Title: President
Company: First American Exchange Company LLC
Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
Julie A. Baird, Esq., President at First American Exchange Company LLC, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Lawyers for dedication, achievements, and leadership in Real Estate Legal Services.
Ms. Baird, a respected attorney and president of First American Exchange Company LLC in Denver, has been at the helm of the organization since 2021. Initially hired as a vice president, she served from 2015 to 2021 before earning her new title. As president, Ms. Baird leads a team of over 100 individuals nationwide in providing tax-deferred real estate transactions under the provision of Section 1031 of the U.S. Tax Code. She also focuses on growing the business and managing its technology.
First American Exchange Company is recognized as a qualified intermediary under specific U.S. Internal Revenue Code sections to undertake specified activities. As such, the company serves as a leading provider of tax-deferred 1031 exchanges, where a swap of one real estate investment property for another can take place, allowing them to reinvest sales proceeds that would otherwise be paid to the government in the form of taxes, with capital gains taxes deferred.
Ms. Baird’s previous expertise in real estate financial services included her role as the president and board of directors at the Federation of Exchange Accommodators, a civic & social organization based in Iowa dedicated to the 1031 industry, from 2020 to 2021. She also served as a legal counsel for the Save the Redwoods League, one of the nation’s longest-running conservation organizations in San Francisco, between 2013 and 2015. Earlier, Ms. Baird spent several years with First American Title, First American Financial Corporation, a title, settlement, and risk solutions provider for real estate transactions based in California. Hired as a national counsel from 2006 to 2011, she then served as the vice president of the national underwriting counsel until 2013.
Ms. Baird began her legal career as a real estate attorney in private practice in San Francisco. She worked for Luce Forward between 2001 and 2003 and Stein & Lubin LLP from 2003 to 2005. She then formed Pepler Mastromonaco LLP with several partners.
In preparation for her career, Ms. Baird received a Bachelor of Business Administration in management from the University of San Diego in 1998 and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of California Berkeley in 2001. Beyond her formal education, she has been active in the State Bar of California as chair of the executive committee for its real property law section since 2013. She has also been the director of Women of Influence, CREW Denver, since 2019 and is a member and past board president of the Federation of Exchange Accommodators.
Active in her community, Ms. Baird enjoys serving as the parks and recreation commissioner at Burlingame Parks & Recreation since 2013-Present. She is also affiliated with the Planning and Land Use Commission in Castle Valley, Utah. Additionally, Ms. Baird is stepping into the executive sponsor role within First American’s LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group, where she can advocate for individuals with less visibility.
Among her most notable accomplishments, Ms. Baird won the GlobeSt Women of Influence Award in 2023. Other accolades included a DPK Award from First American Financial Corporation in 2022, a President’s Award from the Federation of Exchange Accommodators in 2022, and a Trailblazer Award from Commercial Real Estate Women Network Denver in 2024. Besides her industry-related honors, Ms. Baird was a professional tennis player, where she learned the value of hard work and tenacity. S
Ms. Baird attributes much of her success to excellent mentors who led by example and helped her learn and grow as a leader. Moreover, she notes her amazing, creative female leadership team. In the coming years, Ms. Baird anticipates further elevating individuals within her organization, helping them grow and expand in their careers, and teaching them how to find engaging ways to work together with their customers and the community.
For more information, please visit:
First American Exchange Company LLC
Contact Ms. Baird:
