorado, providing legal representation primarily to employers and insurance carriers in workers' compensation defense matters. The firm also offers civil litigation defense (medical malpractice, products liability, premises liability), employment law advisory and defense, appellate representation, subrogation recovery, and Medicare Set-Aside services. The firm employs 26 attorneys licensed in multiple jurisdictions and serves clients ranging from closely held businesses to Fortune 100 corporations.
Is Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern a public or private company?
Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern founded?
Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern was founded in 1999. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern based?
Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern is headquartered in Denver, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern make money?
One revenue line is on record: legal Services Billing.
Who are Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart, P.C., Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP, Jackson Lewis P.C., Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP, Littler Mendelson P.C., Fisher & Phillips LLP and Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP. Hall & Evans, LLC is listed as a direct peer. Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell LLP is listed as a regional player.
Does Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern.
What industry is Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern in?
Ruegsegger Simons Smith & Stern's product category is Defense Legal Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAAAM, Personal Injury & Insurance Defense. Its NAICS code is 541110 and its SIC code is 8111.