State and Local

Ted is the founder and owner of Colquett Law. After spending more than two decades at prominent insurance defense law firms, he opened CLAW to provide industry-leading legal services to individuals and businesses with the flexibility and efficiency of a law firm dedicated to insurance claim, insurance coverage litigation, commercial litigation, and accident and injury litigation. Ted has practiced insurance and personal injury law exclusively for his entire legal career. Having handled thousands of insurance disputes involving accidents and personal injuries, catastrophic property damage claims, bad faith denials of coverage, and COVID-19 business interruption claims, he is uniquely positioned to provide elite litigation services to his clients.

For over twenty-nine years Paul M. Gaide has been an accomplished litigation and transactional lawyer and advisor. When aggressive representation is desirable and appropriate, the Law Offices of Paul M. Gaide is quite capable of advocating for you. When a subtle approach will benefit you most, Attorney Gaide is fully capable of utilizing a collaborative approach and applying all pertinent facts and law to obtaining an acceptable and timely resolution of client matters. Paul M. Gaide’s law practice has emphasized superior representation of clients: (a) in conflict resolution, including litigations before probate courts, state trial courts, state appellate courts, United States District Courts, and United States Bankruptcy Courts; and (b) in connection with transactional and planning matters. Prior to relocating back to Colorado, Attorney Gaide practiced law in New England with the Am Law 100 firm of Edwards & Angell, LLP, n/k/a Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP, now having over 620 lawyers in the United States, the United Kingdom and Asia, with Schatz & Schatz, Ribicoff & Kotkin, the then third largest law firm in the State of Connecticut with 135 attorneys, and in his own firm. Attorney Gaide is admitted and licensed to practice law in Colorado, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Paul M. Gaide is a graduate of the University of Colorado School of Law, Juris Doctor, Emphasis in Taxation (1989) (Research Assistant: N. Steuben, Real Estate Planning (Cases, Materials, Problems, Questions and Commentary) (3d ed. 1989)); and a graduate of the University of Denver, College of Business Administration, B.S.B.A. - Finance (Bal F. Swan Scholar, Dean’s Lists). You are encouraged to contact the Law Offices of Paul M. Gaide to confidentially communicate your concerns and determine if the firm can be of assistance to you. The firm offers a no-cost initial consultation of up to one hour. Weekend and evening appointments may be available. The website of Law Offices of Paul M. Gaide may be found at www.Law-Or-Equity.com Paul M. Gaide maintains a physical presence at the Law Offices of Paul M. Gaide, 417 West Mountain Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521.

Eric Boehmer is an award winning attorney with the experience, confidence and knowledge to deal with the authorities when it comes to defending individuals against criminal charges. As a native of St. Charles County, Eric was born and raised in the Wentzville area. He attended St. Dominic High School in O’Fallon, MO. Eric was recently awarded a National Association of Distinguished Counsel Top 1% Award, a Top 100 Trial Attorney award for his achievements in Trial Law and a Top 10 Client Satisfaction Award for Criminal Law in Missouri. Eric attended college at Furman University in South Carolina where he obtained his bachelor degree in Business Administration. While a player on Furman’s baseball team, he was named to the all-conference tournament team and made the Dean’s list for academic excellence. At Furman, Eric also became a member of the largest international fraternity, Tau Kappa Epsilon. Upon graduation from Furman, Eric returned to the Show-Me State to attend law school at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He received the Cali Excellence for the Future Award before graduating with his Juris-Doctorate. Eric gained experience with internships at two different law firms and worked at the Attorney General’s Office. Upon passing the Missouri Bar Exam, Eric returned to St. Charles County to become an assistant prosecuting attorney. The trial experience and understanding of the court systems he gained during this time were building blocks that helped catapult his highly successful career as a criminal defense trial lawyer. Eric’s passion and expertise is operating in the courtroom and trying cases. He has tried numerous judge and jury trials with an extremely high success rate. He has multiple acquittals in Class A felony jury trials as well as many lower level felony and misdemeanors. Eric’s proven track record and attention to detail in working for his clients has earned him the well-deserved reputation as a successful attorney. Please call now to make an appointment so that you can benefit from Eric’s knowledge and experience.

Cristian R. Arrieta serves clients with comprehensive estate planning and handles business matters including transactions, dispute resolution, expert advocacy and trust and estate litigation. He also serves as general outside legal counsel to many of his business clients. His expertise includes handling business partnerships, corporations, and limited liability companies; sales, mergers and acquisitions; due diligence; contracts; probate and trust administration; will contests and trust litigation; property disputes; elder law matters; and asset protection. Cristian is a volunteer with the Ventura County chapter of SCORE – Counselors to America’s Small Business, Womens Economic Ventures, as well as Senior Concerns in Thousand Oaks. He is a cum laude graduate of California Western School of Law, and he earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy, cum laude, at California State University, Northridge. Cristian was admitted to the State Bar of California in 2005 and began in his practice the same year. Born and raised in Southern California, Cristian has also lived in Lima, Peru, where he co-owned and managed an American-style food and spirits establishment and taught English. Cristian is fluent in Spanish. He and his family live in Newbury Park.

John Ballard is a third generation attorney following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Jack Butler, and his father before him, General Howard Butler. Born and raised in Williamson County, John has spent his life in Middle Tennessee. Upon graduating with a Philosophy degree from Samford University he enrolled in Nashville School of Law where he went to school at night while working at his grandfather's law practice during the day. After learning the law from one of Nashville's legendary attorneys John spent two years as Judge Seth Norman's court officer in Davidson County Criminal Court Division IV. Working for Judge Norman gave John a unique opportunity to get to know attorneys as well as criminal defendants before graduating Law School in 2014, wherein he was awarded the Moot Court Award. John began his law practice at 1308 Rosa Parks Blvd with over a dozen of Nashville's best criminal defense attorneys. While developing a criminal defense practice, John learned that there was a need for a robust law practice that could serve many different legal needs of the community. It may be a dispute regarding insurance, government, or regulations, and knowing the right people and how to navigate seemingly complex issues is important. While working to find a solution without litigation is important, sometimes the only way to resolve an issue is to let the judge decide. John has spent most of his career in court arguing and winning cases in front of judges and juries on a myriad of issues. His background means that he is familiar with not only the courts but the judges, attorneys, and court staff as well. He is comfortable in the courtroom litigating complex issues because he comes prepared and outworks the other side. John has recently moved his main office to Franklin, Tennessee and brings with him the experience, knowledge, and reputation from Nashville, but also as a native to Williamson County.

James Clifton is the founding member of The Clifton Law Firm, LLC and oversees the firm's multi-state practice. During the course of his career, James has focused primarily on real property, bankruptcy, wills, trusts, and estates, car accidents and slip and fall cases. Additionally, he possesses vast experience in suits to quiet title, real property and commercial lending transactions, comprehensive contract formation, title insurance claims, will drafting, estate planning, and probate litigation. On the weekends, James enjoys donating his time to the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation's Saturday Lawyer Program where he represents indigent clients on a pro bono basis. In addition, he represented Fayette County in the Georgia Attorney General’s state wide food drive, The Legal Food Frenzy. In the past, he has served as an elected member of the Executive Council of the State Bar of Georgia Young Lawyers Division and is a graduate of the prestigious Young Lawyer Leadership Academy. James is also a past president of the Fayette County Bar Association. James is a member of the American Bar Association and its Real Property, Trust, and Estate Section. He is also an active member in good standing with the State Bar of Georgia and its Real Property Law Section, Bankruptcy Section, and Creditor's Rights Section; the Florida Bar and its Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Section; the State Bar of California and its Real Property Law Section; the State Bar of Texas and its Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Section; and the District of Columbia Bar and its Real Property Law Section. In addition to the state licensures, James is licensed to practice in the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Middle Districts of Georgia, the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts for the Northern and Middle Districts of Georgia, and the United States Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit. On May 14, 2012, James was sworn into the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Any lawyer can work you out a deal. Only a lawyer with experience and a reputation as a fighter can get you the best outcome. Don't plea bargain away your future. I am first and most importantly - a trial lawyer. This means I actually argue cases in State, Federal and Military Courts. My focus is on fighting and winning at trial. I do not screen out or decline cases merely because they may be distasteful or complex. I will take your case if I believe that I can help you achieve a positive outcome. I was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. After attending school and my active duty service, I returned to El Paso. I am a graduate of Ysleta High School, the New Mexico Military Institute, and the University of Houston. I received my law degree from Temple University School of Law in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I am a solo practitioner and my primary office is located in El Paso, Texas. I am willing to travel to other states and even internationally when called upon. I am licensed and qualified to practice law by: Supreme Court of Texas (State Bar No. 24010247) The State Bar of Texas The Federal District Court for the Western District of Texas The Federal District Courts for the State of Colorado The Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit The Court of Criminal Appeals for the Armed Forces The United States Supreme Court After law school I worked as an Assistant District Attorney for El Paso County for nearly a year. I then resumed my career with the U.S. Army in the Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAG). I retired from the Army in 2014 after 25 years of service. During my Army career I had the opportunity to prosecute and defend soldiers in cases worldwide. My career included deployments to Europe with the 1st Armored Division, and the Middle East, with the 1st Infantry Division. It is not my practice to take on a high volume of cases and plead them out as quickly as possible. I also don't refuse cases because they are hard. Lots of lawyers cherry pick cases so that they can build stats. I don't keep stats - I represent individuals and everyone's case is different. Everyone's case is unique and what is best for you might not be the same as what is best for the next person. I look at your interests, the facts and circumstances of the case, and the realistic possibilities. My goal is to provide the best representation possible, tailored to your needs and objectives. Although I cannot guarantee any particular outcome (and nothing on this website should be construed as a guarantee of any certain result in any case), I do promise you will get my best.

Alan Sack is a Registered Patent Attorney and an experienced intellectual property attorney. A graduate of MIT and the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Alan helps his clients protect their patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets in disputes before district courts across the United States, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (US PTO), as well as before the United States International Trade Commission (US ITC). He has served as lead and associate counsel in numerous patent, trademark, unfair competition, and copyright litigations and has also mediated intellectual property disputes. In the realm of patent law, Alan handles patent and design patent litigation matters before U.S. district courts, and inter partes matters before the US PTO, including patent appeals, reissues, reexaminations, and post-issue review proceedings. He also counsels clients on patent preparation and infringement matters and has extensive experience in the preparation, prosecution, and appeals of patent applications before the US PTO in a broad spectrum of technologies and designs. He is experienced in patent and copyright protection of technologies relating to computer sciences and business methods, as well as nanotechnology, biotechnology, medical devices, imaging, LED lighting, mechanical devices, energy storage, radiation detection, superconductors, computer sciences, signal processing, iontophoresis and chemical technologies, waste treatment, polymer molding and processing, chemical engineering, petroleum processing, films, fluid handling, and business methods. Alan also has successfully overseen opposition proceedings before the European and Japanese Patent Offices, and handles licensing negotiations and preparation of license agreements. Alan is experienced in trademark, unfair competition, and trade secret litigation in the U.S. district courts, and opposition and cancellation proceedings before the US PTO. He routinely counsels clients in adoption and clearance of trademarks and service marks and the protection of trade secrets, as well as U.S. and foreign trademark filing, prosecution, opposition, and appeals. His practice also encompasses counseling and negotiation of branding and advertising transactions. He advises clients regarding protection and use of trademarks in advertising and product packaging, advertising claims, and the use of appropriate marking of patents and registered trademarks on product packaging and brochures. Alan has extensive Trademark, Copyright, Trade Secret & UC protection, Counseling, Licensing, and Litigation experience in the Apparel, Banking, Entertainment, Fabrics, Food, Footwear, Gaming, Music, & Restaurant industries. Alan has been a longtime member of the International Trademark Association (INTA) and an active member of the Trade Name Subcommittee of the Trademark Enforcement Committee of INTA. Alan has also handled a variety of copyright and entertainment related litigation, registration and counseling matters, and has litigated software and television copyright infringement actions in U.S. district courts and before the US ITC. In a recent US ITC investigation, Alan and his team prevailed on summary determination in an investigation involving a children’s television show. The ITC’s Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) found lack of substantial similarity between the accused television show and the copyrights asserted in the investigation. Alan has also handled matters related to copyright infringement actions in the music industry and been successful in taking down infringing content for music posted on various Internet websites under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. (DMCA). He has also successfully conducted arbitrations under ICANN’s Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution (UDRP) arbitration procedures. Alan is a member of the Federal Bar Association and is part of a team of three senior patent litigators that has taken on an initiative to provide the district courts designated to participate in the Patent Cases Pilot Program (PCPP) with a series of in-depth and interactive multi-session presentations on the relevant substantive and procedural aspects of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act. The sessions look at the how the new patent act affects the conduct of patent litigations before the U.S. district courts and the interplay between district court litigation and the new post-registration proceedings before the USPTO. Alan and his colleagues have presented before the judges, magistrate-judges and law clerks of the Southern District of New York, and the Eastern District of New York and have contributed to the drafting of the local patent rules that are shared by these courts.

Brett C. Drouet, Esq., is a sixth generation Southern Californian, who has served Southern, Central and Northern California clients for over two decades as a member of the California State Bar. Mr. Drouet is recognized as a litigator’s litigator, who is uniquely experienced in catastrophic personal injury and death actions for trauma victims in auto accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, bus accidents, bicycle accidents, worksite accidents, DUI victim/plaintiff, construction defect, product liability and medical malpractice. Having represented Fortune 500 companies and major insurance companies’ insureds in thousands of catastrophic personal injury and death actions for over a decade, Mr. Drouet is a seasoned litigation veteran representing trauma victims, who have suffered life-changing injuries for over a decade. Traumatic, catastrophic personal injuries require an attorney with extensive, broad-based knowledge of evidence based medicine, treatment, and medical causation to best serve trauma victims, which is why Mr. Drouet is called upon to co-counsel and consult with other attorneys and law firms representing California trauma victims. Mr. Drouet has significant experience and expertise in product liability in catastrophic personal injury and death actions involving consumer products, chemical products, toxic substances, industrial products, industrial machinery, construction equipment, vehicles, tires, wheels, housing components, construction materials, and finished products. Mr. Drouet has substantial experience and practice in brain injury, loss of brain function, burn injury and Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome injuries.