Partner
Patrick M.
Haines
Patrick Haines is an experienced trial lawyer in civil, water, criminal, and bankruptcy courts. He has tried over 30 jury trials. His current practice focuses on civil and commercial, real estate, water, environmental, and bankruptcy creditor litigation in the state and federal courts of Colorado. Mr. Haines has been very successful at delivering favorable outcomes to a wide variety of applicants, opposers, plaintiffs, defendants, and creditors in these practice areas through detailed investigation, diligent legal analysis, and plain language communication of the strengths, weaknesses, and key issues of his clients’ interests.
Mr. Haines earned his law degree at the University of Colorado School of Law, where he returns periodically to teach Trial Advocacy. Prior to joining Berg Hill Greenleaf Ruscitti LLP, Mr. Haines served as a Deputy District Attorney for the 20th Judicial District (Boulder) and clerked for former 20th Judicial District Chief Judge Maria Berkenkotter. Prior to earning his undergraduate degree in environmental science summa cum laude at The Ohio State University, Mr. Haines served six years in the U.S. Marine Corps where he was decorated for his service in the first Persian Gulf War.
Mr. Haines is the current chair of the Colorado Judicial Performance Commission for the 20th Judicial District, which reviews and reports on the performance of District and County Court judges standing for voter retention in November elections.
Experience
Civil and Commercial Litigation
Mr. Haines combines broad litigation experience with the ability to efficiently learn the facts and legal nuances of a case, making him a very effective advocate across a wide range of subject matters. His recent successes include winning trial judgment in favor of a residential property owner whose tenant forged documents to wrongfully claim ownership of the home; defeating a preliminary injunction and securing the complete dismissal of non-compete covenant and trade secret misappropriation claims against a startup business; winning judgment for possession and money damages against the holdover tenant of a coveted downtown Boulder restaurant location; and negotiating settlements and lease amendments for both commercial landlords and tenants impacted by the COVID19 economic crisis.
Water and Environmental Law
Mr. Haines has delivered several trial judgments for water rights holders in Colorado Water Division 1 Court and has successfully settled hundreds more water application opposition matters. Mr. Haines’ clients range from one large municipality with valuable senior water rights in need of protection in water court to several smaller Boulder County irrigators whose needs tend more toward advice to boards of directors and negotiating and drafting easements, agreements, and transactional documents. Mr. Haines was recently part of the legal team that won a liability judgment in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado against a large front range municipality for violations of Clean Water Act stormwater permit terms, working with the Colorado Attorney General and U.S Department of Justice to protect water quality on the lower Arkansas River. He also advocates and advises clients regarding air pollution compliance and permitting disputes.
Bankruptcy and Creditors Rights
Mr. Haines represents creditors in bankruptcy proceedings and has successfully recovered both secured and unsecured claims through vigorous advocacy and innovative pursuit of debtor resources outside of the bankruptcy estate (such as payment bonds). Mr. Haines recognizes that some bankruptcy creditor claims may not be large enough to justify the expense of full engagement by counsel but are still significant to the client, so he has developed a practice strategy that includes advising clients, monitoring filings, and ensuring that deadlines and orders are communicated to clients to optimize client recoveries without generating prohibitive legal expenses. Mr. Haines is admitted to the Colorado bankruptcy bar and has also represented clients in the bankruptcy courts of Georgia and Texas.
In the Community
Mr. Haines is highly invested in the education, music, and sports interests of his three sons. He serves on the Recreation Advisory Board for the City of Louisville, where he lives with his wife, kids, and the family’s Welsh Corgi. Before starting his legal career, Mr. Haines worked ten years as an environmental scientist including work on Colorado’s Rocky Flats Superfund Project, and he continues to invest time and energy into raising environmental and water resource awareness in Colorado. In his free time, Mr. Haines enjoys biking, hiking, golf, playing blues guitar, and spending time with family.
EDUCATION & ADMISSIONS
JURIS DOCTOR
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO SCHOOL OF LAW, 2007
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY, 1995
U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Colorado
2015
U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
2010
U.S. District Court, Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals
2010
Colorado
2007
Professional Associations
American, Colorado and Boulder Bar Associations
Colorado Criminal Defense Bar
University of Colorado School of Law, Trial Advocacy and Trial Court Competition Instructor
Twentieth Judicial District Judicial Performance Commission, Attorney Representative

Patrick’s Blog

“Workouts & Workarounds” in Commercial Real Estate
On Tuesday, November 17, 2020, managing partner, Giovanni Ruscitti, moderated a panel on "Workouts and Workarounds" within the Boulder Valley commercial real estate industry. This session was part of BizWest's annual Boulder Valley Real Estate Conference. Joining him...
Water access on the Front Range
Attorney, Megan Gutwein, participated in BizWest's Confluence Colorado Water Conference on Thursday, October 22. Joining Megan were panelists Brad Wind, general manager, Northern Water, Patrick McMeekin, vice president of land development and partner, Hartford Homes....

Updated Client Alert: State of Colorado Evictions Procedure During COVID Regulation
On June 13, 2020, Governor Polis issued an executive order temporarily curtailing eviction proceedings to provide relief to Coloradans affected by COVID-19. Since then, the Governor has issued a series of extensions and added requirements on how evictions may proceed....
In the News
CHBA Elects 2021 Board of Directors
The Colorado Hispanic Bar Association (CHBA) announced its 2021 Board of Directors on December 15, 2020. Attorney Maverick Flowers was named an 'At Large Director.' As a first-generation Hispanic college graduate and attorney, Maverick holds a strong...
Attorney Maverick Flowers aids in the creation of Cures of Colors
Attorney Maverick Flowers joined forces with Brittany Chung, Vivek Bedi, Rachelle Nelson, Lindsay Jespersen, and Danny De Lillo to create Cures of Colors, a not for profit organization focused on curating narrative coloring books that help put into...
Paralegal, Mianne Besser, elected Secretary and Director of Leadership Development for the National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc.
Minneapolis, MN, October 26, 2020 – The National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc. (NFPA®), is pleased to announce thatMianne L. Besser, AACP, has been elected as Secretary and Director of Leadership Development for the 2020-2022 term. NFPA’s elections are...
Firm Happenings
Client Alert: Summary of New Coronavirus Relief Bill
Authors: Kathleen Alt and Aisha I. May In March 2020, the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act” (the “CARES Act”) was signed into law in order to provide both individuals and businesses with relief. On December 21, 2020, Congress approved the second...
CLIENT ALERT: The Equal Pay For Equal Work Act
Effective January 1, 2021, Colorado employers must take steps to comply with the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act (“EPEWA” or the “Act). This new law prohibits all employers in the State from discriminating against employees on the basis of sex, to include gender...
“Workouts & Workarounds” in Commercial Real Estate
On Tuesday, November 17, 2020, managing partner, Giovanni Ruscitti, moderated a panel on "Workouts and Workarounds" within the Boulder Valley commercial real estate industry. This session was part of BizWest's annual Boulder Valley Real Estate Conference. Joining him...