Briana K. Smith

Associate

Ms. Smith provides general civil litigation defense to individuals, businesses, and insurers. Her practice includes transportation, hospitality & retail, premises liability, business law, and administrative law. Ms. Smith also has a background in family law and general civil litigation.

Before joining Hall & Evans, she was an attorney with the State of Wyoming’s Office of the Public Defender, providing criminal defense for indigent clients. She was also an Adjunct Professor at the Park University-Warren Air Force Base, where she taught the course American Government.

Bar Admissions

  • Wyoming, 2020
  • Montana, 2020
  • Arizona, 2024
  • Colorado, 2024
  • U.S. District Court, District of Arizona
  • U.S. District Court, District of Montana
  • U.S. District Court, District of Wyoming

Location

Phoenix Office
112 North Central Avenue
1st Floor
Phoenix, AZ 85004

Education

JD: University of Wyoming College of Law, 2018
BA: University of Wyoming, 2015, Criminal Justice

Contact

smithb@hallevans.com

More About
Briana

Career Distinctions & Honors
  • Student of the year, University of Wyoming Family & Immigration Justice Clinic, 2017-2018
  • M.F. Blackstone Scholarship Recipient, University of Wyoming Foundation, 2015-2018
Professional Associations
  • Wyoming State Bar

Professional Experience
  • Attorney, State of Wyoming Office of the Public Defender, Cheyenne, WY, 2021-2022

Business & Community Service
  • Wyoming Towing & Recovery Professionals, President, 2019-2021

Jeff Soffer

Senior Associate

Jeff’s practice focuses on premises liability, products liability, medical malpractice, employment, hospitality & retail, professional liability, and complex commercial litigation. Representative clients include hospital systems, nursing facilities, trucking companies, gig-economy platforms, retail establishments, and hospitality businesses.

Jeff utilizes his experience in litigation, business strategy, and risk assessment to advocate for clients in high-stakes conflicts, develop innovative legal arguments, and mitigate risk through proactive compliance and dispute resolution.

Prior to joining Hall & Evans in 2025, Jeff worked for two law firms in Houston, Texas. He received his JD from the University of Texas School of Law, his MBA from New York University, and his BA from Northwestern University. He lives in Denver, Colorado with his wife and three fun-loving children.

Location

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

Education

JD: University of Texas School of Law, 2012
MBA: New York University, 2017, Financial Instruments and Markets, Economics, and Marketing
BA: Northwestern University, 2008, Economics and Philosophy

Contact

sofferj@hallevans.com

More About
Jeff

Articles & Publications // Presentations // Webinars
  • Author, “A Professional (lack of) Courtesy: The Emergence of Expert Testimony in Legal and Medical Malpractice Cases,” St. Mary’s Law Journal on Legal Malpractice and Ethics, Volume 46, 2015
  • Author, “Apologize First; Mediate Second; Litigate…Never?” The University of Texas School of Law, The Review of Litigation, Volume 34, 2015
  • Presenter, “A Professional (lack of) Courtesy: The Emergence of Expert Testimony in Legal and Medical Malpractice Cases,” St. Mary’s Legal Ethics Symposium 2015
  • Presenter, “Handling Lawsuits: It’s Not Just For Lawyers Anymore,” American Society for Healthcare Risk Management, Annual Conference & Exhibition, 2014

April D. Moore

Counsel

April Moore is a trial attorney with over eighteen years of experience in the areas of personal injury, product liability, construction and design, insurance coverage, and employment law. Her experience includes all phases of civil litigation from pre-litigated matters to trials, mediations, arbitrations, and appeals in state and federal courts.

Ms. Moore enjoys the complexities of litigation, and she strives to provide high-quality, efficient representation.  She has significant experience with high exposure, tort and commercial lawsuits, including cases involving allegations of wrongful death, brain injury, and incapacitating traumatic injuries. As lead counsel, Ms. Moore has achieved defense verdicts, prevailed on appeals, and obtained summary judgments for her clients on several occasions.

Bar Admissions

  • Colorado, 2006
  • Texas, 2023
  • 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: UCLA Law School, 2006
BA: California State University-Northridge, 2001, Psychology, magna cum laude

Contact

moorea@hallevans.com

More About
April

Appeals
  • Sinclair Wyo. Ref. Co. v. A & B Builders, Ltd., 989 F.3d 747 (10th Cir. 2021)
  • Duncan v. Kobneck, 16CA0150 (Colo. App. 2017) unpublished
  • Vititoe v. Rocky Mountain Pavement Main., Inc., 412 P.3d 767 (Colo. App. 2015)
  • Engeman Enterprises, LLC v. Tolin Mechanical Systems Co., 320 P.3d 364 (Colo. App. 2013)
Articles & Publications // Presentations // Webinars
  • Presenter, “Colorado Personal Injury Statutes,” Carrier client, 2023
  • Co-Presenter, “Best Practices for Panel Counsel,” Carrier client Legal Academy, 2019
  • Presenter, “Medicare Subrogation Rights,” Claims and Litigation Management Alliance, Denver Chapter Education and Networking Event, 2013
Professional Associations
  • Claims and Litigation Management Alliance
  • Texas Bar Association

Patrice Stephenson-Johnson

Associate

Patrice Stephenson-Johnson is a civil litigator with over 20 years of wide-ranging experience. Patrice’s practice includes hospitality & retail, transportation, premises liability, workers’ compensation, and employment. She is also experienced in business litigation and transactions, regulatory compliance, and family law. She litigates on behalf of retailers, gig-economy companies, employers, insurers, corporations, and individuals.

Before Hall & Evans, Patrice worked at boutique insurance defense firms in Nevada, served as a Field Litigation Attorney with a global insurer, and maintained a solo civil and criminal practice. Patrice represents clients before administrative agencies, in mediations and arbitrations, and across state and federal courts in Nevada.

Bar Admissions

  • Nevada, 2011
  • Alabama (inactive), 2003
  • U.S. District Court, District of Nevada
  • U.S. District Court, Middle District of Alabama
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama

Location

Las Vegas Office
1160 North Town Center Drive
Suite 330
Las Vegas, NV 89144

Education

LLM: Temple University, James A. Beasley School of Law, 2004, International/ Transnational Law

JD: University of Alabama School of Law, 2002

BS: University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1998, Criminal Justice, minor in History

Contact

stephenson-johnsonp@hallevans.com

More About
Patrice

Career Distinctions & Honors

 

  • Outstanding/Solo Small Firm Award, National Bar Association Women Lawyers Division, 2024
  • Sam H. Hamner Academic Scholarship
  • Who’s Who Among American Law Students, 2002
  • Alabama Public Interest Legal Association Grant Writing Award Recipient, 2000
  • Student Articles Editor, Law and Psychology Review, 2000-2002
Professional Experience
  • Judicial Clerk Intern, The Honorable John E. Ott, United States Magistrate, Northern District of Alabama, Birmingham, AL, 2002
Professional Associations
  • Southern Nevada Association of Women Attorneys
Other Activities
  • Patrice enjoys yoga, travel, and spending time with her family.

David M. Sexton

Senior Associate

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
1160 North Town Center Drive
Suite 330
Las Vegas, NV 89144

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