Valerie Garcia

Member

Valerie Garcia is an experienced trial attorney with a proven track record for success. Starting her legal career in the courtroom as an Assistant Deputy Public Defender, Valerie is well prepared to represent her clients through all phases of litigation, including deposition, mediation, arbitration, and trial. Early case analysis helps Valerie chart the appropriate strategy for a winning outcome, be it settlement, mediation, or litigation. With a focus on resolution, Valerie helps her clients preserve valuable relationships and see their way to optimal resolution based on cost-containment, damage control, and legal strategies.  When an aggressive defense at trial is the best course, Valerie is a vigorous advocate in any litigation setting. Valerie was voted one of the Top 100 Lawyers (2017-2021, 2023, 2025) and Top 50 Women (2015, 2017-2025) in Colorado by Colorado Super Lawyers®.

Location

Denver Office
1001 17th Street
Suite 300
Denver, CO 80202

Education

JD: University of Denver Sturm College of Law, 1998, Chancellor’s Scholar
BA: University of Colorado – Denver, 1992, Political Science

Contact

garciav@hallevans.com

More About
Valerie

Resume

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Professional Associations
  • Claims and Litigation Management Alliance, Greater-Denver Chapter
    • National Chair, Regions 6-10, 2022-present
    • Region 8 Co-Chair, 2016-2022
    • Vice President, 2015-2016
    • Secretary, 2014
    • Education Chair, 2012-2014
  • Colorado Defense Lawyers Association
  • Defense Research Institute
  • Colorado Bar Association
    • The Colorado Lawyer Advisory Committee, 2022-present
  • Denver Bar Association
    • Mentoring Program, Program Chair, 2010-2011
    • Board of Trustees, 2008-2011
  • Home Builders Association’s Quality Construction Committee Participant, 2006
  • Women’s Construction Litigation Alliance, Midwest Regional Chair, 2014-present
  • International Association of Defense Counsel
Articles & Publications // Presentations // Webinars
  • Colorado Editor & Co-Author, Selected from over 700 attorneys nationwide, “CLM Claims Handling Guide”
  • Speaker, “Developments in Additional Insured Endorsements and Colorado Legislative Efforts at Construction Litigation Reform,” Colorado Claims Association, Annual Meeting, October 2015
  • Speaker, “Marijuana in the Mainstream: Practical Implications for Attorneys and Claims Professionals,” Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM), Greater-Denver Chapter Meeting, August 2015
  • Speaker, “Construction Litigation Claims 101,” United Fire Group Claims & Underwriter Training, April 2015
  • Speaker, “Recreational Marijuana and Claims,” Construction Defect Claims Managers Association, September 2014
  • Speaker, “Top Ten Things that Keep Claims Professionals and Risk Managers Awake at Night,” Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM) Construction Conference, August 2014
  • Speaker, “Presenting Exhibits from you iPad at Trial – TrialPad for Lawyers,” Colorado Defense Lawyers Association, May 2014
  • Speaker, “Beyond the Glass Ceiling,” University of Denver, Mentoring Program, 2014
  • Speaker, “Advising Your Clients regarding Marijuana in the Workplace,” Colorado Defense Lawyers Association, March 2014
  • Presiding Judge, Mock Trial and Presenter on Litigation Best Practices, Colorado Association of Real Estate Appraisers, October 2013
  • Speaker, “Ethical Considerations for Partnerships between Claims and Counsel,” Colorado Defense Lawyers Association Annual Meeting, August 2013
  • Speaker, “Negotiation Strategies for Claims Professionals,” Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM) Training Session, May 2013
  • Speaker, “Real Estate Appraiser Liability Issues,” Northern Colorado Association of Real Estate Appraisers General Membership Meeting, April 2013
  • Speaker, “Hot Topics for Real Estate Appraiser Liability,” Colorado Association of Real Estate Appraisers General Membership Meeting, September 2012
  • Speaker, “Best Practices for Working with your Corporate Client’s Legal Department and Risk Management Group,” Panel Counsel Meeting at Defense Research Institute, April 2011
  • Speaker, “Practicing More Efficiently, While Staying Out of Trouble,” Denver Bar Association, 2010
  • Speaker, “Practicing with Professionalism,” University of Denver Law School Orientation, 2009
  • Speaker, “Risk Management for Contractors,” Turner Construction & University of Denver, 2006
  • Co-Author, “Developments in Construction Litigation,” Colorado Defense Lawyers Associations, 2004
  • Author, “Construction & Product Liability Legislative Update,” Denver Claims Magazine, 2003
Career Distinctions & Honors
  • Martindale-Hubbell®, AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated
  • Colorado Super Lawyers®, Construction Litigation, 2014-2022; Civil Litigation: Defense, 2023-2025
  • Colorado Super Lawyers®, Top 50 Women in Colorado, 2015, 2017-2025
  • Colorado Super Lawyers®, Top 100 Lawyers in Colorado, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025
  • Denver’s Top Rated Lawyers 2013-2018
  • Women Leaders in the Law 2014-2018
Business & Community Service
  • Appointed by Gov. Hickenlooper to the Judicial Performance Commission, 18th Judicial District, 2016-2019
  • Appointed by Douglas County Sheriff to Douglas County Cold Case Review Team, 2015-present
Professional Experience
  • Before joining Hall & Evans, Valerie was an equity shareholder at Kennedy Childs PC.
Appeals
  • Brown v. Installed Building Products, 14CA2266 (Colo. App. April 2016)
  • Winkler v. Shaffer, 356 P.3d 1020 (Colo. App. 2015)
Blog Posts About Valerie

Kenneth H. Lyman

Senior Counsel

Mr. Lyman is a trial attorney with a diverse litigation practice. Based on his substantial experience defending catastrophic personal injury claims, including serious brain, spinal cord and burn injuries, Mr. Lyman guides his clients through the complex process of investigation, discovery, mediation, and trial.

Energy and transportation companies rely on him to defend claims of personal injury and property damage arising out of mining operations, oil and gas exploration, oil field service operations, cranes, and trucking/transportation activities.

Mr. Lyman handles large and frequent product liability claims arising out of alleged recurrent design, manufacturing defects, or recall problems.

Mr. Lyman represents national retail chains and various national and local property owners in connection with the full range of tort claims.

Companies have also called upon Mr. Lyman to assist with disputed commercial transactions, including litigation of insurance coverage, bad faith, unfair claim practices, misappropriation of intellectual property, and contract disputes.

Practice Areas

Bar Admissions

  • Colorado, 1982
  • U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit

 

Location

Denver Office
1001 17th Street
Suite 300
Denver, CO 80202

Education

JD: University of Colorado School of Law, 1982
MBA: University of Colorado Graduate School of Business, 1982
BA: University of Colorado, 1975

Contact

lymank@hallevans.com

Peter C. Middleton

Member

Mr. Middleton has over twenty years of litigation experience representing local, state, national and international insured and self-insured companies in complex catastrophic tort litigation, including multidistrict litigation.  He has enjoyed a thriving and diverse practice and successfully defended property owners, product manufacturers, outdoor recreational companies, event promoters, trucking and towing companies, hotels, bars, restaurants, healthcare and mental health providers, municipal organizations, construction design professionals, insurance companies and other businesses.  He regularly speaks at regional and national conferences for the sports, entertainment, recreation and hospitality industries.

Practice Areas

Bar Admissions

  • Colorado, 2000
  • Illinois, 1997
  • Indiana, 1998
  • U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit

Location

Denver Office
1001 17th Street
Suite 300
Denver, CO 80202

Education

JD: DePaul University College of Law, Chicago, IL, 1997, Cert. of Health Law
BA: University of Illinois, 1994

Contact

middletonp@hallevans.com

More About
Peter

Resume

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Career Distinctions & Honors
  • Martindale-Hubbell®, AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated
  • Colorado Super Lawyers, Civil Litigation Defense, 2013-2015, 2025
Decisions

Recent notable decisions include:

  • August 2022: Jury trial defense verdict in premises liability case by quadriplegic plaintiff seeking $50M+ in damages against event promoter
  • July 2021: Hamric v. Wilderness Expeditions, 6 F.4th 1108 (10th Cir. 2021): summary judgment affirmed in rappelling fatality case against outdoor recreational company
  • April 2019: Jury trial defense verdict in liquor liability case against a tavern
Professional Associations
  • Illinois State Bar Association
Articles & Publications // Presentations // Webinars

 

  • Speaker, “Legal Liability Updates – What’s the Latest?,” Colorado River Outfitters Association Annual Conference, February 2022
  • Speaker, “Get Your House in Order – Colorado’s Premises Liability Act,” Colorado River Outfitters Association Annual Conference, March 2021
  • Speaker, “Legal Update – What Line Are You Taking?,” Colorado River Outfitters Association Annual Conference, February 2020
  • Speaker, “Legal and Business Mindfulness,” Colorado River Outfitters Association Convention and Trade Show, 2019
  • Author, “Public Accommodation: Colorado Determines that Refusal to Allow a Service Dog on a Chairlift is Not Discriminatory,” America Outdoors, Spring 2018 Newsletter
  • Speaker, “Legal Headwaters: Preparing for the Choppy Waters of Minors, Accident Investigations, and Potential Harassment Complaints,” Colorado River Outfitters Association Convention and Trade Show, February 2018
  • Speaker, “There Must be Some Kind of Way Out of Here: A Rock and Roll Take on Risk Management for Outfitters and Guides,” America Outdoors Association Annual Conference, December 2017
Other Activities

Mr. Middleton is the proud papa of an 19 year old daughter and 17 year old son.  He is an avid mountain biker.  Mr. Middleton also plays guitar, bass and harmonica and has occasional gigs in two different rock bands.

Blog Posts About Peter

William R. Floyd

Of Counsel

Mr. Floyd focuses his practice on transportation, defending railroads in cases that involve toxic exposure, asbestos, grade crossing accidents, the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA), and property litigation.

Mr. Floyd moved to Colorado in 2014 and joined Hall & Evans as a Special Counsel. Prior to joining Hall & Evans, he was a firm officer at McLeod Alexander Powel and Apffel.

Practice Areas

Bar Admissions

  • Colorado, 2014
  • Texas, 1991
  • Kansas, 2013
  • Missouri (inactive), 2016
  • U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas

Location

Denver Office
1001 17th Street
Suite 300
Denver, CO 80202

Education

JD: Baylor University, 1991
BS: University of Texas, 1988, Economics

Contact

floydw@hallevans.com

More About
William

Resume

Linkedin

 

Decisions
  • BNSF Ry. Co. v. Baca, 2018 Tex. App. LEXIS 2280, 2018 WL 1528573 (Tex. App. Fort Worth Mar. 29, 2018)
  • Henry v. Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., 2010 Tex. App. LEXIS 7557, 2010 WL 3582636 (Tex. App. Tyler Sept. 15, 2010)
Professional Associations
  • Kansas Bar Association
  • State Bar of Texas
  • National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel
Career Distinctions & Honors
  • The Best Lawyers in America®, Railroad Law, 2021-2026
  • The Best Lawyers in America®, “Lawyer of The Year” in Denver for Railroad Law, 2023, 2025
  • Martindale-Hubbell®, AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated
  • Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow
Blog Posts About William

Timothy M. Murphy

Member

Tim is a native Coloradan with a diverse litigation practice and handles a variety of matters for individuals and business entities.  Tim’s practice is centered around construction law, environmental law, and transportation litigation. His legal experience also includes practice in the areas of premises liability, professional liability, FDPCA, contract disputes, and regulatory compliance.

Tim litigates cases in both state and federal court in Colorado and has experience in trials, arbitrations, and appeals. Tim’s professional focus is to manage litigation efficiently, provide practical legal advice, and obtain the best possible outcome for his clients.

Practice Areas

Bar Admissions

  • Colorado, 2003
  • U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit

Location

Denver Office
1001 17th Street
Suite 300
Denver, CO 80202

Education

JD: University of Denver Sturm College of Law, 2003
BA: University of Kansas, 2000, Environmental Science, Dean’s List

Contact

murphyt@hallevans.com

More About
Timothy

Resume

Career Distinctions & Honors
  • Colorado Super Lawyers®, “Rising Star,” Civil Litigation: Defense, 2013-2018
Professional Experience

While a student at the University of Denver College of Law, Mr. Murphy worked for EarthJustice and assisted in the representation of clients concerning federal land management and litigation under federal environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the Endangered Species Act.

Professional Associations
  • Colorado Creditor Bar Association
Articles & Publications // Presentations // Webinars

Tim has authored sections on statutory employees, logo liability, and the validity of exculpatory agreements for the ALFA Transportation Compendium from 2008 to the present.

Business & Community Service
  • The Denver Foundation, Travis Kubiak Memorial Fund, Volunteer
  • Denver’s Road Home, Volunteer
  • Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado
  • Big Dogs Huge Paws, Contributor
Blog Posts About Timothy

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