Scott McCoy of Denver, Colorado is an experienced general counsel and managing partner with a focus on compliance, commercial contracts, government contracts, legal department management, risk management, and mergers & acquisitions (M&A).
He currently works with Cold Springs Partners (CSP), which is a private equity and consulting firm that he co-founded in 2016. In addition to his full-time job, he also maintained a small cattle farm in Virginia for over 12 years before deciding to focus solely on CSP in 2020.
By 2021, Scott was hired by the Denver International Airport where he became the leader and motivator of its team of lawyers, legal assistants, and paralegals. He was also responsible for the creation and implementation of a new plan in the airport to help resolve long-standing litigation and government enforcement actions relative to airport noise and surrounding jurisdictions. Aside from that, his commitment to improving the legal department has resulted in the satisfaction of airport customers and their lawyers and paralegals.
Prior to his current role, he also worked with a few other world-renowned organizations like ExxonMobil, Thales, and Siemens.
He has a Juris Doctor from the University of Houston Law Center, a bachelor’s degree from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, as well as a certificate from Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po) in Paris. He is also a member of both Texas and Colorado Bar Associations, with an inactive bar membership in Virginia.
Now that Scott is back full-time at CSP, he uses his knowledge and years of expertise to assist the company in reaching its goal of assisting small firms with professionalizing their business and legal operations so they may transition into high-growth mode as larger enterprises. CSP’s investment goals are a mix of short-term market plays and focusing on hospitality investments.
Scott’s greatest joy comes from the opportunity to improve people’s lives through his work, whether it be their clients, employees, or the community. He contributes his time and knowledge to a variety of civic and social causes including The Hoffman Institute, One Colorado, and Equality Virginia.
How did Cold Springs Partners get started?
In 2016, I began Cold Springs Partners with some of my previous coworkers. We all think that there are a lot of possibilities in the legal and business consultancy industries as well as across a wide range of investment assets. We wanted to apply what we’d learned across a wide range of interests rather than being restricted to one employer or client, so we decided to collaborate.
From there, we began to pitch our services to a number of clients and were able to land some good projects, which helped us get on our feet. After that, we decided that we wanted to focus mainly on private equity and small business consulting although we have also done a fair amount of work for large corporations as well. We think there are a lot of opportunities there to help businesses professionalize their business and legal operations and transition into a successful high-growth future.
What are CSP’s investment goals?
Our investment goals are a mix of short-term market plays and longer-term hospitality investments. We’re always looking for ways to generate value for our investors, whether it be through identifying new opportunities or improving existing portfolio companies.
Our team believes that there’s a lot of potential in the small business space, so we’re always on the lookout for new companies to invest in. We’re also interested in the hospitality industry because we think there’s a lot of opportunity for growth there, especially after the end of covid restrictions.
What motivates you to continue working with CSP?
I’m motivated by the opportunity to improve people’s lives through my work, whether it be our clients, employees, or the community. I’m also motivated by the challenge of constantly learning and evolving in my role.
I think that the work we do at CSP is important and I’m proud to be a part of it. I’m also lucky to have a great team that I enjoy working with.
What are some of your favorite things about your job?
I enjoy the challenge of my work and the opportunity to learn new things. I also enjoy the people I work with and the chance to make a positive difference in the lives of our clients, employees, and the community.
If I would be given the chance to go back in time and do something different, I’m not sure that I would. I’ve been very fortunate in my career and I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had and the lessons I’ve learned from both successes and failures. As Maya Angelou wrote, “wouldn’t trade nothing for my journey now.”
How do you make things happen?
I’m a big believer in the power of teamwork and collaboration. I think it’s important to surround yourself with talented people and then get out of their way.
I also think it’s important to be flexible and adaptable. Things never go exactly as planned, so you need to be able to roll with the punches and adjust on the fly.
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced so far and what have you learned from them?
I think one of the biggest challenges has been managing expectations. When you’re working with a lot of different people, it’s important to be clear about what you can and can’t do. It’s also important to be realistic about what results you can achieve.
If you’re not careful, it’s easy to overpromise and underdeliver. I’ve learned that it’s important to be honest with people from the start and to set realistic expectations.
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs? attorneys?
To those who’d like to start in entrepreneurship or law, my best advice would be not to give up, no matter how challenging it gets. It’s easy to get discouraged, especially when you’re first starting out, but it’s important to remember that success is never guaranteed.
There will always be obstacles and setbacks, but it’s important to persevere and keep moving forward. If you give up, you’ll never know what you could have achieved.
I would also advise aspiring entrepreneurs and attorneys to surround themselves with good people. Whether it’s your family, friends, or business associates, the people you surround yourself with can make a big difference in your success. It’s important to surround yourself with people who will support you and help you achieve your goals.
What is success for you and what characteristics of an aspiring entrepreneur or attorney do you think are necessary to achieve it?
I define success as achieving your goals, whatever they may be. I think that the most important characteristic of an aspiring entrepreneur or attorney is determination. It’s important to be determined to achieve your goals and to never give up, no matter how challenging it gets.
I also think that it’s important to be adaptable. The world is constantly changing and you need to be able to change with it. If you’re not adaptable, you’ll quickly become outdated and irrelevant.
Finally, I think it’s important to be humble. No one achieves success alone and it’s important to remember that. Be humble and always be willing to ask for help when you need it.
As an entrepreneur, what is one habit that you believe has contributed to your success?
I think that one of the habits that have contributed to my success is my willingness to take risks. I know that not every risk will pay off, but I’m willing to take them because I know that they’re necessary for growth.
I’m also always learning and trying to improve. I think that it’s important to never stop learning and to always be looking for ways to improve.
If you’re not growing, you’re dying. So, always be learning and growing, and you’ll be in a good position to succeed.
What is one productivity tip you can share?
I would recommend that aspiring entrepreneurs and attorneys try to structure their day in a way that allows them to focus on the most important tasks. For me, that means I try to do the bulk of my work in the morning when I’m freshest.
I also recommend taking breaks throughout the day to stay refreshed and focused. It’s important to find a balance between work and rest, otherwise, you’ll burn out quickly.
What is one book that has inspired you?
The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer has been a big inspiration for me. It’s a book about finding inner peace and happiness, regardless of external circumstances.
I think it’s important for entrepreneurs and attorneys to find inner peace because the journey can be quite stressful and challenging. If you’re not at peace with yourself, it’s going to be very difficult to achieve success.
If you could have coffee with any entrepreneur or attorney, who would it be?
There are so many entrepreneurs and attorneys that I admire, but if I had to choose just one, I would say former President Barack Obama. He’s someone who has achieved a lot in his life, despite coming from humble beginnings. He’s also a very inspiring speaker and he’s very intelligent. I think it would be fascinating to chat with him about his experiences and hear his insights on a variety of topics.
What is one quote that inspires you?
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” – Steve Jobs
This quote is particularly inspiring to me because it’s a reminder that everything happens for a reason. There will be times when things happen that we don’t understand, but if we trust that there is a bigger picture, we can get through anything.
It’s also a reminder that we can’t always see the future, but we have to believe that everything will work out in the end. This is a valuable lesson for entrepreneurs and attorneys, who often have to deal with uncertainty and make decisions without knowing what the outcome will be.