Our Team

C. Todd Morse, Managing Attorney

I graduated Baylor University with a degree in Political Philosophy. After college, I moved to San Diego and became an analyst in commercial real estate for a large brokerage firm. In time, I missed the advocacy that I had learned as a Baylor debater and attended Thomas Jefferson School of law, where I received my Jurist Doctorate.

I practiced law in California for approximately one year. I’m an avid mountain climber, rock climber and motorcycle rider and as such found myself “visiting” Colorado three or four times per year. One day, a former law school classmate and friend, who lived in Colorado, asked a rather obvious question: “Why don’t you live where you vacation,” I moved to Colorado, became licensed, and began managing large bankruptcy firms. I loved living in Colorado immediately, but quickly developed distaste and a distrust of large, mass production law firms.

A few years ago, I became reacquainted with my college sweetheart and as any man who has ever fallen in love with a Texas woman will tell you, they do not leave the Great State of Texas. All in all it took very little prodding to convince me to move to Texas. I had missed it since my college days and as we were going to start a family, I could think of no better place to live. So, she got a ring, and I got to move my worldly possessions to the Dallas area where she is a practicing Registered Nurse. We live with two demanding Border Collies, build Model Ts and Model As in our spare time and are looking forward to starting our family soon.

Morse & Associates, LLC, my solution to the practice of bankruptcy law as I found it many years ago. After managing large, cold, and business driven law firms, I decided that their brand of legal practice just wasn’t for me. I envisioned a local law firm that puts clients’ needs first and which takes the time to produce quality legal product. Over the years, bankruptcy has, in many ways, become more complicated. As such, the fast “in-and-out” methodologies of many of the large or “bargain” firms simply are not capable of representing people in a competent manner. I spent years developing this firm with the sole purpose of making it and our attorneys the very best in the field, not only legally, but as client counselors. If you are in a financial situation and do not see a viable way out, then I encourage you to meet with one of us at Morse & Associates for a free consultation, in order to find out what your options really are. I’m convinced: there is nothing done financially that cannot be undone.

Matt Holder, Associate Attorney

Mr. Holder grew up in a suburb of Dallas, Texas. He graduated from Austin College in Sherman, Texas with degrees in Business and Psychology. After a few years in the business world, he decided to attend Baylor Law School in Waco, Texas where he earned his Jurist Doctorate. After completing law school, Mr. Holder initially dabbled in the oil & gas industry in Tarrant County, Texas doing work involving the Barnett Shale before joining a small firm in Farmers Branch, where he practiced commercial litigation. Mr. Holder then joined Morse & Associates, LLC, heading up the Dallas office.  He currently resides in Dallas and spends his spare time working out and playing soccer.

Michael Baetz, Managing Attorney

Mr. Baetz is originally from Illinois, near Chicago. He attended St. John’s College in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and received a B.A in 2000. After living in Montana for a few years working as a cook and ski patrol in Big Sky, he elected to seek a law degree, and attended Vermont Law School in South Royalton, VT. During law school, he completed internships with the State of Vermont, and continued pursuing the liberal arts interests that drew him to St. John’s, assisting Professor Richard Brooks in compiling essays on the intersection of Plato and legal theory. Mr. Baetz also completed research projects on neuroscience, behavioral biology and canons of legal ethics, a side interest which he maintains during his current law practice. After completing law school, he decided that the West was home, and relocated to Denver. In his spare time, Mr. Baetz enjoys skiing, rock climbing and cooking.

Adam Newhouse – Associate Attorney

Mr. Newhouse is originally from a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Washington and Jefferson College with degrees in Biology and Philosophy. During his later years at Washington and Jefferson, Mr. Newhouse developed an interest in going to law school after many discussions with his Philosophy advisor. He decided to attend Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan where he earned his Juris Doctorate. While in law school, he was on the executive board of Cooley’s Student Bar Association, American Bar Association Law Student Division, and was the Publicity Editor on Law Review. He moved to Colorado for a legal externship prior to graduation and, after living here for a few months, decided to live in Colorado permanently. Mr. Newhouse currently resides in Denver and spends his spare time riding motorcycles and skiing.

Matthew L. Cheney – Associate Attorney

Originally from Connecticut, Matt has spent most of his life in Colorado. He received his BA from the University of Colorado in Boulder in 1981 and went on to receive a JD from the University of Denver, College of Law in 1984. After law school, Matt practiced law as an associate in a small firm in Denver focusing on civil practice and litigation. In 1988 Matt began working for an international legal publishing company in which he held a variety of roles including editorial manager and senior director overseeing hundreds of legal publications. He joined Morse & Associates, LLC in June 2009 heading up their Colorado Springs office. Outside of work, Matt enjoys the outdoors, crosswords, tennis and hiking with his dogs.

Michelle, Paralegal

I am a graduate of Metropolitan State College with degrees in History and Chemistry. I am currently working on a degree in Criminal Justice. I have been working in bankruptcy law since August 2005. I primarily work on pre-case filing in both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 cases.

Outside of work I enjoy traveling with my husband, cooking, reading, going to the mountains in the summer and enjoying as many movies as I can. I have several kitties and hope to have a puppy in the near future.

Adria, Paralegal

I recently graduated from Colorado State University in May of 2008 with an English degree concentrated in linguistics. I have had a strong interest in the field of law for as long as I can remember. I feel working here as one of the paralegals has taught me many lessons in the practice of law. I treasure each experience, good and not-so-good, and have absorbed a great deal in the process. I hope to apply to law school next fall and continue to gain knowledge in this field. Outside of work I enjoy travel but when money is sparse, I love to delve into a good book. And I am finally evolving past my college days and learning to cook real meals. Ultimately, I am very thankful to be associated with one of the fastest growing bankruptcy firms in the state.

Joe, Paralegal

I am the senior paralegal here at Morse and Associates, LLC. Outside of work, I enjoy activities such as rock climbing, building trucks, and music. I moved to Denver from Chicago at the end of 2006 and have fallen in love with the area (minus the driving). What I like most about Morse & Associates is the family like environment amongst the staff.

Since I started working for Morse & Associates I have helped facilitate well over four hundred bankruptcy cases from initial retention to the closing of the case. I have an extensive knowledge of both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Bankruptcies. Some of my responsibilities include answering client questions, assisting: drafting bankruptcy petitions, drafting of Chapter 13 payment plans, and filing of documents.

For the last year, I have focused primarily on assisting with post-filing case management.

In the time that I’ve been here, I’ve seen a lot of people look at bankruptcy as a last resort for sorting out their financial frustrations. Unfortunately, I have seen too many people who have spent every dime they have, including retirement money, in a last ditch effort to stay afloat. It doesn’t have to be like that. I’ve learned that today’s bankruptcy laws protect individuals from having to lose everything before any assistance can be given. Even if you think that bankruptcy can’t do anything for you, it’s still worth coming in for a free consultation to meet with one of our attorneys and discuss what your options are and what bankruptcy can do for you.

Aly, Legal Assistant

I graduated from University of Colorado at Boulder in 2006 with a B.A. in English Literature. After graduating I moved to Madrid, Spain where I learned Spanish and travelled throughout Europe. Upon returning to the U.S., I moved to Denver where I can partake in my favorite activities, such as snowboarding and hiking. Working as a legal assistant has taught me a lot and I hope to one day attend law school and pursue a career in the legal field.