Kim A. Griffith | Attorney

I began my association with Sheehan, Sheehan & Stelzner in 1986, and my long tenure here speaks to the fact that I work with wonderful, talented people who share my goal of providing high quality legal service and helping clients solve their problems. It also reflects the fact that the firm was willing to honor my need for flexible work hours and part-time employment during the early years of my employment so that I could juggle work and home responsibilities as a single parent. I have had the opportunity during my years of practice with the firm to work on a broad and interesting variety of matters for many different kinds of clients, including individuals, small business owners, corporations, state and local government bodies and agencies, and state universities. My practice is concentrated in the areas of employment law, contract law, and general litigation. I also practice in the areas of construction law and commercial litigation. In addition, because a primary focus of my practice is legal research and writing, I often assist other members of the firm with legal briefing on cases in their practice areas, and assist with the firm's appellate briefing. As a result, I have experience in a variety of areas beyond my primary areas of practice, including products liability, utility law, tort claims, environmental law, insurance coverage, and administrative law. I hold an "AV" rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

Employment law matters are a primary focus of my practice. I have represented public and private employers, large and small, in connection with charges of sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation for whistle blowing under federal and state laws. I have also defended a large federal contractor and a healthcare prover in qui tam lawsuits brought by former employees under the Federal False Claims Act. I have represented employees as well as employers in cases involving breach of contract claims, covenants not to compete, wage and hour disputes, and general allegations of wrongful discharge. I also provide advice and counsel to employers on how to identify, investigate and properly handle personnel problems as they arise and evolve, with the goal of avoiding costly litigation. In the same vein, I assist employers in reviewing and revising their personnel policies and procedures.

My work in the area of contract law has included negotiation and drafting of a wide range of agreements, including asset purchase and sale agreements, employment contracts, indemnity agreements, security agreements, lease agreements, professional services contracts, and equipment leases.

I have represented a broad spectrum of clients in commercial and construction disputes in state and federal court, as well as in arbitration proceedings and administrative adjudications. Those disputes have included lender liability issues, insurance coverage, the Uniform Commercial Code, lien disputes, public procurement, licensing, performance and payment bond actions, and partnership and shareholder disputes. My construction law experience and knowledge has been greatly enhanced by my role as co-editor of Timothy M. Sheehan's two treatises on construction law, New Mexico Construction Law (published in 1987 by Butterworth Legal Publishers) and  Construction Law in New Mexico (published by the New Mexico Law Institute in 1996).

After my graduation from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 1983 and prior to joining the firm, I served as a law clerk to the Honorable Juan G. Burciaga of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico from 1983 to 1985. My decision to obtain my law degree was the culmination of many years of paralegal work. I worked as a program analyst for the Office of Field Services at the Legal Services Corporation in Washington, D.C. from 1975 to 1978. In the summer of 1975, I was a paralegal assistant in the international law division of Rubens, Weil & Gampbell, a firm of solicitors in London, England, where I worked on commercial transactions. From 1968 to 1971, and again in 1974 and the summer of 1981, I worked as a paralegal for the law firm of Hillman, Baxter & Hammond in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I have a twin sister who is also a lawyer, so the legal inclination is in our genes. When I am not lawyering, I enjoy playing tennis, traveling, reading and being a parent.