JONES & KELLER, P.C. - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Authorization Work Group, Member
Al Sahlstrom is a seasoned litigator whose practice focuses on representing businesses and individuals in complex commercial litigation and trusts and estates litigation.
A graduate of Harvard Law School, Al has experience directing and conducting all aspects of the litigation process, including listening to his clients' stories and translating their priorities into claims, counterclaims, and defenses; asserting and defending motions to dismiss; conducting written discovery and depositions; advocating for his clients in discovery disputes; conducting evidentiary hearings; examining expert witnesses; asserting and defending motions for summary judgment; and successfully negotiating favorable settlements for clients during litigation, prior to litigation, and at mediation.
Al is also an experienced trial advocate who has spent significant time on the record in court first-chairing hearings and trials, examining witnesses, selecting juries, and delivering oral argument. He has been counsel on more than 30 jury trials, in addition to conducting bench trials and arbitration trials. Al has experience advocating for his clients in numerous communities and jurisdictions along the Front Range, across Colorado, and across the country.
In addition to his work assisting families, individuals, and business entities with trust and estate disputes, Al is experienced in working with state and federal securities cases, fraudulent transfer litigation, business dissolution litigation, disputes regarding multi-level marketing and network marketing companies, construction defect litigation, breach of contract disputes, and complex business disputes. He and his team would be happy to discuss how to advise and assist you with your situation.
Alan Talesnick counsels clients on securities law matters, including private and public offerings, public disclosure, SEC reporting and compliance, corporate governance, and mergers and acquisitions. In addition, he works with clients regarding joint ventures, mutual collaboration, and other business agreements and transactions.
His work includes assistance in negotiating, structuring, drafting and reviewing documents, including strategy input related to these activities. Alan works closely with and provides ongoing legal advice to company management and boards of directors with respect to these matters.
Alan has represented clients ranging from listed mid-cap and micro-cap publicly-traded companies to emerging growth companies, closely-held business entities and private equity funds and investors, both on an ongoing and a transactional basis. These include companies involved in biotech and healthcare; wireless, telecommunications, software and other technology-oriented businesses; oil and gas; mining; manufacturing and other industrial sectors, investment banking; real estate; property and casualty insurance; retail and wholesale consumer products; and marketing and distribution. The publicly-reporting entities have been traded on the New York stock Exchange, American Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, OTC Bulletin Board and Pink Sheets.
Barry Wilkie has a broad commercial practice that includes commercial litigation with a particular emphasis on creditors' rights, bankruptcy and insolvency. Barry has represented creditors, bankruptcy trustees and creditors' committees in all aspects of bankruptcy, bankruptcy litigation, liquidation and reorganization. He also represents many businesses.
Experience
Barry has over 30 years of creditors' rights and bankruptcy law experience, spanning a variety of businesses and industries and involving all aspects of bankruptcy, bankruptcy litigation, reorganization and work-outs. He has been very active in complex, multi-party lawsuits. These lawsuits have involved a range of issues from the propriety of leveraged buy-outs, to fraudulent conveyances, preferences, collateral priorities, theft, embezzlement and fraud. He has acted as counsel for creditors, bankruptcy trustees, creditors' committees and investors. He has also been special court appointed counsel for a wholly owned subsidiary of a public, debtor company.
Barry's practice in courts other than bankruptcy often involves many of the same type of issues that arise in bankruptcy. He has represented numerous oilfield equipment, collections and supply companies in a variety of issues in the oil patch, including the foreclosure of oil and gas liens. Barry has also provided consultation for the Petroleum Equipment Suppliers Association and its members in connection with the filing and perfecting of Colorado oil and gas liens.
Barry's practice is not limited to bankruptcy and litigation. He also provides legal counsel and guidance to other members of the firm on finance, securitization, collateralization and bankruptcy substantive consolidation issues in commercial transactions. He represents numerous clients with all of their day-to-day legal matters, including the drafting and negotiation of contracts, financing, dispute resolution, the purchase and sale of businesses and assets and contract compliance.
Practice Areas
Banking, Lending & Financial Institutions
Benjamin Brown is a seasoned attorney whose practice focuses on breach of contract, construction defect, real estate, securities, and complex commercial litigation.
A graduate of the University of Chicago Law School, Benjamin has served as counsel on over twenty jury trials. During that time, he has represented individuals mired in life-altering private conflicts, large companies engaged in high-stakes disputes, and everything in between. Benjamin has experience with every stage of the litigation process, from drafting claims and negotiation to trial and appeal. He believes the foundation of zealous representation is exhaustive preparation and a deep understanding of the opportunities and liabilities facing the client. Whether your case resolves in settlement or a final judgment, you will have a perceptive, adaptable, and committed advocate every step of the way.
Prior to joining Jones and Keller, Benjamin practiced at civil litigation firms in both Colorado and Illinois. He has served as a deputy district attorney in Colorado Springs and Cañon City. In his free time, Benjamin enjoys hiking, writing, and traveling. He is also an avid Broncos fan, though he has not enjoyed that for a long time.
Practice Areas
Business and Corporate
For 23 years, Bill's Denver-based practice has focused on construction defect and real estate litigation, and commercial collection, including litigating and resolving disputes in court, arbitration and mediation. He counsel's clients in and litigates all types of construction and design defect cases, including representation of both residential homeowners, homeowner's associations and subcontractors.
Bill also represents contractors and homeowners in construction project payment disputes involving breach of construction contracts, mechanics' liens and foreclosure, public works bond claims, and claims under Colorado's Construction Trust Funds Statute.
His real estate practice includes all types of real estate litigation, including representing buyers and sellers in residential and commercial property disclosure disputes, including related claims against real estate agents. Bill also handles commercial evictions, and lease and personal guaranty disputes.
Bill's commercial collection practice includes both obtaining judgment, and collecting judgment by multiple methods, including pursuing assets placed in revocable and irrevocable trusts, Charging Orders, garnishment, attachment, and complex alter ego, successor liability and fraudulent transfer litigation.
Effective and efficient, Bill brings a skillful, knowledgeable and results-oriented work ethic to each case. Clients benefit from Bill's passionate, professional and strategic counsel, open lines of communication, and up-front disclosure of the benefits, risks and legal costs associated with the case.
Bill spends his spare time with his wife and three kids playing soccer, and in the mountains, biking, fly fishing and skiing.
Job Titles:
- Leader at Colorado Academy
In addition to practicing law, he has been a Director, President, CEO, General Counsel and Vice-President of Corporate Development for a variety of international and domestic, public and private companies. Brad's extensive C-Suite experience provides him an understanding of business risk weighting and risk tolerance that is uncommon to many lawyers. In his law practice, Brad also provides his clients with the benefit of his years of participation and leadership in business practices around the world, and his multicultural understanding of different legal and business systems and customs.
Charles Wern - President, Shareholder
Job Titles:
- President
- Shareholder
- Paul Vorndran Shareholder
Charles' practice includes tax planning and business transactions. He has extensive tax planning expertise with respect to partnerships/LLCs, C and S corporations, and individual income tax rules, as well as dealing with complex transactional tax issues in connection with mergers/acquisitions and other business transactions. He has served as tax and transactional counsel to clients, law firms, and accountants in connection with business formations, operations, sales/purchases of assets and equity, mergers/reorganizations, incentive compensation matters, private equity and start-up financing transactions, joint ventures/strategic alliances, and business exit plans (including distributions, redemptions and liquidation transactions). Charles has represented public and private companies and high net worth individuals in a wide array of industries (including the oil and gas and cannabis industries).
As a consequence of his combined tax and transactional practice, Charles has developed valuable expertise assisting with the structuring of transactions to guide clients to achieving the best outcomes from a combined economic, legal and tax perspective, as well as generally assisting clients with creative solutions to complicated business problems. In addition, as a result of this combined expertise, Charles has accumulated extensive experience with the drafting of LLC operating agreements and LP agreements to effectuate new ventures/start-ups, private equity/investment transactions, real estate investments and other joint venture transactions, particularly with respect to structuring of cash distribution waterfall provisions and the issuance of incentive profits/carry interests.
Charles also has experience with international transactions and foreign tax planning matters, including inbound transactions (e.g., foreign businesses and individuals with U.S. operations or investing in U.S. businesses and/or real estate), outbound transactions (e.g., U.S. businesses with foreign operations, subsidiaries and/or investments), FIRPTA transactions and analysis, foreign joint ventures and income tax treaty planning.
Background
Prior to joining Jones & Keller, Charles was a partner with Nadler, Nadler & Burdman Co. LPA, a boutique northeast Ohio law firm that represented companies, business owners and high net worth individuals, where he served as effective general counsel to individuals and private and public company clients, assisting them in structuring and effectuating business transactions and estate plans, and problem solving complicated business matters.
Prior to Nadler, Nadler & Burdman, Charles was an associate in the corporate and tax department of the international law firm Reed Smith LLP, in New York, NY, where his practice focused primarily on domestic and foreign tax planning and assisting the corporate department in structuring and effectuating M&A transactions, real estate investments and foreign joint ventures.
Charles is a graduate of the New York University School of Law Graduate Tax Program where he received his LLM in Taxation. Charles is also a regular lecturer on LLC and tax planning matters.
Expertise
Charles has advised clients in a broad range of business transactions, including:
Chris Mills focuses in civil and complex commercial litigation and trial practice, with an emphasis on business, contract, and financial disputes. He has litigated cases of all sizes, with up to $1.4 billion at stake. Chris welcomes challenging cases, and has accepted clients from prior counsel when matters grew more sophisticated than originally anticipated.
An accomplished trial attorney, Chris prepares every case as if it were going to trial-not because it will, but because that preparation lays the groundwork for reaching the best outcome no matter how achieved. He practices before federal and state trial and appellate courts, and in arbitration proceedings.
Chris handles every aspect of civil litigation, including dispositive motions practice and electronic discovery management in document-intensive cases. His broad case experience includes breach of contract, corporate, fraud, COCCA, bid-rigging, Uniform Commercial Code, trade secret, securities, lease, tort, employment, civil rights, constitutional, administrative, and intellectual property disputes. Chris has represented creditors and individuals in receivership and thrives when encountering new areas of law.
Laird Blue's clients benefit from his knowledge, practical experience, and personal investment in solving their legal issues. He makes it a practice to look at all aspects of a client's case before providing clear advice and strategies. Hands-on leadership and attention to detail helps position clients ahead of the issues and achieve their goals.
Laird's tax practice centers on advising individuals, families, and corporations in tax controversy, estate planning and probate, deferred compensation, and general tax issues. He also works with mineral and royalty interest holders to manage their mineral interests. His corporate practice focuses on a wide range of general business issues encountered daily.
In addition to practicing law, Laird is active professionally through the Colorado, Denver, and American Bar Associations and in the community, holding several rotating non-profit board positions in support of education and the arts. Outside of work, you'll see Laird's competitive nature on the tennis court and on the sidelines watching his sons' baseball games and rugby matches.
Dave Thayer is a corporate and transaction attorney, and a reformed CPA, who focuses on being a deal maker, not a deal breaker, as he helps clients achieve their business dreams.
From business formation, deal strategy and restructuring to financing and reporting, Dave Thayer has experience managing and addressing all aspects of corporate and business transaction law, with an emphasis in securities and finance-related legal issues. His clients rely on his broad experience and guidance for day-to-day legal assistance through complex regulatory, operational and transactional challenges as they execute business strategies.
Dave advises publicly-traded and private businesses in all stages of growth, from organizational matters and capital funding for start-up and emerging companies to exit strategies that maximize shareholder value. This includes but is not limited to public and private offerings, federal and state securities laws compliance, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and management fiduciary duties. In addition, he represents broker-dealers and underwriters in connection with securities offerings and compliance matters, and investment advisors with legal matters arising from the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
Job Titles:
- of Counsel
- Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers
David Zisser is a trial lawyer whose practice focuses on corporate and securities law. He focuses on representing individuals and entities in investigations and litigation involving the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Colorado Division of Securities, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and other regulatory bodies.
Mr. Zisser has prevailed at trial on behalf of clients charged with financial fraud, false reporting, stock manipulation, and trading on inside information. He has been involved in internal corporate investigations, both as counsel to special committees of boards of directors, and as counsel for directors and officers whose activities come within the scope of such investigations. He also has had substantial experience, and success defending private and class action litigation seeking damages under federal and state securities laws, shareholder derivative actions, and common law and statutory claims governing the conduct of all types of business entities.
Mr. Zisser is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He is consistently selected for inclusion in Colorado Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters in the discipline of Securities Litigation. He has been named as a leading individual in the areas of White Collar Criminal Defense and Governmental Investigations in Chambers USA since 2004 and was named in The Best Lawyers in America in the discipline of Criminal Defense: White Collar and Litigation: Securities. He has earned an AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell.
Don Salcito counsels clients in securities law and litigation and represents companies in securities litigation and arbitration before the NYSE, FINRA and federal courts. His knowledge and experience stem from his work with clients as a partner in private law practices focusing on securities law and as the General Counsel for two private companies. Don is also a legal consultant to private parties in the securities and compliance areas, working primarily on SEC exams.
Don represents underwriters in public offerings on the NASDAQ and NYSE, broker dealers in mergers and acquisitions, and public and private companies ranging from emerging growth to Fortune 500 in corporate finance transactions. He has served on multiple boards of directors, providing ongoing legal advice in securities law and litigation matters.
Don was General Counsel, Executive Vice President and a Director of ICON Advisers, a registered investment adviser to a family of mutual funds. At ICON, he oversaw legal and compliance departments, including the public issuance of securities and Securities Act/40 Act registrations for all mutual funds and attendant litigation and arbitration. Don was also General Counsel, Executive Vice President of Imhoff Holdings, Inc., a holding company for a NYSE broker dealer, a NYSE clearing firm, a mezzanine fund and a venture capital fund. He made legal decisions, approved equity capital commitments, hired outside counsel and oversaw litigation and public offerings for subsidiaries of Imhoff Holdings.
Don was an adjunct professor at the University of Denver College of Law, where he taught courses in securities regulation, international securities transactions, mergers and acquisitions, securities litigation, going public and the public corporation, and pooled investment vehicles. He has written extensively in the area of Federal Securities Law.
Dylan Metzner measures his accomplishments by the value and successful outcomes he creates for the clients he serves, including high-net-worth individuals, corporate executives, closely held business owners, and professionals. He counsels individuals and families throughout the United States and internationally with their tax, estate and private wealth planning needs, guiding them through the maze of laws and practical considerations, moving each client closer to achieving goals and resolving outstanding issues.
The true value in private wealth planning is twofold: mitigate taxes and manage legal and legacy concerns in complex family dynamics. Dylan focuses on designing plans that put the individual and families' values and goals first. He gets to know each of his clients, putting their priorities in order and carrying out plans that preserve wealth through legal structures and innovative strategies, efficiently transfer property, and reduce the risk of tax consequences, family conflict and litigation.
Dylan advises clients on tax-advantaged entity structures including family limited partnerships and limited liability companies, dynasty trusts, trusts structured to hold inherited qualified plans such as IRAs and 401K, split-interest trusts, grantor trusts, and life insurance trusts. Clients come to him for a myriad of business planning issues including choice of entity selection, maintenance and business succession planning. In addition, Dylan regularly represents family members, fiduciaries, and beneficiaries in resolving estate and trust-related disputes, including breach of fiduciary duty disputes and contested guardianships and conservatorships.
In working with Dylan, clients gain access to the full complement of attorneys at Jones & Keller in corporate, securities, employment and complex commercial litigation, and real estate disciplines, who are available to lend collaborative insights to solving complex legal matters.
Ed Lyons focuses in commercial litigation, employment and labor law, public utilities law, and rail and motor carrier transportation. He has more than four decades of experience handling cases in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies in Colorado and across the United States. Ed is admitted to practice in all Colorado courts as well as the United States Supreme Court, the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the Fifth, Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Circuits, and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Ed has also practiced extensively before federal and state regulatory agencies and tribunals, including the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, U.S. Surface Transportation Board (formerly the Interstate Commerce Commission), Colorado Civil Rights Commission, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, National Labor Relations Board, U.S Environmental Protection Agency, Occupational Safety & Health Administration, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Industry Regulatory Authority, and Federal Reserve Board.
Ed has been counsel of record in more than 50 reported cases in federal and state courts.
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Britt Shareholder
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Chairman - Elect of American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy and Resources ( August 2019 )
- Denver Partner
- Environmental Attorney
- Named Senior Fellow of Litigation Counsel of America ( February 2016 )
Howard Kenison is a former Colorado Deputy Attorney General and nationally recognized attorney in environmental law and litigation. He is a Past Chair of the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Environment Energy and Resources, an 8,000-plus member forum.
With over four decades of accomplishments, clients trust Howard to represent them in state and federal courts and administrative agency proceedings. He brings experience and practical knowledge assessing environmental risk and resolving legal issues for clients dealing with the complex array of environmental laws that can impact projects and commercial transactions. Howard finds effective solutions that balance economic and environmental interests and achieve client objectives.
Howard's practice includes environmental due diligence in corporate acquisitions and real estate transactions, air quality litigation and permitting, NEPA litigation for utility, water and transportation projects, environmental audits for corporate risk prevention, wetlands permitting and defense of enforcement actions, hazardous and radioactive waste facility litigation, water quality permitting and enforcement actions, superfund and natural resource damage litigation and environmental insurance litigation.
He frequently speaks to business and legal professionals in areas relevant to environmental law.
Howard has provided counsel to an electric generating utility concerning the potential environmental liabilities and the allocation of environmental risk arising from the acquisition, development and construction of a new generating facility.
Howard provides strategic advice and counsel to clients involved in preparing and, if needed, litigation of Environmental Impact Statements for utility transmission, highway transportation and water projects, including litigation-sensitive advice regarding comments for the administrative record involving purpose and need, environmental impacts, noise, air quality, wetlands, air toxics, traffic demand and Section 4(f) parks and historic properties.
In addition to his wetlands practice, Howard provides advice and counsel to utility and other clients concerning NPDES permitting and represents clients where the government has initiated enforcement actions under state and federal water quality laws.
Howard served as environmental counsel for a large multi-state utility in a three-week jury trial seeking insurance recovery for releases of contaminates at three Superfund sites. The trial resulted in a $7.1 million verdict for his client.
Javier Heres is a litigator with Jones & Keller whose practice focuses on commercial litigation, securities and employment matters. He has experience in every stage of litigation. Having clerked for two Colorado district court judges, Javier is familiar with the inner-workings of courtroom management and the preparation it takes to secure favorable judgments.
He clerked for the Colorado Court of Appeals and the Federal Public Defender for the District of Colorado and Wyoming. As a summer fellow for Yale Law School's Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic, Javier represented clients in administrative proceedings, pre-trial investigations, and in appellate matters, including the drafting and filing of a letter to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Previously, he clerked in a law firm focusing in commercial litigation defense and for Xcel Energy's general counsel. As a student attorney in the Denver Trial Office of the Public Defender, Javier managed over 20 cases, negotiated with deputy district attorneys, argued motions, and worked on numerous jury trials.
Insights: It's Time to Address the Gender Divide in Law, by Judge Alia Moses and Nicole Westbrook, as featured in Bloomberg Law
Job Titles:
- American Inn of Court, Master of the Bench ( Emeritus )
- Inn of Court, Member
- Member of Committee
Kerri Assell represents clients with respect to a variety of real estate matters including purchase and sale transactions, leasing, development and financing. Kerri's real estate experience includes representing developers and owners of commercial real estate including office buildings, retail shopping centers, mixed-use projects, industrial property, charter schools, day care centers and senior living facilities. She also regularly represents developers in connection with various types of development agreements and easements.
Kerri has extensive experience financing complex real estate deals on behalf of borrowers including conventional loans, mezzanine financing and commercial mortgage backed securities. Kerri serves as local counsel for out-of-state developers and borrowers. In addition to her representation of borrowers, she has spent a good portion of her career representing financial institutions in connection with their commercial real estate loans including title and survey review. With over twenty years of legal experience, Kerri is able to guide clients through every stage of commercial real estate transactions from letter of intent through and after closing.
Experience
Represents buyers and sellers in commercial real estate acquisitions and dispositions of all types.
Kevin Brown has provided tax counsel for entity formations, private and public offerings, mergers, acquisitions and tender offers, as well as structuring numerous other business transactions including divisive reorganizations and recapitalizations. Kevin's tax counsel has included the impact of such transactions on ERISA qualified retirement plans. His taxation practice also includes the representation of entities and individuals regarding ERISA qualified and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, qualified and nonqualified stock option plans, audits, abatement proceedings and refund actions.
Kevin's trust and estate representation involves the implementation of efficient transfer of assets and preservation of wealth, including the planning of asset transfers among family members both during lifetime and upon death. Kevin's practice in this area is driven to accomplish both clients' long-term goals as well as the minimization of income, gift and estate taxes. His experience includes the representation of high net worth individuals, trust departments for national and state banks, representation of estates in probate proceedings, and representation of trusts and estates before tax authorities and in litigation. Kevin's experience also includes the establishment of a trust department for a national bank.
Experience
Kevin's representation of clients with regard to ERISA issues has involved both the implementation and amendment of qualified plans, advice regarding the structure and implementation of ESOP plans as a corporate finance tool, advice regarding plan operational and administrative issues, as well as the termination of qualified plans resulting in the recovery of excess assets. Kevin has also provided representation before the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Labor for determination letters and audits.
Kevin's tax controversy experience includes the representation of businesses, individuals, estates, trusts, and retirement plans before the Colorado Department of Revenue, Internal Revenue Service, United States Tax Court, and the United States Circuit Courts of Appeal.
Lawrence "Larry" Lee provides employers with the best practical and compliant solutions to difficult workplace issues. He helps his clients comply with state and federal employment laws in order to minimize potential liability to their businesses and operations. If an audit, agency action or lawsuit arises, Larry applies years of experience to defend his clients and their employment practices to the best resolution possible.
He represents employers on potential and actual claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, misclassification of workers or wages, workplace safety citations as well as employment contract issues. Further, Larry provides advice on hiring practices, decisions to discipline or terminate, proper pay procedures and OSHA and workplace safety issues.
If called upon, he assesses cases and counsels on best practices, updates employment policies and handbooks, and restrictive covenants for corporate clients. When management needs a straight-forward approach to managing workplace risks, Larry offers practical alternatives to meet their business objectives while providing protective measures for his clients.
As an experienced litigator, Larry has successfully tried employment lawsuits before juries, judges and arbitrators. He defends employers in federal and state courts as well as administrative proceedings against claims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation as well as claims of breach of contract and alleged violations of federal and state wage laws asserted by former employees.
Larry is well-versed in representing clients in a variety of industries, including health care, retail, commercial and residential construction, commercial real estate, hospitality/ restaurant, tech industry, engineering, public entity, law firms and 501(c)(3)s.
Melissa is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell, was recognized as Outstanding Alumni in Private Practice by the University of Colorado Law School Alumni Board, and is a Stanford University Alumni Council interviewer of local high school students applying to her alma mater. She is a Colorado Bar Foundation Fellow and has received the Colorado Supreme Court Pro Bono Achievement Award for the past eight years. She is a current member and past chair of the CBA Communication and Technology subsection and organizes networking and nonprofit events for the Senior Women's Corporate Counsel group.
Melissa's community service commitment is extensive. She currently serves on the Board of the Colorado Open Golf Foundation and mentors young golfers in the First Tee Program at Green Valley Ranch. She is also a scout leader, an active volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, and the former President of her neighborhood HOA. Melissa is a past chair of the CU Law School Alumni Foundation and a member of the Young American's Bank Board, the Legal Aid Foundation, and the Denver Center for the Performing Arts Complex Foundation.
Michael A. Sabian, who has over 47 years experience, is a Harvard law graduate who advises businesses in multiple areas of operation including the initial organization of an entity, structuring relationships between owners, equity and debt financing, contracts, mergers and acquisitions and in some cases, liquidation and dissolution. Mr. Sabian has expertise representing clients engaged in a broad range of industries including investment advising, hedge funds, other financial services, food and beverages and air cargo handling. He is frequently asked to write on business matters and serves on the Planning Committee, Business Law Institute, sponsored by the Colorado Bar Association CLE and the Legislative Drafting Committee of the Business Law Section of the Colorado Bar Association.
Clients want to know, is my case worth fighting? After reviewing the facts of your case, Nicole will let you know. Her insights are hard-fought in 12+ years of litigating business matters and achieving outcomes that improve her clients' lives. From defamation to breach of fiduciary duties to fraud, complex contract disputes, commercial real estate litigation, and all else between, Nicole tries and argues matters from both sides of the aisle, plaintiff and defendant, in federal and state courts and arbitration venues throughout the United States.
A former federal law clerk in the busiest trial court in the United States, Nicole's trial practice focuses on one thing: the success of her clients. She works with dedication, tenacity and commitment to prevail in significant, high-stakes business disputes that others won't try. Past successes in underdog cases of IP theft and trade secret litigation have restored claimant property to the rightful owners and defended against millions of dollars in claimed damages.
She is also an MLM trial attorney with experience defending network marketing companies and distributors in private litigation against multi-level marketers. Nicole brings a highly developed understanding of the laws-statute and case-regulations, and self-regulatory restraints in place to prevent fraud, securities violations, and FTC complaints. She handles all aspects of litigation from injunctions to investigations, discovery, mediation, arbitration, litigation and settlement in matters of conflict between distributors, breaches of policies and procedures by distributors, misleading sales tactics, shareholder disputes and privacy issues, and other areas of legal controversy involving MLMs.
Putting the client first also means giving clients greater access to talented and skilled attorneys. Nicole is an instructor for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA), where she builds up skills of fellow litigators. She's been named a Martindale Hubble AV-Preeminent Attorney and to Super Lawyers as well as designated a Super Lawyers "Rising Stars", recognized as an "Up and Coming Lawyer" and a "Compleat Lawyer" by Law Week Colorado. Nicole was also nominated "Forty Under Forty" by The Denver Business Journal.
Insights: Fighting the Equalizing Effects of Remote Arbitration, by Nicole Westbrook, as featured in Bloomberg Law
Job Titles:
- Paul Vorndran Shareholder