Experienced Litigators. Dedicated Advocates.
Experienced Litigators.
Dedicated Advocates.
Biography
Joe served as the Chief Deputy District Attorney of the Economic Crime Unit for over twenty of his twenty-eight-year career in the Denver District Attorney’s Office. In that capacity, Joe supervised and conducted hundreds of complex criminal investigations which involved organized crime, public corruption, securities fraud, and multi-million-dollar embezzlements from private and public entities. Joe worked extensively with state and federal agencies invarious forms of criminal and administrative complaints and fostered lasting relationships. Joe is a talented and aggressive litigator with over 250 trials to verdict, including forty-five homicides, organized crime, embezzlement, and various categories of fraud, including securities, mortgage, construction, election, and public corruption. Joe is widely regarded as one of the preeminent litigation attorneys in Colorado.
As Chief of the Economic Crime Unit, Joe was tasked with selecting, managing, and utilizing the grand juries in Denver County, becoming a foremost expert in grand jury practice, investigation, and prosecution in Colorado. During his career, he litigated some of the most complex criminal indictments in Denver.
Joe grew up in Granby, Colorado, and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Colorado. He is an avid skier and hiker and enjoys spending time with his rescue dog, Archie.
Current Postition
- Non-Equity Member
Areas Of Practice
- Criminal Defense 40%
- Civil Litigation 20%
- Civil Rights 20%
- Personal Injury 20%
Bar Admissions
- Colorado, 1994
Education
- University of Colorado School of Law, Boulder, Colorado
- J.D. - 1994
- University of Colorado, Boulder, California
- B.A. - 1990
Classes / Seminars
- National College of District Attorneys, “Handling the High-Profile Case- Legal, Ethical and Practical Considerations,” Washington D.C., 2006
- National College of District Attorneys, “Financial Exploitation of At-Risk Adults,” Reno, Nevada, 2006
- National College of District Attorneys, “Identity Theft Investigations and Prosecutions,” Reno, Nevada, 2006
- National College of District Attorneys, “Securities Fraud Prosecutions and the Local Prosecutor,” Tucson, Arizona, 2008
- National College of District Attorneys, “Public Corruption,” Tucson, Arizona, 2008
- “Grand Jury Basics,” Colorado District Attorney’s Counsel 35th Annual Training Conference, Breckenridge, Colorado, 2006
- “Anatomy of Embezzlement,” Special District Association, 2008
- “Corporate Collapse: Regulatory and Criminal Issues from District Attorney’s Perspective,” DU Law Panel Discussion, 2009
- “Fraud, Investigations & Crimes in Real Estate,” Attorneys Title Guaranty Fund Assembly, 2009
- “White-Collar Crime,” Colorado Organization of Certified Public Accountants, 2010
- “White-Collar Prosecution,” University of Denver, Business Law Society Student Trial Lawyers, 2011
- “Ponzi Schemes and Schemers,” Colorado State Investigator’s Association Annual Training Conference, 2011 - Present
- “Anatomy of Employee Embezzlement- Case Histories, District Attorney Involvement and Avoidance Techniques” 21st Annual Institute on Advising Nonprofit Organization, 2012 - Present
- “State of White-Collar Prosecution,” University of Colorado, 2012
- “White-Collar Crime,” University of Denver, Business School, 2013
- “Working with State and Local Prosecutors,” Rocky Mountain Special Agents in Charge Association (RMSAC) Meeting, 2013
- “The Long Road to Justice People v. Alan DeAtley,” Colorado State Investigator’s Association Annual Training Conference, 2016
- “The Impaneling and Use of Grand Jury,” Colorado District Attorney’s Counsel 47th Annual Training Conference, Breckenridge, Colorado, 2018
- “Current Trends in Workplace Fraud,” Rubin Brown: Workplace Fraud Update, 2018
- Denver Police Academy, Training on Article 5, 5.5, 17 and Statutory Grand Jury, 2004 to 2023
- Denver Police Academy, Officer Involved Shootings, 2020 to 2022
- Denver District Attorney’s Office, trainings on Voir-Dire, Cross-examination, Grand Jury, Confiscation and Petitions to Seal (Arrest and/or Convictions
- Fraud, Cyber Crime, Organized Crime and Grand Jury, Officer Involved Shootings, Denver Police Academy, 2004 to 2004
- Grand Jury Practice, Colorado District Attorney's Counsel, 2006
- Grand Jury Practice, Colorado District Attorney's Counsel, 2016
- Securities Fraud, Exploitation of At-Risk Adults, Public Corruption, Identity Theft and High-Profile cases, National College of District Attorneys, 2006 to 2008
- White-Collar Prosecution, Public and Private Organizations, 2008 to 2018
Honors and Awards
- Denver District Attorney’s Office Meritorious Service Award for investigation and prosecution of Hong Tang for the sexual exploitation of a woman and for the largest state civil forfeiture in Colorado history, 2010 - Present
- Denver District Attorney’s Office Meritorious Service Award for investigation and prosecution of Frederic Dryer for running a $40,000,000 Ponzi securities fraud scheme that impacted thousands of victims across the country, 2010 - Present
- Denver District Attorney’s Office Meritorious Service Award for investigation and prosecution of Dexter Lewis Denver District Attorney’s Office Meritorious Service Award for investigation and prosecution of Dexter Lewis, 2016 - Present
- Recognition from the Colorado Department of Revenue for the successful investigation and prosecution of “Operation Wildcat.”, 2015 - Present
- Denver Business Journal “Power Book” honoree as one of Metro Denver’s Top Business Newsmakers, 2006 - Present