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

Partner Peter Nichols Talks Super Ditch Project at the Colorado Law Conference on Natural Resources
The University of Colorado Boulder hosted the 42nd Annual Colorado Law Conference on Natural Resources on June 16th and 17th. The Colorado River was the focus of this year's conference given the dramatic decline in the levels of Lakes Powell and Mead. Low Water At...

Updated Client Alert: Current State of Colorado Eviction Procedure and Other Changes to Landlord-Tenant Law Effective October 4, 2021.
As of October 4, 2021, the 30-day notice requirement for filing a residential eviction suit for failure to pay rent has expired and Governor Polis has stated that he does not intend to renew that protection. Governor Polis had previously extended Executive Orders D...

“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...
In the News
Merritt Named Co-Chair of the Firm’s Trusts, Estates, Probate, and Tax Practice
Shelly Merritt, a partner at Berg Hill Greenleaf Ruscitti, has been named the co-chair of the Firm's Trust, Estates, Probate, and Tax Practice. Merritt has over thirty years of experience representing individuals, families, closely-held businesses, executives, and...
BHGR Introduces the Women’s Leadership Committee
Just in time for Women's History Month, Berg Hill Greenleaf Ruscitti LLP formed and formally introduced the BHGR Women's Leadership Committee. The Women's Leadership Committee is comprised of sixteen female attorneys and was established to recognize and cultivate a...
BHGR Partnership Expands with 2023 Elections
The Berg Hill Greenleaf Ruscitti partnership gathered at our Boulder office on January 31, 2023. In that meeting, attorneys Geoff Williamson and Benjamin Wilson were elected Equity Partners, and Elizabeth Froehlke and DJ Goldfarb were elected Non-Equity Partners,...
Firm Happenings
Updates in California Employment Law: Additional Requirements for Pay Data Reporting and Pay Transparency
Updates in California Employment Law: Additional Requirements for Pay Data Reporting and Pay Transparency On September 27, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Senate Bill 1162 ("SB 1162"), expanding California's data reporting requirements under Government...
Client Alert: What Employers Must Convey Upon Employee Termination or Separation
Colorado's most recent legislative session, concluding in early May, pushed through several new employment-related laws that concern employers and employees alike. Senate Bill (SB) 22-234 should be of particular interest to employers, as it requires employers to...
Client Alert: Colorado Places New Restrictions on Non-Compete Agreements Between Employers and their Employees
Colorado has long disfavored non-compete agreements within the state. Historically, under C.R.S. § 8-2-113, restrictive covenants were void and unenforceable except for under specific circumstances, including: the purchase and sale of a business or the assets of a...