Traci Van Pelt has a passion for defending professionals. A founding member of McConnell Van Pelt, LLC she brings that dedication and experience to every case. With a focus on healthcare and legal professionals, Ms. Van Pelt navigates the complexities of professional malpractice matters while providing support and counsel to her clients.
Ms. Van Pelt began her 25 year career as a civil trial lawyer in San Francisco. In 1996, she joined the Denver firm of Long & Jaudon, and became a founding shareholder of McConnell Fleischner Houghtaling, LLC in 2001.
As a litigator, Ms. Van Pelt has tried many cases to verdict – both jury trials and trials to the court. She regularly handles appeals and has argued many cases in the Court of Appeals as well as Colorado and Wyoming Supreme Courts.
Ms. Van Pelt’s focus is on physicians, healthcare providers, attorneys, and accountants. She has helped her clients navigate the stress and impact of a claim or suit, and has successfully guided her clients through the litigation process. In addition to her professional liability practice, Ms. Van Pelt handles a variety of complex civil cases. She advises healthcare clients on a variety of legal issues, including hospital contracts, healthcare financing disputes, and licensing issues.
Ms. Van Pelt frequently presents to lawyers, healthcare professionals, and others on a variety of legal and ethical issues.
Ms. Van Pelt received her law degree from Hastings College of Law at the University of California. She is admitted to practice in Colorado, California and Wyoming and before the Ninth and Tenth Circuits, and the United States Supreme Court. She is a member of the American, Colorado, Denver and Colorado Women’s Bar Associations.
Distinctions
Traci Van Pelt is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants, Litigation – Health Care and Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants. She was named the 2021 “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers for Litigation – Healthcare in Denver, Colorado and 2018 “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers for Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants in Denver, Colorado. She has been selected as a SuperLawyer® since 2006 and was rated on their Top 25 Women in Colorado list in 2011. She holds highest rating awarded by Martindale-Hubbell® Law Directory as an AV® Preeminent™ Lawyer.
Community Support
Traci Van Pelt is a former member of the Colorado Bar Association’s Ethics Committee and is a frequent lecturer on attorney ethics and professional liability matters. Ms. Van Pelt often speaks to health care practitioners on medical malpractice issues. She has been a featured author of The Colorado Lawyer writing about legal ethics in settlement.
