Mountain Village Hires Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell to Review Failed Telluride Purchase

The Town of Mountain Village announced on Feb. 13, 2026 that it had retained Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell LLP to conduct an independent investigation into a late-December 2025 offer to purchase a portion of the Telluride Ski Resort. The town blog states, "The Town of Mountain Village has selected Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell LLP (WTO) to conduct an independent investigation…" while the post headline reads "Mountain Village selects firm to investigate the events surrounding attempted purchase of portion of Telluride Ski Resort."

Town posts and a truncated original release confirm the retention but leave key details unspecified. The original announcement cuts off at "The review will examine th," and the town excerpts do not identify the individual or entity that made the late-December 2025 offer, the specific portion of the resort proposed for purchase, or the financial terms of any proposal. The blog frames the matter as an "attempted purchase" and dates the offer to late-December 2025, but does not say whether the proposal proceeded to negotiation, deposits, or legal action.

The retention comes amid recent shifts in town leadership and short-term relief efforts. In a special meeting on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, the Mountain Village Town Council elected Scott Pearson as Mayor and Tucker Magid as Mayor Pro Tem following the resignation of Marti Prohaska. The meeting "began with the reading of a statement by Mayor Pro Tem Scott Pearson on behalf of Town Council acknowledging the resignation of Mayor Marti Prohaska, thanking her for her service and outlining next steps under the Town Charter to appoint interim leadership." The blog adds, "More information on filling her seat and Council's election of a new Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem will be shared with the public as soon as it is available." Town Manager Paul Wisor presented department updates at that meeting.

Council also addressed licensing and event grounds while the resort situation unfolds. "Acting as the Liquor Licensing Authority, Council approved the recertification of the Mountain Village Promotional Association and the Common Consumption Area with conditions. The conditions included submission of updated insurance documentation and completion of an open space agreement." Those conditional recertifications were recorded in the Jan. 28 meeting materials posted on the town blog.

Separately, a Feb. 11 town blog announced a partnership with the Telluride Mountain Village Owners Association with the headline "TMVOA & Town partner to support businesses impacted by ski resort shut down" and the excerpt "The Town of Mountain Village and the Telluride Mountain Village Owners Association have partnered to launch a one-time…" That post does not include the launch details in the publicly posted excerpt, and the town has not tied the program explicitly to the identity or status of the late-December offer in the posted excerpts.

The town’s Feb. 13 notice confirms Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell’s engagement but does not publish the firm’s scope, timeline, or whether the review will be publicly released. The community is left with dates and actions on record - late-December 2025 for the offer, Jan. 28 council actions, Feb. 11 TMVOA partnership, and the Feb. 13 retention of WTO - while the specifics of the purchase attempt and the investigatory mandate remain to be disclosed.