Rich Baer
Executive Vice President & General Counsel

Rich Baer has served as Qwest’s general counsel since December 2002. In addition to leading Qwest’s Law Department, Mr. Baer oversees the company’s risk management and compliance efforts. Prior to his appointment as general counsel, Mr. Baer served as special legal counsel to the then-Chairman and CEO of Qwest Communications Dick Notebaert.

Mr. Baer, who joined Qwest in 2001, previously was chairman of the litigation department at the Denver law firm of Sherman & Howard. His experience includes corporate counseling, defending and prosecuting significant complex disputes, defending numerous class actions and defending companies in employment-related cases.

Mr. Baer received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia University in 1979 and his Juris Doctorate degree from Duke University in 1983.

In 2008 Mr. Baer was appointed by Governor Bill Ritter, Jr. as the co-chair of the Information Technology transition team and appointed by Governor Ritter as chair of the Colorado Workforce Development Council. In addition, he serves on boards of the National Jewish Medical Center, the Colorado Legal Aid Foundation and the Colorado Campaign for Inclusive Excellence.

Mr. Baer and his wife, Anne, have two children and reside in Littleton, Colorado.