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Overview

A seasoned trial lawyer and a devoted counselor to religious organizations, Scott represents clients in a wide variety of matters.

Scott divides his practice between complex commercial litigation for corporate clients and a diverse array of legal needs for nonprofit organizations and religious institutions. He has tried cases to verdict for major companies and has represented well-known entities such as AT&T, ESPN, Johns Manville, and Honeywell, and he has tried business-to-business disputes against companies such as Vail Resorts and Target. Scott has also defended clients facing federal investigations, tried cases in bankruptcy court, and established important precedent through U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit opinions. With a passion for getting to the truth, Scott thrives in the courtroom and is enthusiastic about arguing before juries, who clients share respond well to his honesty and sincerity.

Early in Scott’s career, his representation of the Archdiocese of Denver in more than 40 cases led Archbishop Chaput to make Scott the Archdiocese of Denver’s outside general counsel, as well as the archbishop’s personal counsel. When Archbishop Chaput relocated to Philadelphia, Scott began serving as special counsel to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia as well, managing a wide variety of legal issues. His religious entity practice grew rapidly from there, and he has served as trial counsel to the Archdiocese of St. Louis, an advisor to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in legislative matters related to various religious liberty and litigation-based legislation issues, and as counsel to a large number of other archdioceses, dioceses, bishops, and faith-based organizations, including Protestant denominations and the Sikh community. For many of these clients, Scott serves as primary outside counsel, assisting with major transactions, the purchase and sale of real property, trademark work and other intellectual property matters, First Amendment issues, healthcare- and education-specific questions, and litigation.

In addition to accolades from the legal community for this work, Scott has received the single highest honor the pope can bestow on an individual. Pope Francis named Scott to the Order of St. Gregory the Great as a Knight of St. Gregory for his extraordinary, decades-long service to the Catholic Church. Scott finds great joy in supporting religious clients’ faith-based missions and representing organizations whose first instinct is always to make the moral, community-oriented choice.

Scott is a highly respected, trusted advisor whose clients know he has a deep sense of caring for their objectives and values. He’s known for his ability to fully immerse himself in organizations and learn how legal issues affect their work. With a CPA license as well as a law degree, Scott has the business and financial knowledge to consider clients’ challenges from a holistic perspective and to offer practical legal advice customized to their needs. Often asked for assistance when an entity is in crisis or facing harsh opposition and what appear to be overwhelming odds, Scott assembles facts, manages professionals critical to the client’s goals, and works closely with the client to develop a comprehensive strategy to overcome the challenges and win.

Industries

Services

Recognition

  • The Best Lawyers In America®
    • Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, 2021-2025
  • Benchmark Litigation, Local Litigation Star in Colorado, 2016-2025
  • Martindale-Hubbell, AV/Preeminent Attorney Rating, 2002-2024
  • Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great, Knight of St. Gregory, 2018
  • Denver Business Journal, 40 Under 40, 2007

Education

  • J.D., William & Mary Law School
  • B.S., Trinity University

Admissions

  • Arizona
  • Colorado
  • Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
  • U.S. Supreme Court

Professional Memberships and Certifications

  • United States Supreme Court Historical Society
  • American Bankruptcy Institute
  • Order of the Coif Legal Honor Society
  • Faculty of Federal Advocates
  • Doyle’s Inn of Court, Barrister
  • Denver Bar Association
  • Colorado Bar Association
  • American Bar Association
  • First Judicial Nominating Commission, Commissioner, 2008-2013
  • Certified Public Accountant
Experience
  • Defended a variety of dioceses and archdioceses across the United States in more than 100 court cases and has resolved more than 1000 claims, including using creative tools and administrative mechanisms to settle mass action and class action cases.
  • As lead counsel to the Archdioceses of Denver, litigated and successfully resolved more than 40 individual cases – one of the largest groups of cases against a single client to be litigated in the state of Colorado. Subsequently settled more than 100 claims for all three Colorado dioceses.
  • Served as primary outside counsel for one of the largest religious organizations in the country during a crisis arising from CFO theft, complex financial problems, grand jury indictments and resulting criminal prosecutions of a key manager and employees, more than 20 civil lawsuits, all occurring at the same time. The work entailed living out-of-state for 18 months to aid in correcting the structure and course of the entity. Years later, helped same organization settle more than 800 cases with more than a 95% settlement rate across the group of cases.
  • Serves as an advisor to Archbishop Gomez and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in legislative matters related to various religious liberty and litigation-based legislation issues.
  • Serves as primary outside counsel to the Archdiocese of Denver, and has served as special counsel to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, trial counsel to the Archdiocese of St. Louis, and an advisor to Archdiocese of Los Angeles, as well as an advisor to a number of other archdioceses, dioceses, bishops, and religious organizations.
  • As lead trial counsel for the Arrabelle HOA, made up of 66 owners of multimillion-dollar condominiums, was successful in highly contested litigation against Vail Resorts (VR). In the multiphase litigation, obtained a court-ordered reformation (re-writing) of the contract between the HOA and the developer to correct VR's overreaching by taking too much control in various decisions and also VR's overcharging the HOA for millions of dollars in expenses.
  • As lead trial counsel, successfully defended AFSB, a large local brokerage firm, in the Delaware Court of Chancery against an injunction proceeding initiated by Bankers Life.
  • As lead trial counsel, obtained a $2 million dollar verdict for his client, Augusta Software Design Inc., against Shepard's/McGraw Hill. The jury's verdict was sustained by the Colorado Court of Appeals and the certiorari was denied en banc by the Colorado Supreme Court.
  • As lead trial counsel, on behalf of a large commercial landlord, AHM Properties, and after a one-week trial, successfully evicted the defendant, Target, from a 100-year ground lease based on a non-monetary default.
  • Serves as primary outside counsel to the SSSC, the organization that oversees non-profit and for-profit organizations for the largest Sikh community in the United States, which has organizations, ashrams, and businesses all over the world.
  • As lead appellate counsel, reversed a trial court's dismissal of claims by more than 1,000 Peruvian citizens who were poisoned by a mercury spill. As a result of the appellate success, these individuals retained their right to sue.
Outside the Office

Scott keeps busy with a wide variety of hobbies, from skiing to golf to hunting to playing the drums. He’s also a talented woodworker who even built his own home, one nail at a time.

Scott’s top priority is time with his family. He’s married to his high school sweetheart, with whom he shares two young adult sons.

Community Leadership
  • The Jefferson Foundation, Largest Colorado School District, Public School Board Foundation, 2009-2018
  • First Judicial Nominating Commission, Commissioner, 2008-2013
  • SafeHouse Denver, Director, 2006-2011
  • Board of Leadership Evergreen, Chair, Director, 2005-2010