Top best L Lawyers in Aspen | 61 available

Thanks for visiting me on this site.  I respectfully suggest that sites such as this are not the best way for potential clients to evaluate the effectiveness of any lawyer and "rankings" are extremely hard to evaluate.  Let me give you an example....you pick the highest ranked lawyer at the biggest top firm in the area for your small business counseling needs.  What do you get?  First, a bill that is so high you won't be able to continue operating your small business and second, a lawyer that despite is top ranking perhaps has little understanding of the small business environment you are operating in.  The result - killer bills and bad advice.. What people in need of legal services should do is contact several lawyers in the practice and geographical area in which they are seeking services and speak with several lawyers.  Even ask other lawyers about other lawyers or ask other clients of the lawyer how things went and if you would recommend the lawyer. I have been practicing for more than 15 years in the heart of Aspen, Colorado and have successfully represented clients world-wide in a variety of areas in both Colorado and also in New York where I am also a member of the bar.  I am very visible in Aspen and you should have good luck asking about my professionalism and character.  If you want to discuss your matter, that's simple, I will provide a free hour of consultation to see if I can help you and also for you to see if you would like to work with me.  No pressure and a perfect way for you to evaluate my services.. As far as the huge, bold red-letter disciplinary warnings, yes it is true. 10 years ago when I was pretty fresh into my practice I tried to help a client and went into business with him here in Aspen but I forgot to provide a letter to that client to seek independent advice.  I made the mistake, I admitted to it immediately and I took my punishment like a man.  Here is a link to the report from the Colorado Supreme Court.... Despite the mark on my record, I am all the better for it and much smarter about business matters and certainly much, much smarter about who I try to help in business.  The New York disciplinary matter is just reciprocal discipline for the same problem in 2003 since I maintain bar admissions in both states.  If you want to know more about it, call me anytime and I will happily explain it to you.. If you are in need of legal services by a Colorado or New York attorney who will fight tooth and nail on your behalf, who has a good background in business counseling, real estate, construction and other areas, who is approachable, friendly and does not overcharge, please give me a call; I would be happy to chat with you to see if I can help.  If I cannot, I will certainly tell you so and help you find a lawyer better suited for your needs.

Pete Thomas is a trial attorney specializing in civil and commercial litigation.  Pete has been selected as a Colorado Super Lawyer, a distinction extended to only the top 5 percent of all attorneys. Pete enjoys the highest AV Preeminent® rating from Martindale Hubbell, has attained the designation of Master Advocate with the National Institute of Trial Advocacy, and is listed as one of Colorado’s Top 100 Trial Lawyers with the National Trial Lawyer’s Association. In 2020, he was appointed to the Litigation Executive Council of the Colorado Bar Association.. Pete represents clients throughout Colorado and the United States, having litigated cases against some of the largest law firms and largest corporations in the country.  His most recent victory involved a nearly $10,000, jury verdict in a construction defect case against a large residential developer.. Pete is a former nationally ranked freestyle mogul skier and whitewater kayaker, two hobbies he still pursues in his spare time.  He also is an avid musician and plays guitar in a popular Colorado band.  He attributes much of his success as a trial lawyer to his experience on stage playing music in front of large crowds.  "Whether on stage with a guitar or on stage in the courtoom, the mindset and approach to making an audience scream with excitment or a jury cry for your client is very much the same" he explains.  "You have to engage your audience, capture their attention, and create tension and emotion."   Or in the words of one of his clients:. "Wow. The jury was mesmerized by you. The paralegal with the other firm was sobbing during your opening statement. I couldn't believe it. You were absolutely amazing."

Mr. Cramer’s practice involves a broad range of transactional work such as entity formation and reorganization; partnerships, limited liability companies and strategic alliances; finance; and mergers, acquisitions and divestitures. He regularly advises equity owners, funds, investors and businesses with respect to the structuring of their business and legal relationships. Mr. Cramer has represented a number of start-ups and emerging growth companies where he completed several rounds of debt or equity financing, implemented all of the operational contracts, and handled numerous acquisitions and strategic alliances. In many cases, he is involved in the business discussions regarding capital structure and finance, establishing business models, forming or modifying partnerships or strategic alliances, as well as compensation and benefits. Mr. Cramer has also represented a number of more mature public and private companies and prominent non-profit organizations.. Mr. Cramer has represented clients in many industries including Internet marketing and e-commerce, consumer products, alcoholic beverages, health care, software and technology. A significant portion of his work involves real estate.. Mr. Cramer is involved in tax planning and tax compliance on a continuing basis. A large part of this work is structuring and compliance with regard to the transactions described above. Other areas of focus include tax controversies; compensation and employee benefits; and tax-exempt organizations. Mr. Cramer has also advised clients on wealth planning and business succession planning throughout his career.. A significant portion of Mr. Cramer’s practice involves commercial and residential real estate including acquisitions and sales; partnerships and joint ventures; financings and private placements; development; and leasing. Mr. Cramer is adept at guiding a group through the process of raising capital to develop a project where the owners or investors are making varying contributions and are entitled to varying returns and priorities. He also understands the private placement process and can assist with the securities disclosures and related procedures that are important in raising capital for such ventures.. Mr. Cramer commonly handles transactions with values from $2 million to $20 million, but has handled transactions with values up to $250 million.

Michelle Schindler is a trial and appellate attorney, who concentrates her practice in the area of civil litigation. Michelle has handled numerous jury and bench trials involving a variety of legal issues including business disputes, real estate, construction, fraud, fiduciary duties, manufacturing and distribution. Michelle has successfully handled appeals in various appellate courts, including the Colorado Court of Appeals and Colorado Supreme Court. She has represented clients before federal and state courts across the nation.. Michelle grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, and started her legal career working for a large law firm in Chicago, Illinois. After seven years of practicing in Chicago, Michelle, her husband (Dieter Schindler) and their young daughter moved to the Roaring Fork Valley.. While in law school, Michelle was a member of the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Team (Vienna, Austria) and a member of the Canada-United States Law Institute Niagara International Moot Court Team.. In her free time, Michelle enjoys skiing, hiking, traveling and spending time with her family.

Lucas Van Arsdale is a founding partner at JVAM and primarily works out of the firm’s Aspen office. He has earned a strong reputation as one of the Roaring Fork Valley’s most highly regarded business and real-estate lawyers.. Lucas is a gifted, creative problem solver with a rare combination of skills: he is simultaneously an experienced trial attorney and a skilled and practical deal lawyer. Because of those skills, he has also become a capable and sought-after mediator.. Regarding real estate, Lucas’ practice encompasses the full spectrum of issues clients encounter, both in Aspen and throughout the Roaring Fork Valley. This includes the purchase and sale of residential, ranch, and commercial real estate; negotiations and dispute-resolution regarding access, easements, encroachments, and title issues; all manner of actions relating to mining claims; navigating construction and development issues; negotiating commercial and residential leases and resolving all forms of lease-related disputes; all aspects of secured financing, including lender-side due diligence, loan document prep, perfection and release of liens, and, when necessary, foreclosures; and all aspects of law relating to Homeowners’ Associations and Condominium Owners’ Associations.. Lucas is also intimately knowledgeable regarding the local business climate and the unique issues it creates for business owners, particularly in industries like construction, real estate, restaurants, and outdoor recreation. That local knowledge, together with his innate pragmatism, extensive business experience, and superior ability to either collaborate or litigate depending on the needs of the situation, makes him an invaluable resource for his business clients. Lucas advises businesses relating to all aspects of business formation, asset purchases and sales, labor and employment laws, independent contractor agreements, construction contracts, service contracts, licenses, leases, financing arrangements, partner buy-outs, and business dissolutions.. Lucas is the current board chairperson for Alpine Legal Services, a non-profit focused on providing access to justice for vulnerable members of the community who don’t otherwise qualify for state-sponsored legal representation. He also serves as Vice President of the Judicial Performance Commission for the Ninth Judicial District, to which he was appointed by the President of the Colorado Senate. He has authored and taught multiple continuing education classes for attorneys and real estate brokers relating to real estate and business matters. And, lately, he can often be found on the sidelines of children’s lacrosse tournaments over a shockingly (to him, at first) wide-ranging expanse of locations across the state, cheering loudly for his daughters’ teams.. ASSOCIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPSAlpine Legal Services, Board of DirectorsAmerican Bar AssociationColorado Bar Association9th Judicial District, Judicial Performance Commission, Executive Vice President9th Judicial District, Bar AssociationRoaring Fork Leadership Academy 2011-2012

Law, and more specifically, construction litigation, is my second career.  I spent over 10 years as a member of the management teams on commercial construction projects that ranged in size from $1.5M to $125M.  I have worked on construction projects in the states of IN, IL, CO, CA, OR, and WA and held positions ranging from estimator to field engineer to project manager over the course of my field experience. I've been extremely fortunate to work on technical and complicated projects such as hospitals, jail and court facilities, winery additions, and remodels of existing structures through both competitively bid, lump sum contracts as well as negotiated, guaranteed maximum price delivery methods.. I also spent approximately 5 years prior to law school working as an in-house construction consultant for a Seattle law firm that focused on construction litigation. As a consultant, I worked with the attorneys as well as fact and expert witnesses in the development of claims and litigation strategies.. Since graduating from law school, I have continued the focus of my career on the construction industry through the representation of general contractors, owners, and sureties.  I have tried cases to juries, arbitration panels and judges and have achieved success in each forum.  When I first meet with a client, I strive to understand the client's specific goals related to the dispute as well as the overall business plan so we can collaborate on the proper strategy for the long term, which sometimes involves more creative alternatives to litigation.. I am licensed in Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Idaho.  I am also a trained mediator and arbitrator.

I was admitted to practice before the State and Federal Courts of Colorado in 1976 and have handled hundreds of matters from start to finish in both the State and Federal Courts since that time.  I regularly handles high net worth divorce cases and general commercial litigation matters.

I (along with Ron Garfield) am the founding partner of the firm which first opened its doors in 1975.  I am a shareholder of the firm which has five locations on the Western Slope and employs 22 attorneys. I have represented seller and buyers of residential and commercial property owners for 40 years. My practice includes representation of large real estate investment groups, buyers and sellers in lending and borrowing activities.  I have extensive experience in land use matters seeking governmental approvals for subdivision and planned unit development and challenging government land use decisions.

I routinely handle numerous civil court cases including real estate disputes, construction disputes, loan related matters, foreclosures, and contract disputes.. I also routinely represent buyers and sellers in both residential and commercial real estate transactions, review and draft purchase contracts, review and draft leases, review and draft construction contracts for both owners and contractors, help with landlord/tenant issues, review and draft loan documents and advise borrowers and lenders in foreclosure matters.. Additionally, I routinely help people with their small business needs such as creating companies and corporations and offering general advice regarding corporate law.. Please contact me to learn how I can help solve your personal and business problems.

I have practiced law in Colorado since 1998.  After working as an aide to the Honorable Nancy L. Johnson (CT-6) and for United States Trade Representative Michael Kantor, I started my legal career serving as corporate counsel at Level 3 Communications, LLC where I worked in the corporate, network development, real estate, construction and information technologies groups.  I previously worked for Garfield and Hecht, P.C. in Aspen, Colorado from 2004 to 2006 in oir transactions practice, before starting my own law firm in Crested Butte, Colorado where I served as the Crested Butte Town Attorney for 11 years.  Between 2010 and 2012 I also served as the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Cologix, Inc., an international data center company based in Denver, Colorado.  I rejoined Garfield & Hecht in January of 2017 where I serve as Of Counsel to the Firm working out of both the Aspen and Crested Butte offices focusing on real estate, land use and zoning, real estate development, business transactions, construction, commercial lending, common interest communities, municipal and special district law, conservation easements, federal and state affairs and trademwark law.

I have been an active trial lawyer since graduating from law school in 1984.  Prior to joining Garfield & Hecht, P.C. in 1994, I was a trial attorney at the Denver office of Ballard Spahr, LLP, a Philadelphia-based national law firm with over 400 attorneys.. I have appeared before federal and state courts throughout Colorado and other states on behalf of individuals and large and small businesses, including financial institutions and banks.  I have acted as the trial attorney in cases involving lender liability claims, contested foreclosures, breach of contract claims, breach of fiduciary duty claims, shareholder and derivative claims, partnership and limited liability company dissolutions, construction defect and delay claims, adverse possession and boundary line disputes, quiet title actions, product liability claims, and personal injury and wrongful death claims.  I have also represented individual homeowners and real estate developers in high profile land use cases with the City of Aspen and Pitkin County.  For the past 15 years, I have been one of the two primary trial attorneys for a Fortune 500 company defending the manufacturer of a component part used in radiant heating systems in numerous jury trials in state and federal courts throughout Colorado, including the recent successful defense of the Fortune 500 company in a statewide class action case in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.  I also have extensive appellate experience, and have appeared before the Colorado Court of Appeals, the Colorado Supreme Court, and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.

I have been a practicing lawyer for 31 years. My first bar admission was in 1989 in California, my second was in 1992 in Hawaii, and my third in Colorado in 1996.. I have had a very interesting litigation career spanning many subject matters, from intellectual property disputes to maritime/admiralty issues involved with defending recreational scuba diving cases. In two product liability cases involving scuba equipment, that sought ten million dollars in damages in California, complete defense verdicts were obtained in both following month-long jury trials.. I have been a passionate diver for 34 years and have been lucky enough dive all over the world. Favorites dive sites are: The Great Barrier Reef, Fiji, Galapagos Islands, Palau, Truk Lagoon, Hawaii and Indonesia. I have also been a life-long skier - and have lived in Aspen for the last 20 years.. In Colorado, I was on the legal team that unanimously won an important case in the Colorado Supreme Court. The case involved parental pre-injury liability releases for minors participating in skiing competitions. The decision knocked out the parents claims, but allowed the minors claims to go forward for negligence involved in setting a practice race course on Aspen Mountain.. Over the years I have litigated many diverse subject matters including: all aspects of   business; construction; real estate sales,development and boundary disputes; and architectural planning and execution.. I am a passionate and zealous advocate for my clients and enjoy the process of solving problems as quickly and efficiently as possible.

I am a shareholder of Garfield & Hecht, P.C., resident in the firm’s Aspen office. I joined the firm on June 1, 2004. I specialize in litigation. My work involves commercial litigation, family law, real estate disputes, construction defect litigation, homeowners’ association disputes, appeals and governmental investigations. I have successfully represented clients in state and federal litigation from the pre-lawsuit stages through post-trial appeals. I have represented clients in lawsuits across Colorado, including the District of Colorado, Pitkin County, Garfield County, Eagle County, Boulder County, El Paso County, Mesa County, Gunnison County, Weld County, Routt County, and Arapahoe County. I have also represented clients in governmental investigations initiated by, among others, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. I have represented clients in litigation involving the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. I have argued before the Colorado Court of Appeals. I currently represent clients concerning: trade secrets litigation in Garfield County District Court, contract litigation in District Courts in Pitkin County, Boulder County and Weld County, and divorce and parenting time matters in District Courts in Garfield County, Eagle County and Pitkin County. Prior to joining Garfield & Hecht, P.C., I  was a litigation associate at a national law firm in New York City, where I gained extensive experience in Multi-District Litigation and class action products liability litigation, complex securities litigation, white collar criminal defense, real estate disputes, and construction litigation.

I (along with Andy Hecht) am the founding partner of the firm which first opened its doors in 1975.  The firm recently celebrated its 40thAnniversary.  I am the managing shareholder of the firm which has five locations on the Western slope employing 22 attorneys. I am active in various practice areas representing individual and corporate clients (including a number of banks) in their various activities. I also oversee the firm’s opinion letter practice.. I have represented landlords and tenants alike in negotiating retail, office and residential leases. I have handled annexation of development lands into municipalities. I have authored covenants and declarations for all kinds of developments from duplexes to PUD’s including high-end subdivisions such as Wildcat Ranch.. I have represented banks and private lenders in their lending activities as well as the restructure of non-performing loans and where needed collection activity including foreclosures and UCC sales. I have represented purchasers and sellers of all manner of real estate including fractional, single family, duplexes, commercial properties, farm and ranch lands and parcels earmarked for development.. I have represented clients in the negotiation and drafting of shareholder and operating agreements. I have represented clients that are parties to shareholder or operating agreements where disputes have arisen and have successfully negotiated resolutions without resort to litigation. I have represented Buyers and Sellers of businesses and companies including stock and asset sales with and without leverage.

Greg Greer dedicates his entire practice to defending people accused of violating a criminal law.  He was the the chief public defender in the ninth judicial district for 20 years.  During his 28 years of criminal defense practice, he has successfully defended all levels of criminal charges.  He now uses his knowledge of the law, as well as the particular practices in Aspen, Glenwood Springs, Eagle and Vail to help those in need of his assistance in the event of investigations or accusations involving the criminal law.

Construction | Intellectual Property | Litigation | Real Estate & Transaction. Alexander Clayden focuses his practice on civil litigation. He has experience litigating a broad spectrum of matters in state and federal courts throughout Colorado and nationwide. Alex assists clients in disputes involving real estate transactions and matters affecting title to real property. He has significant experience advocating on behalf of business clients in contract, employment and business tort cases. He is also versed in prosecuting and defending claims relating to construction projects, including helping contractors secure liens and, ultimately, payment for their services.. Alexander Clayden also has significant experience litigating intellectual property matters. In this aspect of his practice, Alex assists clients with claims involving patent and trademark infringement, trade secret misappropriation, non-competition, non-solicitation and employment agreements, unfair competition and deceptive trade practices, e-commerce transactions, and website terms and conditions.. In addition, Alex is a trusted advisor who greatly enjoys providing businesses and individuals advice and counsel regarding business and real estate transactions. This includes assistance with business formation and governing documents.. In all matters, Alex is committed to thoroughly understanding his clients’ business and their needs, and working diligently to obtain excellent outcomes. He frequently helps clients achieve favorable results through negotiation, mediation and other alternative dispute resolution. Clients value his effective, pragmatic and efficient approach.. Prior to joining the Johnston Van Arsdale Martin, Alex was a partner of national law firms where he focused on complex commercial litigation, business litigation, intellectual property litigation, and employment litigation. Alex began his legal career as an associate at an international law firm and served as a law clerk to the Honorable Philip A. Brimmer in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado.. Outside the office, Alex enjoys spending time with his wife, family and friends, exploring the unparalleled recreational opportunities found in the Roaring Fork Valley and throughout Colorado. Alex is an avid skier, mountain biker, kayaker and climber.

Chad focuses on commercial, real estate, construction and employment litigation in state and federal courts.  As an accomplished trial lawyer with extensive litigation experience, he has tried or resolved hundreds of cases, including obtaining a seven figure judgment in a construction defect case, successfully prosecuting and defending numerous landlord-tenant and property related disputes for the owner of a large mixed-use retail and office development that was obtained through foreclosure, which enabled the new owner to sell the property at a significant gain, successfully defending a tenant in a multi-million dollar landlord-tenant dispute, successfully defending a developer in a mechanics’ lien foreclosure action and prevailing on an excessive lien claim and successfully defending employers in wage act lawsuit.  Chad also served on a team that secured a favorable national product liability class action settlement for a global manufacturing company.  In the construction law context, Chad has negotiated numerous construction contracts on behalf of developers, home owners and contractors.  Prior to joining Garfield & Hecht in 1998, Chad practiced law in Chicago.

Business Formation & Development | Homeowners’ Associations | Land Use & Development | Litigation | Municipal & Special Districts | Water Rights. Steve has been practicing law in Glenwood Springs and providing services to clients since the firm was formed in 1982. His practice emphasizes business, real estate, complex transactions and negotiations, contracts, construction law, litigation, administrative law and natural gas law. He has broad experience in complex commercial and real estate matters, and approaches all of his work with meticulous attention to detail.. Steve grew up in Glenwood Springs. He earned a B.A. in History from Tufts University in 1968, where he played varsity sports and was active in college organizations. He graduated from the University of Colorado School of Law in 1973 after serving for two years in the United States Army at Ft. Huachuca, Arizona and in Vietnam. After law school Steve and his wife lived in Tucson, Arizona, where he practiced law with the legal staff of Tucson Gas & Electric Company/Tucson Electric Power Company (where he was the primary attorney for the sale of the gas department to another utility company and associated regulatory approvals) and with a private law firm. In 1982, he returned to Glenwood Springs and joined boyhood friend Jim Larson to form the firm of Larson & Beattie. A number of his clients have been with the firm since its formation in 1982.. Steve has been active in various community organizations including Mountain Madrigal Singers and Garfield County Senior Housing, still roots for his old teams at Glenwood Springs High School, is an accomplished golfer, and enjoys a variety of outdoor activities in Western Colorado and the region.

At the Law Office of William G. Argeros our clients come first. Bill has been an extremely effective counselor, negotiator, and trial lawyer for 30 years. Every client is treated with courtesy and is guaranteed effective representation. Our expertise and integrity have earned us the highest legal rating possible, an “AV” rating from Martindale Hubble.. Bill has a proven track record of over 30 years of legal practice in getting his clients great results. He is a superior trial attorney who is willing to take your case to court when necessary, but is also a trained Mediator who can facilitate the best settlement possible. Bill has represented all strata of clients – from individuals in need of assistance to multi-billion dollar insurance companies. These qualities make Bill a formidable negotiator who gets the best results possible, often making a trial of the matter unnecessary.. Bill has personally handled hundreds of civil cases with impressive results. He deals almost exclusively with high value cases involving breach of contract, personal injury, business dealings and construction-defect litigation. The law firm also handles individual clients, families, and HOA’s who trust Bill with their personal issues. Bill’s compassion and experience affords his personal injury clients peace of mind when dealing with the myriad of issues they are confronted within their time of need. His law office handles select personal injury cases ranging from automobile accidents involving soft tissue injuries, broken bones and surgery to wrongful death cases for loved ones.. Bill has successfully litigated cases involving individuals and small companies who have been wronged to multi-million dollar case in a range of areas. His ethics and values are unsurpassed. Bill has been trusted by hundreds of clients over more than thirty years of legal practice and has a proven track record of commitment to getting clients the results they deserve. We are deeply committed to personal attention and excellent results. Always pragmatic, aggressive when necessary, and trustworthy to the end, Bill will get you the results you desire. We represent our clients zealously within the bounds of the law. We invite you to contact our firm for effective legal advice, specifically tailored to meet your personal or business needs. Our success is based on our commitment to principles of integrity, personal attention, determination and hard work.

Experienced L attorney serving clients in Aspen and surrounding areas.

Experienced L attorney serving clients in Aspen and surrounding areas.

Experienced L attorney serving clients in Aspen and surrounding areas.