PHILOSOPHY:
Mr. Ziporin joined the firm upon his graduation from law school in 1998. Admitted to practice in Colorado, he has successfully tried to conclusion numerous civil lawsuits, predominantly to juries. From the inception of his career, Mr. Ziporin has been engaged in the defense of public entities and, at present, his practice emphasizes the representation of counties, municipalities, special districts and other public entities, as well as officials and employees associated with those entities. Mr. Ziporin’s trial practice has focused upon federal claims in the United States District Court, but has evolved into State Court practice given the passage of SB-217 in 2020. His practice includes experience in appeals at both the state and federal levels, including the United States Supreme Court. He has lectured on multiple topics including the defense of public employee claims, primarily with regard to claims against law enforcement officials.
Mr. Ziporin was named a Rising Star in the 2009, 2010, and 2011 publications of Colorado Super Lawyers. Mr. Ziporin has earned the distinction of “Best Lawyers” in personal injury litigation for the years 2020-2026. Under his leadership, SGR has earned “Tier 1” status under “Best Law Firms” for its governmental defense work in the years 2020 – 2027.
PRACTICE AREAS:
- Governmental Entity Defense
- Civil Rights Law
- Employment Litigation
- Commercial/Business Litigation
- Products Liability Litigation
LAW SCHOOL:
University of Denver Sturm College of Law
Year degree obtained: 1998
UNDERGRADUATE UNIVERSITY AND DEGREE:
University of Colorado, Boulder, B.S. in Marketing/International Business
Year obtained: 1993
NOTABLE REPORTED CASES/CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
Town of Castle Rock v. Gonzales, United States Supreme Court – successful appeal of denial of police officer qualified immunity regarding enforcement of protection order.
Haynes – U.S. District Court – defense verdict in police excessive force case.
Meier – Adams County District Court – defense verdict in police excessive force case.
Jorgensen – U.S. District Court – defense verdict in police excessive force case.
Rising Star in the 2009, 2010, and 2011 Colorado Super Lawyers publication.
PUBLICATIONS/PRESENTATIONS:
Lorman seminars entitled “Police Misconduct” and “Recent Trends in Police Liability” – 2005, 2006, 2007.
Presentation to County Attorney Association re: “Successful Motion for Summary Judgment Strategies.”
In firm presentations re: successful summary judgment motions, investigation/discovery techniques, challenging expert opinions, and changes to Medicare requirements.
Presentation to Election Law class at the University of Denver re: liability defenses for elected officials.
Multiple law enforcement liability training sessions with local law enforcement agencies.
Article for Colorado Police Protective Association publication entitled “Is Tennessee v. Garner Still the Law?”
Article for the Colorado Defense Lawyers Assocation entitled “The Garcetti Official Duties Threshold: Relevant Factors to Defining Public Employees’ Speech.”