Stan Garnett

Co-founding partner, Stan Garnett, focuses his practice on complex litigation at the state and federal level. He is well-known for providing a solutions-based approach, from arbitration to litigation.

With decades of experience on some of Colorado’s most high-profile cases and beyond, Stan is a reliable, steady hand for all types of clients facing high-stakes litigation. He’s an expert at leading a team of lawyers to help clients, whether through the court system or less formal resolution.

Stan’s goal is to help resolve disputes quickly and efficiently so that his clients can focus on the success of their businesses. Stan was elected and re-elected district attorney for Colorado’s 20th Judicial District in Boulder. During his tenure as DA, he improved community protection and successfully prosecuted:

• Economic crimes
• Crimes in the immigrant and homeless communities
• Homicide cold cases
• Sexual assault cases

His willingness to take cases to trial improved relations with local law enforcement and the community. Stan is a previous President of the Colorado District Attorneys Council and has served on the National District Attorneys Association Board of Directors for several years.

After his tenure as a DA, he returned to his national commercial litigation firm. There, he focused on developing another generation of litigators while representing the interests of commercial and complex criminal defense clients in trials across the United States.

Community Involvement

• Board of Directors, International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL)
• Board of Directors, Bridge House
• Board of Directors, Community Foundation Boulder County
• Former Board Member and Former President, Boulder School Board
• Board Member, University of Colorado Boulder, Law Alumni Board
• Colorado Legal Aid Foundation

• Trial-tested litigator with almost four decades of experience, and more than 100 jury trials; hundreds of court trials and court hearings in state and federal courts
• Former elected Boulder County District Attorney for over nine years; second-longest tenured Boulder County District Attorney since statehood; recruited experienced trial lawyers and trained new ones, so that the DA’s office could take more cases to trial.
• Previous Litigation Shareholder and Co-Chair of the Governmental Investigations and White Collar Defense Unit at a national commercial litigation firm
• Frequently serves as an expert witness in state and federal court cases regarding legal issues, lawyer fees and lawyer conduct
• Admission before the U.S. Supreme Court
• Hardy v. Flood, No. 17-cv-677-CMA-NRN, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 177603 (D. Colo. Oct. 11, 2019))

• Defended Routt County rancher at jury trial, asserting self defense and defense of others defenses to first degree assault charge. Jury acquitted after one-week trial. People v. William B. Scholle, Routt County 2022CR000070 (Jan. 27, 2023).
• Represented innovative Colorado Medical company through jury trial against Allison Medical. Obtained multi-million dollar jury verdict for fraud, breach of contract, and breach of duty of good faith and fair dealing claims. STAQ Pharma, Inc. v Allison Med., Inc., Denver County No. 2020CV32738 (May 2022).
• Represents Dominion Voting Systems, Inc.
  • O’Rourke v. Dominion Voting Sys., Inc., No. 21-1161, 2022 U.S. App. LEXIS 14625 (10th Cir. May 27, 2022);
  • O’Rourke v. Dominion Voting Sys., Inc., No. 20-cv-03747-NRN, 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 81135 (D. Colo. Apr. 28, 2021);
  • Cooper v. US Dominion, Inc., No. 21-cv-02672-PAB-STV, 2022 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 171824 (D. Colo. Sept. 22, 2022).
• Steven Rosenblum: represent Boulder resident and former city council member in defamation and unlawful appropriation of identity case. Defeated Anti-SLAPP Special Motion to Dismiss filed by two defense law firms after lengthy hearing in District Court, which is on appeal to the Colorado Court of Appeals. Rosenblum v. Budd, Boulder County 2021CV30700, pending in 22CA393.
• Sand Dunes Litigation: represented an LLC in a quiet title action that wanted to sell the Baca ranch, a 100,000 acre parcel in the San Luis Valley that has existed since the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, to the United States Government so that the National Monument could become a National Park. The LLC’s minority members opposed the LLC’s sale to the federal government, filing suits in state and federal court, and one major arbitration. The LLC prevailed in all actions, paving the way for Congress to redesignate the area as the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. Stockman’s Water Co., LLC v. Vaca Partners, L.P., 425 F.3d 1263 (10th Cir. 2005) (dismissing appeal); Stockman’s Water Co., LLC v. Vaca Partners, L.P., No. 01-cv-83-REB-CBS, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 62148 (D. Colo. Dec. 22, 2005) (entering judgment in favor of defendants).
• Complex dispute regarding LLC control on a successful Eastern Colorado ethanol business. Represented plaintiff through trial against sophisticated defendant and its counsel. Plaintiff won a complete substantive victory, including an award of attorneys’ fees. Dinsy’s Gas LLC v. Bridgeport Ethanol, LLC, Logan County No. 2020CV30027 (Jan. 2022).
• Defense counsel to the American Petroleum Institute (“API”) and the Colorado Oil and Gas Association (“COGA”), who intervened in a case filed by Wildgrass Oil and Gas Committee (“Wildgrass”) against the State of Colorado and the Colorado Oil and Gas Commission. Wildgrass was attempting to prevent Extraction Oil & Gas, Inc. from engaging in hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) in their residential neighborhood. Stan and his team filed motions to dismiss both the original and amended complaints. The court agreed with API and COGA, dismissing the amended complaint entirely. Wildgrass Oil & Gas Comm. v. Colo., 447 F. Supp. 3d 1051 (D. Colo. 2020).
• Defense counsel to Extraction Oil & Gas (“Extraction”) in a Colorado state court, where Boulder County alleged that Extraction’s development plans, involving horizontal drilling several thousand feet below the surface into Boulder County reserves, violated Boulder County’s Conservation easements and other oil and gas lease provisions. The District Court issued a protracted written order ruling in Extraction’s favor, dismissing Boulder County’s claims entirely on summary judgment.
• Counsel to Novinda Corp. (“Novinda”) in a complex commercial matter asserting breach of contract, and breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing claims against Mineral Technologies Incorporated (“MTI”). Novinda argued that MTl’s bad faith actions destroyed the company when the market was increasing exponentially, forcing them into bankruptcy. Novinda was awarded a final judgment of $9.5 million after a 3-week arbitration.
• Counsel to former Republican Gubernatorial candidate Walker Stapleton in an action against Kennedy Enterprises (“Kennedy”), the company he retained to obtain sufficient signatures to qualify for the 2018 Gubernatorial primary. The Denver District Court found that Kennedy breached its contract by failing to adequately investigate claims that some signatures were unlawfully obtained and ordered Kennedy to return consulting fees of $235,000 to Stapleton.
• Defense counsel for a client facing four counts of felony arson in connection with the largest wildfire in central Colorado’s history after accidentally starting the fire while firing a rifle at a shooting range. After prevailing on several complex motions challenging evidence and constitutional issues, the client pleaded to one misdemeanor count of “firing woods or prairie,” resolving the case.
• Represented former Congressman Mark Udall (D-CO) in Colorado’s nationally watched Congressional redistricting case. People ex rel. Salazar v. Davidson, 79 P.3d 1221 (Colo. 2003).
• Represented John Elway in a frequently cited commercial case resulting in a 1995 Colorado Supreme Court decision directing re-entry of summary judgment in favor of Elway. Nelson v. Elway, 908 P.2d 102 (Colo. 1995).

• Fellow, Academy of Judicial Sciences of Bolivia
• Best Lawyers in America, 2021-2024
• Colorado Super Lawyers, 2006-2009, 2020-2024
• Steve Farber Legacy Award, 2022
• Law Week Colorado, Barrister’s Best “Best Criminal Defense – White Collar,” 2018
• Civil Rights Award, Anti-Defamation League Mountain States Region, 2018
• Ron Porter Award for Outstanding Service, Boulder County Bar Association, June 2014
• Alumni Award for Distinguished Achievement, University of Colorado School of Law, 2005
• International Academy of Trial Lawyers Inductee, 2004
• Outstanding Alumnus Award, University of Colorado Leadership Institute, 2003

• American Bar Association
• Colorado Bar Association
• Denver Bar Association
• International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL)

• DOJ Introduces a Mix of ‘Carrots and Sticks’ to Combat Corporate Crime
• Baseless Claims of Voter Fraud and their Effect on Democracy and the Judicial System Speaker, 2022 Santa Fe CLE Roundup, Tex-Abota, June 17, 2022
• What’s Old Is New Again: Misdemeanor Enforcement of Colorado’s Non-Compete Statute
• State Lawmakers Introduce Colorado False Claims Act
• Business Community Update: Cannabis Regulation
• Panelist, Lunch and Learn Forum, Colorado Cannabis Manufacturer’s Association, November 16, 2021
• The Department of Justice Surges Funds to Target Corporate Officers
• Health Care Fraud Cases Are Rising: 2020 Was a Record Year
• State AG Investigations: The Impact of a New Federal Landscape
• The Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020: Broader Federal Authority and New Compliance Challenges
• Co-author, Washington Legal Foundation, April 8, 2021
• Federal Coronavirus Spending and the False Claims Act: A Gathering Storm
• Is Cannabis an Essential Business During Coronavirus Closures?
• The Promise and Perils of Prosecutorial Discretion Speaker, Colorado Justice Systems Forum, March 5, 2020
• Justice Department Updates Guidance On Evaluation Of Corporate Compliance Programs Co-author, WLF Legal Pulse, May 24, 2019
• Evolution of Marijuana Policy Summit
• Speaker, National Foundation for Women Legislators, August 16, 2019

• Spending time with his wife of 45 years, Brenda, their two sons Alec and Andrew, and four vibrant and wonderful grandchildren.
• Flyfishing, biking, vegetable gardening and Spanish conversation