Carol Kay Hagerty Werner, who practiced law in Washington, D.C., Hong Kong, Tokyo and New York before settling in Colorado, died Dec. 2, 2011, of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. She was 56 and lived on a cattle ranch near Merino, Colo., with her husband and three children.

Ms. Werner was born on Dec. 17, 1954, in Minneapolis and grew up in Grand Forks, where her parents worked for the Grand Forks Herald newspaper. She graduated in 1973 from Red River High School, where she was active in debate and president of the student council. She received her bachelor of arts degree in political science from the University of North Dakota in 1975. She then earned a law degree in 1979 from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

After practicing law in Washington for the firm Pettit & Martin, she moved to Hong Kong in 1981. She worked as a financial-transaction lawyer for the New York firm of Coudert Brothers. She later transferred to Tokyo as a lawyer for Coudert, helping companies comply with international and Japanese law. After returning to the U.S. in the late 1980s, she practiced law with Coudert in New York and Denver. She also served as general counsel for Richfield Hospitality Services Inc., a hotel-management company based in Colorado.

In the early 1990s, she developed an interest in hunting and joined a hunting club northeast of Denver. She met Curt Werner and they were married in a pasture on his family ranch in 1993.

In recent years, she continued to practice law from an office in her home. She was able to be with her family and take part in community affairs. She was active in Girl Scouts and the Methodist Church of Merino.

She is survived by her husband, Curt; her son, Curtis; twin daughters, Anna and Mariah; her mother, Marilyn Hagerty, Grand Forks; one sister, Gail Hagerty (Dale Sandstrom), Bismarck; one brother, James R. “Bob” Hagerty (Lorraine Li), Pittsburgh; her nieces and nephews; and her mother-in-law, Pauline Werner, Merino.