Brian S. Colón is the Managing Partner of Singleton Schreiber’s New Mexico offices, leading a team of over 35 professionals across several locations in Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Las Vegas, Los Lunas, and Mora. The firm’s work spans a wide spectrum of legal services, including wrongful death, personal injury, medical malpractice, products liability, environmental law, insurance bad faith, and complex transactional negotiations. No matter the area, Brian and his team are steadfastly committed to protecting the most vulnerable and securing meaningful justice for its clients. With over 30 years of combined legal, public service, nonprofit leadership, and community advocacy experience, Mr. Colón exemplifies a servant-leader approach to law and governance. Mr. Colón’s dynamic leadership has helped expand the firm’s footprint and deepen its commitment to justice and equity in communities across New Mexico. He also draws on longstanding professional relationships with local, state, and federal elected officials, offering clients unique access to trusted public-sector partners who can help address their most pressing legal and organizational challenges.  Mr. Colón previously served as a statewide elected official as New Mexico State Auditor (2018–2022), where he led the most significant financial recovery in the office’s history, securing over $13 million for seniors defrauded by insurance intermediaries. He also initiated the first compliance audit of state facilities for ADA parking and access standards, resulting in widespread remediation. His tenure was marked by fearless oversight, bipartisan accountability, and systemic improvements in government transparency. A lifelong New Mexican raised in Valencia County, Mr. Colón was the first in his family to earn a college degree, graduating with a B.S. in Finance from New Mexico State University and later earning his J.D. from the University of New Mexico School of Law. He is also a Certified Fraud Examiner. Mr. Colón is recognized statewide for his robust civic engagement, mentorship of emerging leaders, and fundraising expertise. A compelling keynote speaker and advocate for equity, Mr. Colón brings his personal story and lived experience to every endeavor, including his advocacy for those with disabilities. His commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion in the legal profession has been evident throughout his career. Mr. Colón is a longtime member and board director of the New Mexico Hispanic Bar Association (NMHBA), a board of trustee member for the Albuquerque Community Foundation (ACF) and the New Mexico Community Trust (NMCT), and founder and co-chair of the UNM/NMHBA Law Camp, which has empowered aspiring New Mexico attorneys since 2003. He has served on NM Judicial Selection Commissions, the State Bar of New Mexico’s Committee on Diversity, and other initiatives to expand opportunity and representation in the legal system. Nationally, he serves as First Vice President and is a Lifetime Member of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), supporting Latino leadership across the country, as well as a NAACP Silver Life Member.

Jacob Payne is a senior counsel in our New Mexico offices and a member of both our Fire Litigation and our Personal Injury and Wrongful Death practice groups. An accomplished trial attorney, Mr. Payne served the people of New Mexico as a government lawyer in multiple capacities before bringing his litigation skills and public entity experience to Singleton Schreiber.

Robert J. Sánchez is a Senior Counsel in the Fire Litigation practice group in the New Mexico offices of Singleton Schreiber, where he draws upon his experience litigating complex civil disputes across many subject areas, including catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death, professional liability, medical malpractice, products liability, construction defect, construction bond claims, insurance bad faith, premise liability, and appellate law.

Former New Mexico Supreme Court Chief Justice Vern Payne is a native New Mexican and Spanish speaker and has practiced in both State and Federal Courts in New Mexico. He has represented thousands of clients in many different areas of law, including municipalities, counties and the State of New Mexico. A key member of the Las Conchas Fire trial team, he has been a lawyer and Judge in New Mexico for almost 60 years and brings an unparalleled amount of local knowledge and connections to the team. He has handled cases in every county of the State. He has represented the New Mexico Association of Counties on their Risk Management Committee for several years and the State of New Mexico Risk Management Committee, reviewing claims against counties and the State of New Mexico. He represented the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District and been an advisor and trainer of many different Tribal Courts. He has taught judges from all over the country with the National College of State Courts as well as consulted to courts in Venezuela, Argentina and Australia.