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Members
of the Firm
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SETH
J. BENEZRA is a 1980 graduate of Stanford University (A.B.
with distinction) and a 1983 graduate of the University of Colorado
Law School, where he served as Articles Editor of the Colorado
Law Review. Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Benezra
worked as a trial and appellate attorney for the Colorado State
Public Defender. Mr. Benezra is a lecturer in Employment Law at
the University of Denver and has published and spoken extensively
to legal professionals on employment issues. Mr. Benezra has tried
numerous jury cases. Recent victories include Vaszlavik,
et al. v. Storage Technology, an age class action case which
settled for $5.0 million; Drake
v. TalMor Capital Management, L.L.C., and Edmund Melhado,
Case No. 01-CV-211 (Boulder 2002), a fraud case that resulted
in a jury verdict of approximately $3.0 million; Carr v. Ft.
Morgan School District, a disability discrimination case which
resulted in a total judgment of approximately $300,000 plus an
order of instatement; Holeman v. City of Commerce City,
a whistle-blowing case which resulted in a settlement and judgment
of approximately $400,000; Kulikowski v. Boulder County Board
of County Commissioners, 231 F.Supp.2d 1053 (D.Colo. 2002);
and Langely v. Adams County, a sexual discrimination and
retaliation case that was tried in the United States District
Court in Colorado and resulted in a million dollar settlement.
Mr. Benezra is widely regarded for his appellate experience and
has been involved in a number of criminal and employment law appellate
cases. Mr. Benezra is the President of the Boulder County Bar
Association for 2002-03. Mr. Benezra is a member of the National
Plaintiff's Employment Lawyers Association, the National Association
of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Criminal Justice Act Panel, the
Colorado Criminal Defense Bar, the Boulder Bar Association, the
Colorado Trial Lawyer´s Association, and the National Association
of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Mr. Benezra's practice focuses on
all elements of employment law and criminal defense work at the
trial and appellate levels.
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ACHIEVEMENTS
* Co-counsel
for the Plaintiff in Carr v. Morgan School District, a disability
discrimination case tried in the United States District Court for
the District of Colorado in September 1998, which resulted in a judgment
and order to hire the plaintiff.
* Co-counsel
for the Plaintiff in Langely v. Adams County, et al., in
which the Plaintiff obtained a one million dollar judgment for sexual
discrimination and retaliation.
* Counsel
for the Plaintiff in United States ex rel. Gibson v. C.S.L.P.,
a Colorado District court case which alleged violations of the False
Claims Act. Plaintiff obtained a settlement in excess of $300,000.
* Vaszlavik,
et al. v. StorageTek, 183 F.R.D. 264 (D. Colo. 1998) (Co-counseled
a class action lawsuit which settled for $5 million dollars and
a commitment by the employer to include human resource training
and policy amendments including age and benefits administration.)
* Mr.
Benezra argued the case and wrote the brief in the United States
Supreme Court, for the Defendant in Colorado v. Spring, 479
U.S. 564 (1987), a precedent setting case regarding the Miranda
decision.
* Counsel
for the Plaintiffs in obtaining several significant six figure settlements
in cases alleging discrimination and constitutional violations.
* Lecturer
in Employment Law at the University of Denver College of Law.
* Mr.
Benezra has given speeches to the College of the Federal Advocates,
the Colorado Bar Association, the Boulder Bar Association, the Arapahoe
Bar Association, and the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association on employment
law issues.
* Mr.
Benezra organized the Colorado Trial Lawyers 2001 Convention on
Employment Law and Litigation and has served as co-chair of the
BCBA Employment Law Committee.
* Mr.
Benezra has been recognized as and testified as an expert in sexual
harassment law.
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JOHN
A. CULVER graduated from the University of Kansas with honors
in 1987 and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law
School in 1992. In 2006, Mr. Culver was recognized as one of Colorado's
top attorneys through Law & Politics and 5280 Magazine's "Super
Lawyer" nominations. Mr. Culver has considerable experience
with multi-party and class action litigation, including as lead
counsel in the certified age and benefits discrimination class
action Vaszlavik, et al. v.
StorageTek, which settled for $5.0 million and significant
affirmative relief. Mr. Culver is an experienced trial lawyer
who obtained a $2.9 million Judgment (exclusive of attorney fees
and rights) in Drake v. TalMor
Capital Management, LLC and Edmund Melhado, a case involving
fraud and breach of employment contract. Mr. Culver has extensive
experience representing governmental employees, as well as with
constitutional civil rights litigation. Mr. Culver is an active
member of the American Civil Liberties Union, is a member and
former Vice President of the Colorado Chapter of the National
Employment Lawyers Association, and the Denver, Colorado, and
American Bar Associations. Mr. Culver has been an adjunct professor
of employment law at the Denver University College of Law since
1997. He regularly instructs members of the bar regarding employment
law and civil litigation, including at the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission's "Technical Assistance and Training Program," CLE
International's "Employment Law Update," CLE International's "Employee
Handbook Seminar," Lorman's "Federal Civil Litigation Seminar,"
the Colorado Bar Association's "Employment Law Update," the Plaintiffs
Employment Lawyers Association's seminar regarding public sector
employees, the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association's Annual Convention
Employment Law section, and the Institute for Advanced Legal Studies
seminar regarding "False Claims and Whistleblowing." He has appeared
on Denver's local network affiliates, as well as ABC Nightly News,
HBO Inside Sports, the Reggie Rivers Show, and the Bradshaw Difference
concerning his representation of the disabled.
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ACHIEVEMENTS
* Named
"Super Lawyer" as one of Colorado's top attorneys by Law
& Politics and 5280 Magazine.
* Adjunct
Professor of Employment Law at the Denver University College of
Law.
* Member,
Madison's Who's Who
* Author, "Workplace Privacy", The Practitioner's Guide to Colorado Employment Law, 2d Ed. (2008).
* Lead
counsel in Drake v. TalMor Capital Managment, LLC and Edmund
Melhado, in which the jury awarded the Plaintiff $2.9 million
(exclusive of attorney fees and costs) on claims of fraudualent
breach of employment contract.
* Vaszlavik,
et al. v. StorageTek, 183 F.R.D. 264 (D. Colo. 1998) (Lead
counsel in a class action lawsuit which settled for $5 million dollars
and a commitment by the employer to include human resource training
and policy amendments including age and benefits administration.)
* Co-counsel
for Plaintiff in Carr v. Fort Morgan School District in which
the Plaintiff prevailed in unusual failure to hire case under the
Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act.
* Co-counsel
for 22 Plaintiffs in Carbone, et al. v. Public Service Company
in which Plaintiffs obtained a nearly $900,000 judgment based upon
claims for the breach of a lifetime employment contract.
* Co-counsel
for Plaintiffs in obtaining several significant six figure settlements
in cases alleging discrimination and constitutional violations,
including settlements in excess of $450,000, $650,000, and $950,000.
* Counsel
for Plaintiffs in Nash, et al. v. City and County of Denver
where Court held that Defendant's Ordinance violated the Colorado
Open Records Act and awarded nearly $60,000 in attorney fees and
costs.
* Counsel
for the Plaintiff in Howard v. U.S., for which the District
of Colorado published its opinion at 864 F.Supp. 1019 (D. Colo.
1994), in a novel and precedent-setting case in which a prisoner
at the Federal Correctional Institute in Englewood, Colorado obtained
a preliminary injunction of an unconstitutional Bureau of Prisons'
policy which infringed upon the Plaintiff's freedom of religion.
* Instructor
at numerous legal seminars including the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission's "Technical Assistance and Training Program",
CLE International's Employment Law Update," CLE International's
"Employee Handbook Seminar," the Colorado Trial Lawyers
2001 Convention, the 2000-2003 Federal Civil Litigation Seminar,
the Boulder Bar Association Employment and Labor Law Monthly Meeting,
the Plaintiffs Employment Lawyers Association Monthly Meeting, and
the Institute for Advanced Legal Studies seminar regarding "False
Claims and Whistleblowing."
* Guest
on local Denver News, ABC Nightly News, HBO Inside Sports, the Reggie
Rivers Show, and The Bradshaw Difference concerning his representation
of civil rights plaintiffs.
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