Charlie Cromwell
Managing partner
Charlie grew up in Missoula, Montana. After graduating from Hellgate High School, he attended Harvard University. While in college, he was an ROTC cadet and a 2-sport Division I varsity athlete in both swimming and water polo. After graduating cum laude in American History, Charlie received his commission in the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant. His 4-year active duty service included a 13-month combat tour in Iraq and 2 years forward deployed to Germany, all with the Army’s storied First Infantry Division (the “Big Red One”). While in the field, Charlie was put in numerous positions that required strong leadership, quick-thinking, and sound judgment. These positions ranged from leading his armored platoon during combat operations, to overseeing his base’s perimeter security and quick reaction force, to negotiating multi-million dollar contracts with international firms and Iraqi businessmen on behalf of the U.S. Army. Upon completion of his active duty service, Charlie transferred into the Army Reserves and returned to his hometown to pursue simultaneous graduate degrees in Law and Public Administration at the University of Montana.
While in law school, Charlie was a regional finalist on the Negotiations Competition Team, drafted and helped enact affordable prescription drug legislation with the Montana legislature, and worked as a legal intern at Boone Karlberg, P.C.
After graduating from law school in 2009, he worked as a legislative fellow in the U.S. Senate where he focused on veteran and defense policy. His time in D.C. included helping draft and pass legislation mandating face-to-face PTSD and TBI screenings before and after deployments and legislation involving veteran unemployment. From 2010-2012, he worked as in-house counsel for a tech startup and also began taking cases at Cromwell Law where he has advised companies as both contract in-house and outside counsel. Charlie currently serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve JAG Corps and has previously argued before the military’s highest criminal court of appeals as amicus curiae. He practices in the areas of business law and entity formation, commercial transactions, copyright and trademark, estate planning, administrative law, and military and veterans’ law.
Charlie is a firm believer in service. Whether he is helping fellow veterans or bootstrapped entrepreneurs start their dream businesses, he continues to bring his passion and dedication to work with him every day.
Charlie is married to Audrey Cromwell, who is the elected Gallatin County Attorney. Along with his colleagues, he enjoys providing legal services to MSU’s student population through the ASMSU legal services program. Charlie is also an adjunct professor at Montana State University teaching graduate-level business law at the Jake Jabs College of Business & Entrepreneurship and serves as a board member on the One Valley Community Foundation and UM Law School’s Clinical Board of Visitors. In his free time, Charlie enjoys swimming in the summer, snowboarding in the winter, and spending as much time as possible with his family.
Admitted: Montana State Bar; U.S. District Courts (District of Montana); Judge Advocate General Corps (U.S. Army)
Member: Board of Directors, One Valley Community Foundation; Clinical Board of Visitors, University of Montana School of Law; Montana Bar Association; Gallatin County Bar Association; National Student Legal Services Organization
Education: Hellgate High School, high honors, 1998 (Missoula, Montana); Harvard University, B.A. in American History, cum laude, 2002 (Cambridge, Massachusetts); U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery Officer Basic Course, commandant’s list, 2003 (Fort Bliss, TX); University of Montana School of Law, J.D., 2009 (Missoula, Montana); University of Montana School of Public Administration, M.P.A., high honors, 2009 (Missoula, Montana); U.S. Army Judge Advocate Generals School Officer Basic Course, commandant’s list, 2012 (Charlottesville, Virginia); U.S. Army Judge Advocate Generals School Officer Advanced Course, 2014 (Charlottesville, Virginia); U.S. Army Command and General Staff Officer Course, commandant’s list, 2018 (Distance); U.S. Air Force Cyber Law Course, 2018 (Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama); DoD Defense Support of Civil Authorities Course, honor graduate, 2019 (Colorado Springs, CO)
In the news:
Board of Directors: One Valley Community Foundation
Clinical Board of Visitors: University of Montana School of Law
Billings Gazette: Montana Veterans Still Serve Proudly 10 Years After Iraq War Began
MT Public Radio: Veterans 'Ruck March' In Flathead To Advocate for Public Land in Montana
Bozeman Daily Chronicle: Transgender student seeks anonymity in MSU legal fight