Practice Areas

I practice in state courts (trial courts of general jurisdiction, often called district courts in most U.S. states) and federal district courts across the United States, primarily handling civil (non-criminal) matters. This includes litigation, mediation, arbitration, and preliminary efforts to resolve disputes informally before filing a lawsuit (often referred to as pre-litigation or out-of-court dispute resolution).

I have also practiced in state intermediate appellate courts, state supreme courts, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (the federal appellate court covering several states, including New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming).

Sample areas of civil litigation and pre-litigation dispute-resolution efforts have included representation of commercial landlords, commercial tenants, commercial suppliers/vendors, home purchasers, and parties to other types of contracts. These matters typically involve issues such as breach of contract, landlord-tenant disputes, real property rights, commercial transactions, and related civil claims in both state and federal forums.

I have represented creditors seeking to enforce their contractual rights through negotiation or, if necessary, litigation in U.S. courts.

Bankruptcy. I have represented creditors seeking to assert and protect their rights in U.S. bankruptcy court proceedings (federal courts) after a debtor files for bankruptcy protection under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. These matters are handled exclusively in the United States Bankruptcy Courts, which are units of the federal district courts in each of the 94 federal judicial districts (including the District of New Mexico Bankruptcy Court, among others).

Probate. I have represented creditors seeking to enforce or preserve their rights against a deceased debtor’s estate in probate proceedings (following the death of a debtor). These proceedings are typically handled in state probate courts (or equivalent state courts with probate jurisdiction, such as surrogate’s courts, orphans’ courts, or divisions of general jurisdiction trial courts, depending on the state). Probate matters fall under state law and are generally resolved in state court systems rather than federal courts.

If you or your company are a party to a commercial lease or other contract under U.S. law, and you believe another party has failed to comply with its obligations (i.e., has breached the agreement), it is important to take measured, strategic steps to enforce your rights.

Informal communications—such as emails, text messages, instant messages, phone calls, or casual meetings—can sometimes create unintended admissions, waive rights, modify the contract terms (or appear to do so), or otherwise weaken your legal position under applicable U.S. contract law principles (including statutes of frauds, parol evidence rules, merger clauses, and doctrines like waiver, estoppel, or accord and satisfaction).

I can:

• Carefully review and analyze your commercial lease (or other contract governed by U.S. state or federal law), together with any relevant correspondence, payment records, notices, or other facts;

• Confidentially discuss your objectives and priorities (e.g., obtaining performance, recovering damages, terminating the agreement, minimizing business disruption, preserving ongoing relationships, or preparing for potential sale/transfer of the property or business);

• Pursue resolution of your concerns through targeted, professional out-of-court efforts—such as formal demand letters, structured negotiations, or mediation—while preserving and strengthening your position;

• Lay the necessary factual and legal groundwork for litigation in the appropriate U.S. forum (state court or federal district court, depending on jurisdiction, amount in controversy, diversity of citizenship, or federal question) if informal resolution proves unsuccessful.

All communications and work are conducted with an eye toward protecting your rights under U.S. contract law, avoiding inadvertent waiver or modification of the agreement, and positioning you as favorably as possible should formal enforcement (including suit for breach of contract, specific performance, declaratory judgment, or related claims) become necessary.