Denver, Colorado
Business counsel for companies that would rather not need litigators.
Six attorneys handling commercial disputes, employment matters, real estate, and transactions for Colorado businesses — with the judgment to tell you when a fight isn't worth having.
- Established
- 1998
- Attorneys
- Six
- Focus
- Business & employment
- Direct line
- (303) 555-0119
Practice Areas
What we handle
Business & Commercial Litigation
Contract disputes, partnership and shareholder conflicts, trade secret and non-compete matters, and business torts in Colorado state and federal courts.
View → 02Employment Law
Advice and defense for employers — discrimination and retaliation claims, wage and hour matters, restrictive covenants, terminations, and handbook review.
View → 03Real Estate & Land Use
Commercial acquisitions and dispositions, leasing, easements and title disputes, zoning, and entitlement work along the Front Range.
View → 04Corporate & Transactions
Entity formation, operating and shareholder agreements, buy-sell arrangements, asset and stock purchases, and commercial contracts.
View → 05Construction Disputes
Mechanic's liens, delay and defect claims, payment disputes, and contract negotiation for owners, general contractors, and subcontractors.
View → 06Appellate
Appeals before the Colorado Court of Appeals, the Colorado Supreme Court, and the Tenth Circuit, including matters tried by other counsel.
View →The Firm
Large-firm work without the large-firm apparatus.
Whitaker Hollis was founded in 1998 by two litigators who had spent a decade at national firms and had grown tired of explaining a bill to clients who couldn't tell what half of it was for. The firm has stayed deliberately small since — six attorneys, no committees, no pyramid of associates learning on your matter.
What that means practically is that the attorney you retain is the attorney who appears. Your file is not a training exercise, and you will not receive an invoice reflecting four people attending the same call.
We represent closely held businesses, family enterprises, developers, contractors, and a number of Front Range employers. Most of our work arrives by referral from clients, opposing counsel, and accountants who have watched us handle a matter.
- Fee structures
- Hourly, flat fee for defined transactional work, and monthly retainers for ongoing employment counsel. Contingency in select matters.
- Courts
- Colorado state courts, U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals
- Typical clients
- Closely held and family businesses, developers and contractors, employers with 10–500 staff
- Referrals
- We accept referrals from other firms and regularly refer matters outside our practice areas.
Representative Matters
A sample of recent work
Descriptions are generalised and client identities omitted. Matters are selected to show range, not to suggest a typical result.
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Commercial Litigation
Represented a regional distributor in a two-week jury trial arising from a terminated supply agreement, including related claims for tortious interference.
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Employment
Defended a 180-employee manufacturer against a collective wage and hour action, and subsequently rebuilt the client's timekeeping and classification practices.
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Shareholder Dispute
Advised a minority shareholder in a closely held family business through a valuation dispute and negotiated buyout, resolved without litigation.
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Real Estate
Handled entitlements and land use approvals for a mixed-use redevelopment on a constrained infill parcel, including a contested rezoning hearing.
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Construction
Pursued and settled mechanic's lien and delay claims on behalf of a subcontractor on a multi-phase commercial project.
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Appellate
Briefed and argued an appeal before the Colorado Court of Appeals in a contract matter originally tried by other counsel.
The matters described above are illustrative and have been generalised to protect client confidentiality. Each case depends on its own facts, and the outcome of any particular matter is not predictive of results in another. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Working With Us
What to expect
Most new matters begin with a short call to establish whether we're the right firm and whether there's a conflict. Nothing is billed before an engagement letter is signed.
How do you bill?
Most litigation and employment counsel is hourly, with rates disclosed in the engagement letter before any work begins. Defined transactional work — entity formation, contract drafting, a handbook review — is quoted flat where we can scope it reliably. Employers who want ongoing access often prefer a monthly retainer, which is usually cheaper than calling us only when something has already gone wrong.
Is the first consultation free?
The initial conflict-check and scoping call is at no charge, and typically runs twenty to thirty minutes. Substantive legal advice begins once we're engaged. We'll be clear with you about where that line falls.
Do you take cases on contingency?
In select matters where the claim is strong and the recovery is quantifiable. Most business disputes don't fit that shape, and we'd rather explain why than take a case on terms that serve neither of us.
We're being sued and the response is due soon. Can you help?
Call rather than emailing. Response deadlines in Colorado are short and a default judgment is far more expensive to undo than to avoid. We'll tell you within a day whether we can take it.
Do you work with companies outside Colorado?
Yes, where the matter is in Colorado or governed by Colorado law. For work in other jurisdictions we associate with local counsel, and we'll say so upfront rather than quietly adding a firm to your bill.
Consultation
Tell us what you're dealing with.
A short call establishes whether we're the right firm for the matter. No charge, and no obligation on either side.