Mr. Robinson is a partner and co-founder of Spies, Powers & Robinson. His primary practice areas are Special Education and Disability Law, Construction Litigation, Complex Commercial Litigation, and Appellate Advocacy.
Mr. Robinson has developed a national reputation as a strong legal advocate for the rights of children with disabilities and their parents. Mr. Robinson was the attorney for Endrew and his parents in the landmark IDEA case decided by the United States Supreme Court in March 2017, Endrew F. v. Douglas County Sch. Dist. In Endrew F., the Supreme Court was asked to resolve an issue that is at the heart of the IDEA: What is the level of educational benefit that school districts must confer on children with disabilities to provide them with a free appropriate public education (FAPE)? The Supreme Court answered that question by rejecting the prevailing standard that was based on low expectations and for the first time established a markedly more demanding standard for a FAPE. He is a frequent lecturer throughout the country on the application and construction of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
Mr. Robinson’s commercial litigation practice focuses upon construction litigation, contract disputes, non-competition agreements, and amusement park/premises liability. He also has an active appellate practice and has appeared before the Colorado Court of Appeals, the Colorado Supreme Court, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.
Professional Recognition
2020 – 5280 Denver’s Top Lawyers
2019 – Law Week Colorado Barrister’s Best
2018 – Law Week Colorado Top Litigator
2019 – Firefly Autism Luminescence Award – Champions for Justice
2018 – ARC USA Catalyst Award – Legal Advocate of the Year
Notable Special Education Cases
Endrew F. v. Douglas Cty. Sch. Dist. RE 1, 137 S. Ct. 988 (2017)
Endrew F. v. Douglas Cty. Sch. Dist. RE 1, 798 F. 3d 1329 (10th Cir. 2015)
Endrew F. v. Douglas Cty. Sch. Dist. RE 1, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 128659 (D. Colo. Sept. 15, 2014)
Nathan M. v. Harrison Sch. Dist. No. 2, 942 F.3d 1034 (10th Cir. 2019)
Nathan M. v. Harrison Sch. Dist. No. 2, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 210138 (D. Colo. Dec. 12, 2018)
C.W. v. Denver Cty. Sch. Dist. No. 1, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 164303 (D. Colo. Sept. 25, 2019)
G.W. v. Boulder Valley Sch. Dist., 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 159007 (D. Colo. Sept. 8, 2019)
Elizabeth B. v. El Paso Cty. Sch. Dist. 11, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS (D. Colo. Aug. 12, 2019)
Matthews v. Douglas Cty. Sch. Dist. RE 1, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 171421 (D. Colo. Oct. 4, 2018)
Zachary G. v. Denver Cty. Sch. Dist. No. 1, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 138323 (D. Colo. Oct. 5, 2016)
L.S v. Calhan Sch. Dist. RJ-1, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16923 (D. Colo. Feb. 11, 2016)
C.S. v. Platte Canyon Sch. Dist. No. 1, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 134450 (D. Colo. May 19, 2014)
A.B. v. Adams-Arapahoe 28J Sch. Dist., 831 F.Supp. 2d 1226 (D.Colo. 2011)
Thompson R2-J Sch. Dist. v. Luke P., 540 F.3d 1143 (10th Cir. 2008)
Thompson R2-J Sch. Dist. v. Luke P., 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 47043 (D. Colo. June 27, 2007)
Chase v. Mesa County Valley Sch. Dist. No. 51, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 84671 (D. Colo. Sept. 17, 2009)
Rost v. Steamboat Springs RE-2 Sch. Dist., 511 F.3d 1114 (10th Cir. 2008)
Rost v. Steamboat Springs Re-2 Sch. Dist., 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 82041 (D. Colo. Nov. 9, 2006)
Recent Presentations
Wyoming Autism Spectrum Disorder Summit 2019 – Jackson Hole, WY
The Arc National Convention 2019 – Washington, D.C.
Colorado Autism Conference (CDE & CSU) 2019 – Ft. Collins, CO
Special Education Law Made Simple 2019 – Colorado Springs, CO
Special Education Law Made Simple 2019 – Denver, CO
COPAA National Conference 2019 – New Orleans, LA
COPAA National Conference 2018 – Monterey, CA
NOLEA National Conference 2017 – Salt Lake City, UT
Notable Published Cases
Forney Indus. v. Daco of Mo., Inc., 835 F.3d 1238 (10th Cir. 2016)
AMCO Ins. Co. v. Carpet Direct Corp., 157 F. Supp. 3d 1018 (D. Colo. 2016)
Koenig v. PurCo Fleet Servs., 285 P.3d 979 (Colo. 2012)
PurCo Fleet Servs. v. Koenig, 240 P.3d 435 (Colo. Ct. App. 2010)
Wausau Business Insurance Company v. US Motels Management, Inc., 341 F.Supp.2d 1180 (D.Colo. 2004)
Kruse v. McKenna, 178 P.3d 1198 (Colo. 2008)
Showpiece Homes Corp. v. Assurance Company of America, 38 P.3d 47 (Colo. 2001)
First Interstate Bank v. Tanktech, Inc., 864 P.2d 116 (Colo. 1993)
AMCO Ins. Co. v. Sills, 166 P.3d 274 (Colo. App. 2007)
McKenna v. Oliver, 159 P.3d 697 (Colo. App. 2006)
Globe Indemnity Co. v. Travelers Indemnity Company of Illinois, 98 P.3d 971 (Colo. App. 2004)
Novell v. American Guarantee and Liability Insurance Co., 15 P.3d 775 (Colo. App. 1999)
Hewitt v. Pitkin County Bank & Trust Co., 931 P.2d 456 (Colo. App. 1995)
MacMillan v. Bruce, 900 P.2d 131 (Colo. App. 1995)
Professional Affiliations
Member, Colorado and Denver Bar Associations
Member, Colorado Defense Lawyers Association
Founder, Colorado Counsel of Special Education Lawyers
Member, Counsel of Parent Attorneys and Advocates
Master, American Inns of Court, Judge William E. Doyle Inn
