Denver's never-ending La Loma saga just got messier. A law firm that helped steer one of the restaurant family's former owners through a high-dollar divorce is now suing her for roughly $2.4 million in unpaid legal fees, saying it held off on collecting while she could not tap into marital assets. The fresh complaint lands on top of a pile of ongoing lawsuits that have left multiple La Loma locations - and the people who built them - squarely in the legal crosshairs.
Firm demands remaining balance
Womble Bond Dickinson's Denver office says it represented Renee Brinkerhoff from May 2023 through December 2025 and ultimately billed about $3.3 million for its work. According to the lawsuit, Renee's ex-husband, William Brinkerhoff, has already paid roughly $850,000 under the divorce ruling, leaving close to $2.4 million still outstanding. The firm says it agreed to temporarily hold off on collection efforts at Renee's request while she lacked access to her share of the marital estate and is now seeking the rest in court. Renee Brinkerhoff did not respond to emails or phone calls seeking comment, according to BusinessDen.
How the restaurants were split
When the divorce wrapped up in December 2024, Renee walked away with roughly $29.5 million in cash and property, along with control of the La Loma locations in McGregor Square, Parker, and the Denver Tech Center, as reported by the Denver Gazette. Other La Loma restaurants went to William and his son, Mark. That split has fueled a tangle of trademark, property, and construction disputes, showing that dividing the assets did not come close to ending the family brand's legal dustups.
Other suits keep the dispute simmering
On top of Womble's fee fight, contractors Gene and Clark Atkinson have sued over what they say are unpaid bills for work on several Brinkerhoff projects, with those cases set for trial in 2027. A design firm has also taken the La Loma McGregor Square location to court for about $87,000, BusinessDen reported. Womble's complaint says the firm agreed to defer full payment while Renee did not have access to the marital estate and is now trying to collect what it believes it is owed. Taken together, the overlapping lawsuits underline that the divorce settlement did not put an end to the business fights tied to the restaurants.
Brand and diners caught in the crossfire
In the middle of all this, William and Mark Brinkerhoff have rebranded their former La Loma locations on Broadway and in Castle Rock as Savina's, a change that rolled out last year, while Renee and her son continue to operate the remaining La Loma spots, according to 5280. So the court fights churn along even as openings, name changes, and remodels keep coming, leaving customers to focus on the enchiladas while lawyers haggle over invoices. For now, the story of La Loma is as much about liens and legal fees as it is about green chile.
The Womble lawsuit is the latest reminder that splitting a family business rarely ends with a single court order. The next chapter will play out back in the courtroom, where judges and creditors will decide who pays what, and when.
