Partner

Jon N.

Banashek

 Legal Assistants

Liz Ridenour (Criminal Matters)

Amber Franklin (Civil Matters)

Jon Banashek is a partner at Berg Hill Greenleaf & Ruscitti LLP, where he spent years on the firm’s management committee, currently heads up the criminal practice group, and sits on the firm’s ethics committee. Jon’s expertise extends into complex civil litigation, and he is often engaged or referred by other lawyers to jump into ‘difficult’ cases.  He has practiced for more than 25 years and specializes in strategically guiding motivated clients around or through stormy seas through client connection, rigorous preparation, and tireless advocacy.  Jon represents Colorado-connected clients throughout the world.

Jon’s love of challenge and adventure carries through to his personal life, where he pushes his envelope running, skiing, and wildernessing as much as he can.  Jon grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and the “show-me” concept seems to be burned into his DNA.

Experience

Criminal Defense

Jon represents individual and corporate defendants in federal and state courts in a wide variety of matters, including white collar, street crimes (murder, assault, sexual assault, vehicular homicide and assault, domestic violence, theft, drug manufacturing, and sale), protection orders, from investigation, through trial, appellate and post-conviction work.  In addition, he handles administrative proceedings such as professional licensure and other collateral consequences for lawyers, doctors, nurses, etc.   

Civil Litigation

Jon practices in state and federal courts. His caseload includes complex commercial contracts, trust and estate, insurance coverage and bad faith, fraud, securities fraud, corporate governance, breach of fiduciary duties, civil theft, banking, real estate, dram shop, premises liability, and construction.  Recently, Jon represented a group of investors who started a national grocery chain. He negotiated settlements with the bankruptcy estate, a Fortune 100 investor, and commercial landlords in a number of different states.  He has been admitted pro hac vici on cases in New York, Delaware, California, Massachusetts, Montana, and Arizona.  Jon also has considerable experience in water law litigation and appeals.

International Law

For the past several years, Jon has spent a significant portion of his time working on disputes, transactions, and liquidations in England, Jersey, Italy, Malta, Jamaica, BVI, Cayman Islands, Montenegro, Spain, Holland, and other jurisdictions.  Jon has hired and worked with local counsel, accountants, liquidators, and other professional advisors, marshalling resources to protect his clients’ interests.

Personal Injury

In the area of personal injury, Jon has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in cases involving serious injury and death in vehicular and workplace accidents and related insurance coverage disputes.  Jon has also handled medical malpractice and product liability suits.

EDUCATION & ADMISSIONS

JURIS DOCTOR

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO, 1995

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE 

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI, 1992

U.S. District Court, District of Colorado

1995

U.S. District Court, Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals

1995

Colorado

1995

Professional Associations

Colorado Bar Association, Board of Governors 2007 – 2011

Colorado Bar Foundation, Fellow 2011 – Present

Colorado Criminal Defense Bar Association, Member 1995 – Present; Boulder Chapter Co-Chair 2004 – 2010

Boulder County Bar Association, Criminal Law Section 1995 – Present

Boulder County Bar Foundation, Fellow 2010 – Present

Pro Bono

Congregation Har HaShem; Board of Trustees, 2011 – 2013

Congregation Har HaShem; Campaign Committee, 2007 – 2009

Congregation Har HaShem; Ritual Committee, 2009 – 2011

Teens, Inc.; Board of Directors/Advisory, Board Member, 1998 – 2003

Mountain People’s Cooperative; Board of Directors, 1996 – 1998

Seminars

“Guardianships and Conservatorships When They Intersect with Criminal Cases” CLE Presentation, Denver, CO, March 9, 2016

University of Colorado Guest Lecturer, Trial Advocacy, 2014 – 2016

“Appealing Administrative Findings of Child Abuse / Neglect and the Colorado TRAILS Database,” presentation given at the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar monthly meeting, Boulder, Colorado, July 6, 2010

Moderator, Search and Seizure Law, Lorman Education, 2008

Search and Seizure Law, Lorman Education, 2004 – 2007

Criminal Record Sealing, Boulder County Bar Association, 2003 – 2005

Publications 

PUBLISHED WORK

Polygraph Examinations: Admissibility and Privilege Issues, Colorado Lawyer,
Vol. 31

PUBLISHED CASES

Burlington Ditch Reservoir & Land Co. v. Metro Wastewater Reclamation Dist., et al., No. 09CA133, 2011 WL 2139902 (Colo. May 31, 2011)

Honors & Awards

Boulder County Bar Association; Young Lawyer of the Year, 2000

In the News

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