I am proud of the two years I served as an At-Large Director for the CDLA and am happy to have been part of the team responsible for reinvigorating the CDLA’s Trial Academy. As I now rotate off of the Board of Directors, I would like to recognize and encourage those who will be leading the CDLA over the next year. Below is the recent announcement regarding next year’s Board. – David M. McLain

Denver, CO (PRWEB) May 18, 2012

The Colorado Defense Lawyers Association (CDLA) today announced that Kristin Caruso, Esq., McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter, LLP, Gregg Rich, Esq., Lambdin & Chaney, LLP, Jane Mitchell, Esq., Hall & Evans, LLC, Brendan O. Powers, Esq., Spies, Powers & Robinson, P.C., Tanner Walls, Esq., Jaudon & Avery, LLP, have joined the Association’s Board of Directors. Ms. Caruso will serve on the Executive Committee as Secretary of the organization, Mr. Rich was elected as an At-Large Board member, Ms. Mitchell as Ex-Officio member, Mr. Powers was elected as the DRI State Representative, and Tanner Walls will serve as Co-Chair of the Young Lawyers Committee.

“These appointments reflect CDLA’s continued commitment to find the best civil defense attorneys to lead and guide CDLA,” commented Teresa Seymour, CDLA Vice-President. “Their knowledge, professionalism and expertise will be invaluable to CDLA’s future as we collectively defend the interests of business and individuals in civil litigation”.

The appointments of, Mr. Rich, Mr. Powers and Mr. Walls will fill seats vacated by At-Large Director David McLain, Esq., Higgins, Hopkins, McLain & Roswell, LLC; DRI State Representative Janet Spies, Esq., Spies, Powers & Robinson, P.C.; and Young Lawyer Jody Haskins, White and Steele, P.C. CDLA thanks Ms. Salg, Harris, Karstaedt, Jamison & Powers, P.C. and for her contribution to our organization as Communications Director.

Kristin A. Caruso, Esq.

Ms. Caruso, Of Counsel, McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter, LLP, holds a B.S. from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, an M.B.A. from the University of Denver, and a J.D. from the University of Denver, where she served as an editor of the Denver Journal of International Law and Policy. She is also a Medicare Set-Aside Consultant, Certified. She practices litigation in the area of general civil litigation, including workers’ compensation defense. There is no issue or claim in Workers’ Compensation law or procedure that Ms. Caruso has not analyzed for employers and their insurers. She is a member of the American Bar Association, Colorado Bar Association (CBA), Denver Bar Association (DBA), CBA/DBA Interprofessional Committee, Cornell Hotel Society, the National Alliance of Medicare Set Aside Professionals, and the Defense Research Institute.

Gregg Rich, Esq.

Mr. Rich received a B.A. from California State Polytechnic University, and a J.D. from the University of Denver. His areas of expertise include construction defect, personal injury, employment and telecommunications. Currently, his practice focuses on litigation, with a special emphasis on the defense of general contractors and subcontractors in defect actions, representation of contractors in their pursuit of payment, and coverage issues. He has tried several bench trials, jury trials and arbitrations and has argued three times to the Colorado Court of Appeals. Mr. Rich is licensed to practice law in Colorado state and federal courts, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. He is a member of the American Bar Association (ABA), Colorado Bar Association (CBA), Denver Bar Association (DBA), Defense Research Institute and William E. Doyle Inn of Court.

S. Jane Mitchell, Esq.

Ms. Mitchell practices in the areas of medical malpractice defense, medical device and pharmaceutical products liability, and professional licensing. She obtained a B.S. from the University of South Florida and a J.D. from the University of Florida. Ms. Mitchell is trained and experienced as a critical care nurse, and applies her extensive knowledge of all aspects of medicine in her defense of medical professionals. She has successfully defended physicians, hospitals and nurses in medical malpractice cases throughout Colorado and Florida.

Brendan O. Powers, Esq.

Mr. Powers has served as lead counsel in state and federal trials involving insurance bad faith, arson, fraud, environmental hazards, personal injury and product liability. His commercial litigation practice focuses upon contract disputes, client ownership, non-competition, trade secrets, business dissolution and landlord-tenant issues.

While the bulk of this experience naturally involves fraud and arson in the area of property and casualty insurance, Mr. Powers has been called upon to resolve questions concerning errors and omissions, business losses, fidelity bonds, forgery claims, excess and umbrella coverages, theft losses, product failure and automobile claims. He has acted as a consulting expert, including the post-litigation defense of claim denials with attendant allegations of bad faith. Mr. Powers is a frequent lecturer on these topics throughout the insurance community.

Tanner J. Walls, Esq.

Mr. Walls received his B.S. from the University of Colorado and J.D. from University of Denver Sturm College of Law and graduated in May of 2009. The majority of his practice focuses on legal and medical malpractice defense, as well as other forms of complex civil litigation. Mr. Walls’ practice also includes defending attorneys involved in disciplinary actions in front of Attorney Regulation Counsel, and representing physicians in peer review proceedings and other professional licensing matters.

About Colorado Defense Lawyers Association:

CDLA is a statewide organization of attorneys defending the interests of business and individuals in civil litigation. CDLA provides numerous educational and informational resources to its members and offering many opportunities for connections among defense trial lawyers. The following are CDLA’s goals:

• Education: To teach and educate and to improve the skills of the civil defense law practitioner.

• Justice: To strive for improvement in the civil justice system.

• Balance: To be a counterpoint to the plaintiff’s bar and seek balance in the justice system.

• Economics: To assist members in dealing with the economic realities of the defense law practice.

• Professionalism and Service: To urge members to practice ethically and responsibly, keeping in mind the lawyer’s responsibilities that go beyond the interest of the client to the good of society as a whole.