At The Intersection of Law and Commerce
I am a Colorado easement lawyer and contract law expert. A significant amount of my practice involves real estate and business litigation. My practice includes five broad areas: (1) drafting and reviewing legal documents, (2) business and real estate litigation, (3) serving as co-counsel with other lawyers in matters where my expertise may be helpful, (4) speaking, teaching, writing, and serving as a guide and coach for other lawyers, and (5) serving as a mediator or abitrator by agreement of the parties.
EASEMENT AND REAL ESTATE LAW
I lived in the Colorado mountains for 21 years. I am an expert in easement law, boundary disputes, and other real estate disputes such as non-disclosure cases. I have given lectures on easements to the Colorado Bar Association and to the Rocky Mountain Surveyors organization.
CONTRACT LAW AND LITIGATION
My passion is drafting clear legal documents and helping clients resolve disputes arising out of poorly drafted documents (or the lack of any documents at all). The distinction between litigation and transactional work is often artificial. Business, contract, intellectual property, employment, and real estate litigation are almost always the result of poor drafting, insufficient investigation, or an incomplete negotiation. I prefer plain English over "Legalese." Plain English lowers costs, improves productivity, increases credibility, and reduces misunderstandings. I founded the Plain English Institute, a nonprofit corporation that promotes the use of plain English. www.plainenglishinstitute.org
TRIALS and LITIGATION
I am also a proven TRIAL LAWYER. In 2012, I won a $4.2 million judgment (including punitive damages) for a client in a case involving breach of contract and interference with contract. I have represented clients in more than 100 jury trials and litigated hundreds of civil cases. My experience enables me to facilitate transactions today that are least likely to become lawsuits tomorrow.
CORPORATE VEIL LAW
I wrote the seminal Proof of Facts article on piercing the corporate veil.
BRIEF BIO
I earned my B.A. in economics in 1980 at Whitman College, the alma mater of William O. Douglas I earned my law degree in 1983 at the University of Colorado School of Law in Boulder. I earned a Masters in Law (LL.M.) in agricultural and food law at the University of Arkansas School of Law in 2014. I also studied philosophy and logic in graduate school and I am a member of the Institute of General Semantics. I served six years on the Board of Editors of The Colorado Lawyer, including one as chairperson. I also served on the Board of the Colorado Municipal League. In 2022, Gov. Polis appointed me to serve on the Colorado Combative Sports Commission, formerly the Colorado Boxing Commission. My AVVO rating is presently a perfect 10 out of 10.
I am available to serve as co-counsel in cases where my expertise may be helpful.
