Laura Ellis is a tried-and-true litigator with a passion for tackling complex civil disputes. She has extensive experience successfully guiding clients through the entire litigation process, from pre-complaint strategy through trial.  

Laura has a decade of litigation experience and has represented a diverse group of clients in trial courts across the country, from individuals to government agencies to Fortune 500 companies. A former Assistant U.S. Attorney, Laura has worked closely with federal agencies and defended the United States in a variety of civil lawsuits, including tort, employment, and Administrative Procedure Act actions. In private practice, Laura specializes in complex civil disputes, representing business owners, corporate entities, and homeowners’ associations as they navigate both potential and active legal disputes. 

Although adept at negotiating favorable out-of-court settlements, Laura is comfortable in the courtroom and has won favorable results in high-stakes arbitrations and state and federal court proceedings. For example, she recently first-chaired an arbitration involving a business divorce that resulted in her client recovering the full amount of claimed damages, in addition to attorney fees and costs. Laura also successfully solo-chaired a preliminary injunction hearing for a real-estate acquisitions company, preventing an adjacent landowner from blocking access to a newly-acquired property.

Laura and her husband, Julian, live in Elbert County with their two young sons. When she isn’t chasing after energic little boys, Laura enjoys running with her dogs, riding horses, and listening to podcasts that explore science, psychology, and socioeconomics.

Representative Matters

Civil Litigation

• Represented shareholder as lead trial counsel in a business-divorce arbitration. Working lockstep with co-counsel, Laura secured the full amount of claimed damages, as well as attorney fees and costs.  
• Represented a real-estate acquisitions company in a dispute with an adjacent landowner over access to a newly-purchased property. Laura handled all aspects of the case, from developing case strategy to drafting the complaint to solo-chairing the preliminary injunction hearing. After the Court granted the preliminary injunction, the case settled on favorable terms.
• Defended a federal agency in a personal injury case where the plaintiff claimed millions in damages after an automobile accident. Laura conducted an exhaustive factual investigation and discovered evidence that ultimately forced Plaintiff’s counsel and a key damages expert to withdraw from the case. The case later settled for a fraction of the alleged damages.
• Defended a Fortune 500 consumer-appliance manufacturer against class claims alleging hundreds of millions in damages. Laura led fact development, including directing the collection and review of thousands of technical engineering and marketing documents, defending numerous company-witness depositions, taking class-representative depositions, developing an inspection protocol for the at-issue units, and working extensively with experts. After successfully defeating class certification, the case settled for a fraction of the alleged damages.
• Defended a major industrial manufacturer facing hundreds of millions in damages after a catastrophic accident. Laura led trial preparation efforts, under senior supervision, including coordinating multiple experts’ highly technical work and creating comprehensive document coding protocols to cull and organize voluminous design and engineering documents. 
• Appointed pro-bono appellate counsel by the Tenth Circuit to brief and argue nuanced federal habeas issues.

Education

J.D., University of Colorado School of Law, Order of the Coif
B.A., Psychology and Sociology, University of Denver, magna cum laude (Full-Athletic Soccer Scholarship)

Clerkship

Law Clerk, Judge David M. Ebel, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
Law Clerk, Chief Justice Nancy E. Rice (ret.), Colorado Supreme Court

Bar and Court Admissions

Colorado
U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
U.S. District Court, District of Colorado

Professional and Community Involvement 

• Tenth Circuit Historical Society, Member
• Colorado Bar Association, Member

Activities and Honors

• Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project, Fellow, 2011–2012
• University of Colorado Law School Public Service Pledge Award
• Pioneer Award, University of Denver 
• Woman of the Year, NCAA Sunbelt Conference

Publications 

• Pilot Projects: Essential Tools for Effectuating the Call of Rule 1, A.B.A. LITIG. J. (Spring 2015).
• Civic Outreach Programs: Common Models, Shared Challenges, and Strategic Recommendations, 90 DENV. U. L. REV. 871 (2013).