Edward A. Khatskin

Senior Associate

Edward Khatskin focuses his practice on representing clients in high-dollar-value commercial and complex civil litigation matters in federal and state courts throughout Illinois and Missouri. Additionally, Mr. Khatskin has continuously obtained favorable results in defending claims involving medical malpractice, 42 U.S.C.§ 1983 civil rights, class action, wrongful death, personal injury, premises liability, transportation, employment, insurance coverage, toxic tort, and general civil and other tort claims.

Prior to law school, Mr. Khatskin worked as an accountant and owned a mortgage brokerage. This experience has helped him successfully represent clients in litigation involving the financial services and real estate industries, including cases with complex financial data, business valuation disputes, complex mechanic’s lien issues, quiet title actions, easements, boundary disputes, HOA and condominium disputes, and alleged realtor and title company negligence.

Bar Admissions

  • Illinois, 2015
  • Missouri, 2012
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
  • U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri

Location

Chicago Office

Education

JD: Washington University School of Law, 2012

BS: Saint Louis University, 2000, Finance/Accounting

Contact

khatskine@hallevans.com

More About
Edward

Career Distinctions & Honors
  • Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America; Healthcare Law, 2021-2022
  • CALI Excellence for the Future Award, Complex Civil Litigation, 2012
Professional Associations
  • Chicago Bar Association
Articles & Publications // Presentations // Webinars
  • As a member of the Chicago Bar Association’s Litigation Committee presented and moderated panel discussion with Judge Mary Rowland from the Northern District of Illinois on Settlement Conferences.
Other Activities
  • In his free time, Mr. Khatskin enjoys raising his two kids, traveling, skiing, motorcycling, and scuba diving.

Languages
  • Native proficiency in Russian

Tanya M. Fraser

Senior Associate

Tanya M. Fraser practices in the areas of commercial litigation, insurance defense, and personal injury. Prior to joining Hall & Evans, Tanya’s practice included representing both plaintiffs and defendants in personal injury litigation with a focus in trucking and transportation and assisting clients with wills, trusts, and estates, bankruptcy, and small business matters.

Tanya obtained her Juris Doctorate Degree from UNLV’s William S. Boyd School of Law. During law school, Tanya was invited to join Boyd Law School’s elite Moot Court Team. As a Public Interest Fellow, Tanya graduated with Pro Bono Honors after helping to provide legal services to indigent members of the community and to several Native American tribes. She also served as the ABA’s 14th Circuit Lieutenant Governor of Indian Law, as Co-Chairman of the Native American Law Students’ Association, and as President of the Gaming Law Society.

Bar Admissions

  • Nevada, 2015
  • Florida, 2018
  • U.S. District Court, District of Nevada

Location

Las Vegas Office

Education

JD: University of Nevada-Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School of Law, 2015

BA: Tulane University, 2011, Casino Resort Management, Minor in Applied Business, cum laude

Contact

frasert@hallevans.com

More About
Tanya

David M. Sexton

Member

David Sexton’s practice focuses on civil and commercial litigation and business transactions. His litigation experience includes premises liability, personal injury, and insurance defense, frequently defending retailers and insurance companies. On the business side, Mr. Sexton has experience handling antitrust matters, contracts, leases, franchises, and common-interest community law. He also has experience helping clients with their estate planning needs.

Mr. Sexton graduated cum laude from J. Reuben Clark Law School and graduated magna cum laude from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in business management. While attending law school, Mr. Sexton interned with the Apache County Attorney’s Office in Arizona, was a research assistant and teaching assistant, and served as Editor in Chief for the Journal of Public Law.

Location

Las Vegas Office

Education

JD: J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, 2018, cum laude

BS: Brigham Young University, 2015, Business Management, magna cum laude

Contact

sextond@hallevans.com

More About
David

Career Distinctions & Honors
  • Editor in Chief, Journal of Public Law, 2017-2018
Other Activities
  • David enjoys spending his free time planning and organizing activities and service projects for youth groups through his local church congregation.
Languages
  • Spanish

Cella P. Dabelea

Senior Associate

Cella Dabelea’s practice involves business transactions, professional liability, premises liability, and medical malpractice.

Ms. Dabelea earned her J.D. from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and her bachelor’s degree in Economics and Law from Trinity University. During law school, she interned at Hall & Evans and two small Denver firms focusing on family law and personal injury.

Bar Admissions

  • Colorado, 2023
  • Texas, 2026
  • U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit

Location

Denver Office

Education

JD: University of Denver Sturm College of Law, 2023

BA: Trinity University, 2019, Economics & Law

Contact

dabeleac@hallevans.com

More About
Cella

Professional Associations
  • Colorado Defense Lawyers Association
License
  • Ethical Leadership Certificate, NASBA Center for the Public Trust
Languages
  • Romanian
  • Spanish

John F. “Jack” Peters

Member

Jack is a trial and appellate litigator. He has first chaired over fifty jury trials, tried cases to judges and arbitrators, litigated before numerous state and federal agencies, and handled multiple appeals to state and federal appellate courts. Jack has a diverse practice focused on labor and employment, school and local government law, and trust and estate litigation.

In his labor and employment work, Jack handles employment discrimination claims such as Title VII, ADEA, ADA, FMLA, and CADA; employment counseling; workplace investigations; wage and hour issues; and other employment counseling and litigation. In addition to employment, Jack represents companies in labor claims, including unfair labor practice charges before the NLRB and CDLE, union grievance arbitrations, and other labor disputes.

A large portion of Jack’s practice is devoted to Title IX, IDEA, Section 504, Title VI, FERPA, Claire Davis Act, and other claims against educational institutions. In addition to schools and universities, he represents a variety of public entities for claims under 42 USC 1983 and 1981, open records and open meetings issues, tort claims under the CGIA, and other claims against local governments.

Jack also brings his litigation experience to representing beneficiaries and fiduciaries, such as trustees, personal representatives, guardians, and conservators, in claims of breach of fiduciary duty, will contests, probate hearings, and other disputed trust, estate, and probate issues.

Before joining Hall and Evans, Jack was a prosecutor in Boulder County where he tried dozens of cases to verdict, handled extensive appellate work, and supervised the District Attorney’s Office law clerks. Jack graduated college from the University of Chicago and from Vermont Law School magna cum laude in the top 5% of his class. During law school he worked in the chambers of Justice Denise Johnson of the Vermont Supreme Court and was a summer associate in the Shanghai office of an international law firm. He continues to mentor law students and is actively involved in the legal community. Before law school, Jack was a licensed real estate salesperson in New York City and a middle school teacher in Denver.

Bar Admissions

  • Colorado, 2012
  • Kentucky (inactive), 2011
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, District of Colorado

Location

Denver Office

Education

JD: Vermont Law School, 2011, magna cum laude
BA: University of Chicago, 2004, Classical Languages and Literatures

Contact

petersj@hallevans.com

More About
Jack

Appeals
  • People v. Penn, 32, 379 P.3d 298 (Colo. 2016)
Professional Associations
  • Boulder Bar Association, Member, Board of Directors 2017 – 2020
  • Faculty of Federal Advocates
  • Council of School Attorneys and Colorado Council of School Board Attorneys
Career Distinctions & Honors
  • Senior Articles Editor, Vermont Journal of Environmental Law, 2010 – 2011
License
  • New York State Real Estate Salesperson License, inactive
Articles & Publications // Presentations // Webinars
  • Presenter, “It’s Hard to Keep Up – Discrimination Law in 2025,” Colorado Bar Association’s Employment Law Conference, 2025
  • Presenter, “Diverse Juries Reach Better Verdicts: How Litigators can Create Diverse Jury Panels and Prevent Bias in Deliberations” Colorado Bar Association Litigators’ Summit, November 2023
  • Presenter, “Qualified Immunity and the Basics of Civil Claims Against Law Officers,” Boulder County Bar Association CLE, September 2020
  • Presenter, “The Legal Effect of Turning 18,” Monarch High School, 2014 – present
  • Presenter, “Finding and Using Digital Evidence,” Kentucky Prosecutors Conference, 2017
  • Trainer, Colorado District Attorney’s Council, 2014 – 2018
Professional Experience
  • Deputy District Attorney, Twentieth Judicial District, Boulder, CO, 2012 – 2019
  • Intern, Hon. Justice Denise Johnson, Vermont Supreme Court, Montpelier, VT, 2009
Languages
  • Conversational in French, Italian, and Spanish. Knowledge of Mandarin Chinese, German, and Swedish.