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Darold Killmer, Partner

DKillmer@KLN-law.com

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PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS AND AWARDS

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University of Denver College of Law, Adjunct Professor of Law, 1990-2004 

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College of Labor & Employment Lawyers, Fellow

 

National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA), Faculty, 1996-present

 

National Employment Lawyers Association, Colorado Chapter, 1988-present

  • Co-President, 1990; Board of Directors, 1998-2017

 

Trial Talk Magazine, Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, 1989-present

  • Employment Law Editor, 1989 - 2014

  • Civil Rights & Constitutional Law Editor, 1993 - 2014

 

The Best Lawyers in America©

  • Denver's Best Lawyers, Labor and Employment Law, 1995-present

  • Denver's Best Lawyers, Civil Rights Law, Employment Law - Individuals, Litigation - Labor and Employment, 2015

  • Denver Civil Rights Law "Lawyer of the Year," 2016

  • Denver Employment Law - Individuals "Lawyer of the Year," 2019

  • Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America©, 2019, for:

    • Civil Rights Law 

    • Employment Law - Individuals

    • Litigation - Labor and Employment

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Colorado Super Lawyer, Selected, 2006-present

 

5280 Magazine’s “Super Lawyers”​

  • Selected to Super Lawyers 2006-present

  • Top Rated Civil Rights Lawyer in Denver, 2019

  • Selected “Top 50 Lawyers in Colorado” (2010 edition)

  • Selected “Top 100 Lawyers in Colorado” (2012-2017)

 

Carl E. Whitehead Civil Rights Award, American Civil Liberties Union – Colorado Chapter, Recipient, 2010.  

 

Access to Justice Award, Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, Co-Recipient, 2010

  • Award honoring “perseverance, courage and character shown over and over in cases of extraordinary circumstances”

 

Case of the Year Award Finalist, Colorado Trial Lawyers Association

  • 2018 - K.M. v. Hickenlooper: Lawsuit brought on behalf multiple intellectually disabled individuals against state officials for engaging in unconstitutional, intrusive body searches without justification

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  • 2010 - Timothy Masters v. Gilmore, et al: Lawsuit brought on behalf of a wrongfully prosecuted and imprisoned man alleging violation of constitutional rights. Case resulted in settlement of $10,000,000 against the City of Fort Collins, Larimer County, and their officials

 

  • 2010 - For pro bono representation of men imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

 

  • 2009 - Hall v. Zavaras, et al: Case against the Colorado Department of Corrections for the sexual assault of an incarcerated woman by a guard

 

  • 2008 - Rice v. City of Denver, et al: For the death of a young woman who was denied medical care while in the Denver jail

 

  • 2007 - Bonner, et al. v. City of Aurora, et al: Case against the City of Aurora, Colorado for the police shooting of an unarmed black man

 

Frederick Douglass Human Rights Award, Southern Center for Human Rights, 2007, Co-Recipient.

  • Recognition for pro bono representation of persons detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

 

Colorado Supreme Court Pro Bono Legal Services Recognition, 2006 - Present

  • Recognizing firms who provide at least 50 hours of pro bono services per year by Colorado attorneys primarily for indigent persons and/or organizations that serve indigent persons

 

 

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

 

Killmer, Lane & Newman, LLP, Denver, CO (2002-present)
Founding member and Partner of law firm emphasizing civil rights, employment discrimination litigation, and criminal defense

 

Miller, Lane, Killmer & Greisen, LLP, Denver, CO (1996-2002)
Founding member of law firm emphasizing civil rights, employment discrimination litigation, and criminal defense
 

United States Equal Opportunity Commission, Denver District Office, Senior Trial Attorney (1995-1996)
Lead Trial Counsel, EEOC, et al. v. Martin Marietta Corp. Assisted in developing Alternative Dispute Resolution program
 

Feiger, Collison & Killmer, PC, Denver, CO (1990-1994)

Founding member of law firm emphasizing employment law and civil rights litigation

 

 

EDUCATION

 

  • University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, J.D. 1986

 

  • University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, B.S. 1983

 

 

BAR ADMISSIONS

 

  • United States Supreme Court

 

  • Colorado Supreme Court

 

  • United States Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals

 

  • United States District Court, District of Colorado

 

 

PUBLICATIONS

 

Faces of Guantanamo: Indefinite Detention, Center for Constitutional Rights, 2012 (Contributing author)

 

Ramadan at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba,  FRONT RANGE MUSLIM NEWS, October 2011

 

A Tortured Voice From Guantanamo, DENVER POST, May 31, 2009.  

 

Violence Against Women Act: A Civil Rights Tool Allowing Victims of Gender Motivated Crime to Strike Back, THE COLORADO LAWYER,  September 1999 (Co-author)

 

Violence Against Women Act: Valuable But Little-Known Civil Rights Statute Provides Necessary Remedies for Gender-Motivated Violence, TRIAL TALK, September 1997, pp. 12-14

 

Binding Arbitration as the Exclusive Forum For Addressing Sexual Harassment Claims: A Further Erosion of Rights For the Victim, TRIAL TALK, September 1997, pp. 6-11

 

The Tentacles of Batson: The Supreme Court Prohibits Peremptory Challenges on the Basis of Gender, TRIAL TALK, November 1994, pp. 20-22

 

Survey of Implied Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing, with Lynn D. Feiger, Jeffrey Hyman and Sean Carman, 1991 WILEY EMPLOYMENT LAW UPDATE, Henry H. Perritt, Jr., ed., Wiley Publications, New York, pp. 269-309

 

Denver Jury Awards Three Former Employees $990,000.00 Against Utility Company for Wrongful Discharge, TRIAL TALK, February 1990, pp. 33-34

 

Federal Judges Define Scope of Civil Rights Statute, TRIAL TALK, March 1990, pp. 73-74

 

Emerging Employment Torts and Their Application: Defamation/Self-Publication, Negligent Misrepresentation, and Intentional Interference with Contract, Lynn D. Feiger, Co-Author

  • Paper presented to Committee on Employee Rights and Responsibilities, American Bar Association Section of Labor & Employment Law (March 1989)

 

 

SEMINARS, CONFERENCES AND PRESENTATIONS

 

  • "Guantanamo Bay: The Failure of all Three Branches of Government,” South Asian Bar Association of North America, Leadership Retreat, October 5, 2013

 

  • "Effective Deposition Strategies and Techniques for Adverse Witnesses," National Employment Lawyers Association National Convention, San Diego, CA, June 2012

 

  • "Attorney-Client Privilege Issues in Employment Law," Colorado Bar Association Employment Law Conference, Denver, Colorado, May 3-4, 2012

 

  • "Guantanamo Bay after Ten Years - Where Have We Been, Where Are We Going?" National Lawyers Guild, Denver, Colorado, April 18, 2012

 

  • "Civil Rights Law," Aspen Academy, Greenwood Village, Colorado, April 3, 2012

 

  • "Guantanamo Bay - Ten Years and Counting," Washington, D.C., January 10, 2012

 

  • “Racism in the 21st Century,” National Association of Human Rights Workers, 64th Annual National Conference, Aurora, Colorado, September 21, 2011

 

  • “Police Brutality and Municipal Responses,” Sturm College of Law, Denver University, November 4, 2010

 

  • “Best Practices: Depositions in Employment Litigation,” National Employment Lawyers Association Annual National Convention, Washington, D.C., June 2010.  

 

  • “Bringing and Defending Section 1983 and Other Civil Rights Claims against the Government,” Colorado Bar Association Employment Law Conference, Denver, Colorado, May 2010

 

  • “Pointers and Pitfalls in Civil Rights Litigation,” Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, Annual Convention, Steamboat, Colorado, August 2009

 

  • “Deposition Goals and Strategies in Employment Cases,” National Employment Lawyers Association, Denver, Colorado, March 2009

 

  • “Strategies for Confronting Adverse Witnesses” Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, Annual Convention, Snowmass, Colorado, August 2008

 

  • “Strategies for Confronting Adverse Witnesses:  Putting the Corporate Executive on the Stand,”  National Employment Lawyers Association, Washington D.C., March 8, 2008

 

  • “Media Relations in High Profile Cases,” Faculty of Federal Advocates, U.S. District Court, District of Colorado, December 6, 2007

 

  • “First Amendment Claims in the Workplace,” Plaintiffs Employment Lawyers Association, Annual Retreat, Genesee, Colorado, August 25, 2006

   

  • “In the Trenches: Trends and Developments in Discovery and Trial Practice,” Colorado Bar Association, Denver, CO, June 23, 2006

 

  • “Employment Claims Against Public Entities Under 42 U.S.C. Section 1983,” Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, Denver, CO, December 2, 2005

   

  • “Hot Topics in Employment Law,”  Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association, November 17, 2005

 

  • “Assessing and Calculating Damages,” Colorado Bar Association, Denver, Colorado, April 21, 2005

 

  • Chair, Employment Law Program, Colorado Trial Lawyers Association Annual Convention, Snowmass, Colorado, August 11-14, 2005

 

  • “The First Amendment and Free Speech in Schools,” Littleton Academy, April 8, 2005.  

 

  • “Employment Law Claims Under Title 42 U.S.C. Section 1983,” Lorman Legal Seminars, Executive Tower Hotel, Denver, Colorado, December 10, 2004

 

  • “Tips for an Effective Cross Examination,” Colorado Bar Association 2004 Annual Employment Law Conference, Denver, Colorado, October 14, 2004

 

  • “The Do’s and Dont’s of Discovery Practice,” Colorado Trial Lawyers Association Annual Convention, Steamboat, Colorado, August 13, 2004

 

  • “Litigating Civil Rights Cases in the Real World,” University of Colorado School of Law, February 26, 2004

 

  • “Trial of the Employment Law Case – Mock Jury Presentation,” Colorado Bar Association, Employment Law Program, October 24, 2003

 

  • “Mediating Employment Law Cases – Mock Mediation,” Denver, Colorado, September 9, 2003

 

  • “Civil Rights in the Workplace in the 21st Century,”  Denver University College of Law, October 10, 2002

 

  • “Mediating Legal Disputes in the Employment Setting,”  International Academy of Mediators, Boulder, Colorado May 3, 2002

 

  • “The Use and Abuse of Protective Orders and Confidentiality Clauses,” Adam’s Mark Hotel, Denver, CO, December 14, 2000; Red Lion Hotel, August 15, 2002; Executive Tower Hotel, February 4, 2004

 

  • “How Juries Decide Employment Cases,” Colorado Bar Association Employment Law Program, Denver, CO  November 30, 2000; October 3, 2002

 

  • “Lessons From the Pros – Leading the Jury to Favor Your Client,” Colorado Bar Association Annual Employment Law Conference, March 8-9, 2001

 

  • “Obtaining Larger Verdicts In Employment Cases,” Colorado Trial Lawyers Association Annual Convention, Steamboat Springs, Colorado, August 12, 2000

 

  • “False Claims, Whistleblowing & Civil RICO,” Institute for Advanced Legal Studies, Denver University, May 22, 1998

   

  • “The New EEOC Regulations Regarding Psychiatric and Mental Disabilities,” Institute for Advanced Legal Studies, Denver University, December 9, 1997

 

  • “The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 - An Opportunity to Fight Back,” Denver University School of Law, Student Symposium, November 25, 1997

 

  • “42 U.S.C. Section 1983 and the Bad Faith of Self-Insured Governmental Agencies,” Colorado Trial Lawyers Association Annual Convention, July 1997

 

  • Instructor/Faculty, Second Annual Rocky Mountain Child Advocacy Training Institute, National Institute of Trial Advocacy, May 18-20, 1997

 

  • “How to Terminate Employees and Avoid Legal Liability,” The Cambridge Institute, April, 1992, September 1993, April 1994, May 1995, April 1996, April 1997, April 1998

 

  • “Trouble in the Workplace: Fixing Problems Before They Escalate,” The Institute for Advanced Legal Studies, University of Denver College of Law, February 29, 1996

 

  • “Through the Looking Glass: An Insider’s View of the EEOC,” Colorado Bar Association Labor Law Committee Forum, February 1996

   

  • “How to Handle Discovery, Expert Witnesses and Damages Issues Under the Americans With Disabilities Act,” Colorado Trial Lawyers Association Annual Convention, August 1996

 

  • “Hispanic Bar Association Advocacy Training Program,” National Institute of Trial Advocacy, November 1-2, 1996

 

  • “Trial Skills Workshop,” Instructor/Faculty, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Washington, D.C.,  July 9-14, 1995

 

  • Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, TAPS Seminars, Recent Updates and Developments Within the EEOC and Discrimination Law, August 16, 1995; Compensatory and Punitive Damages in Employment Discrimination Cases, 1999

 

  • “The Federal False Claims Act,” Colorado Bar Association Labor Law Committee Forum, 1994

 

  • “Employment Law – Developments in the Law, Analysis of Verdicts and Settlements, and Alternative Dispute Resolution,” Judicial Arbiter Group, Inc., May 1993

 

  • "What Every Employer Should Know About the Americans with Disabilities Act," Cambridge Institute, January 1991, April 1992, April 1993, May 1994

 

  • “Hot Topics in Employment Law,” Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, November 20, 1992

 

  • “Sexual Harassment – Legal Status and Developments,” Doyle’s Inns of Court, January, 1992

   

  • “The Americans with Disabilities Act,” National Restaurant Association Risk Management National Meeting, August 1-3, 1991, Colorado Springs, Colorado

 

  • “What Every Employer Needs to Know About the American with Disabilities Act,” Rose Medical Center, June 19, 1991, Denver, Colorado

 

  • “A Topic of Some Interest on Employment Verdicts,” Presentation to Plaintiff Employment Lawyers Association, February 16, 1990

 

  • “The Impact of the Supreme Court’s 1988-89 Term on Employment Discrimination Law,” Presentation to the Labor Law Forum Committee, Colorado Bar Association, October 12, 1989

 

  • “Affirmative Action After Martin v. Wilks (the Birmingham Firefighters Case), Presentation to Local Government Committee, Colorado Bar Association, July 19, 1989

 

  • “Drug Testing and Civil Liberties,” Bi-centennial of Bill of Rights Seminars, presented May 11, 1989 and May 24, 1989, Denver Public Schools

 

  • “Negligence Claims in Employment Cases: The Next Frontier?” Presentation to Plaintiff Employment Lawyers Association, May 27, 1988

 

 

 

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