Kristin Macdonald

Kristin Macdonald is a leading corporate attorney and Chair of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s Hospitality, Resort & Recreation Group. With vast experience in mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, private equity, and securities, she regularly handles over $2 billion in transactions annually. Her expertise in structuring complex deals and anticipating challenges makes her a trusted advisor to corporations, private equity firms, and hospitality businesses.

Kristin earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, graduating with highest honors and Order of St. Ives. She also holds a Master’s degree from the University of Denver Graduate School of International Studies and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Colorado, magna cum laude. Licensed to practice in Colorado, she is an active member of the American Bar Association, Colorado Bar Association, and Colorado Women’s Bar Association.

Kristin’s notable transactions include representing MGM Resorts in its $825 million sale of Circus Circus Hotel Casino, advising The Bay Club Company in its sale to KKR, and facilitating multimillion-dollar acquisitions and sales of luxury resorts, hotels, and real estate assets nationwide. She also serves as outside corporate counsel for businesses navigating regulatory and operational complexities.

Kristin Macdonald is a nationally recognized M&A attorney, named one of 5280’s Top Lawyers in Mergers & Acquisitions (2021) and honored with The M&A Advisor’s 40 Under 40 Emerging Leaders Award (2015). She brings the same leadership to her community, serving on the boards of Community Food Share, Growing Gardens, and the YWCA of Boulder County. Known for her strategic dealmaking and results-driven approach, Kristin is a go-to legal advisor for complex transactions in the hospitality and corporate sectors.

Law Office Affiliations

• Shareholder, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP
• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, Boulder Bar Association
• Member, Colorado Bar Association
• Member, Colorado Women’s Bar Association

Licensed State

• Colorado

Education

• University of Denver Sturm College of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• University of Denver
  MA in International Studies
• University of Colorado
  BA with Magna Cum Laude

Awards & Badges