Mr. Ortiz is rated “AV Preeminent” by Martindale-Hubbell, which is the highest rating of qualification given for ethics and legal ability. Less than ten percent (10%) of firms nationwide are rated AV. In his 22 years of practice, he has represented state and local public bodies, school districts, personal injury clients and many private litigants in state and federal court. Mr. Ortiz regularly works in the areas of contract, employment, civil rights claims, catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice and property matters.
In addition to providing day-to-day services for his institutional clients, Mr. Ortiz is a litigation attorney both in defense and plaintiffs cases. In this regard, Mr. Ortiz has appeared in most of New Mexico’s district courts, before the New Mexico Court of Appeals and Supreme Court, as well as the federal district courts of New Mexico, and the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. In a recent example, Mr. Ortiz successfully tried and won a jury verdict against a large hospital for malpractice exceeding $1.3 million dollars.
Mr. Ortiz is a graduate of Stanford University and the University of Michigan Law School, and he also was a New Mexico Supreme Court Judicial Clerk early in his career before starting in private practice. After several years of working with other New Mexico firms, Mr. Ortiz started his own law firm in 2013, and invited Mr. Zamora to join him in 2015. Because of the enthusiastic response from clients, the firm has grown to four lawyers.
Mr. Ortiz’s lengthy experience and his track record of success, makes Mr. Ortiz a uniquely good choice for legal services, whether negotiating a deal or trying your case to a jury.
Previous Experience
• Scheuer, Yost & Patterson, P.C., Santa Fe, New Mexico, Of Counsel, 2006.
• Castille & Ortiz, L.L.C., Los Alamos, New Mexico, Partner, 2000-2006.
• Simons, Cuddy & Friedman, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Associate, 1998-2000.
• New Mexico Supreme Court, Chambers of Chief Justice, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Judicial Clerk, 1996-1998.
• Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Washington, D.C., Congressional Fellow, 1993-1994.
• Admitted to practice in all state and federal courts, including the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals and U.S. Supreme Court.
• Graduate, National Institute of Trial Advocacy Southwest Regional Program in advanced trial advocacy skills.
