About Dipak
Dipak P. Patel is a Partner and member of the Civil and Commercial Litigation, Employment Law, and Family Law teams. He is experienced in providing business entity and individual clients with practical advice regarding all aspects of the employment relationship and has worked for over a decade as counsel to both startups and established businesses, and as a litigator. He regularly represents companies and owners in both agency and court proceedings, in addition to representing individuals with severance agreements, discrimination, and wage claim matters. Mr. Patel also advises clients in severance negotiations by completing nuanced evaluations of employment policies, non‑competition, non‑solicitation agreements, and nondisclosure and confidentiality agreements. His ethical standards continue to win him the respect of his clients and peers year after year.
He also represented numerous clients in personal injury cases, settling several for policy limits. Mr. Patel advocates devotedly for his family law clients, including those in high-conflict relationships, in actions for the allocation of parental rights or dissolution of marriage.
His clients have included a major organic nut butter startup, one of the 50 fastest growing woman-owned companies globally, and a major oil and gas well-site supervision and consulting company. At the firm Mr. Patel continues serving a broad range of clients providing creative legal solutions and practical industry experience in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
Originally from Los Angeles, California Mr. Patel has lived and studied in Toronto, Canada; Columbus, Ohio; Oxford, England; Paris, France; and Geneva, Switzerland. When not in the office, he enjoys time with his daughter or training for his next IronMan® triathlon.
Areas of Practice
- Labor/Employment Law
- Business/Transactional Law
- Civil Litigation
- General Practice
- Family Law
Bar Admissions
- Colorado, 2001
- Supreme Court of Colorado, 2001
- U.S. District Court District of Colorado, 2002
Education
- The Ohio State University College of Law, Columbus, Ohio
- J.D. – 2001
- Honors: International Law Moot Court Regional Semifinalist
- Honors: Public Interest Law Foundation, Fellow
- American University, Washington College of Law, Washington, District of Columbia
- Coursework: International Business Transactions; International Environmental Law – 1999
- The University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Hon. B.A. – 1997
- Major: Economics
- Major: International Development
- Oxford University, Oxford, England
- Coursework: E.U. Law; Social Policy and Income Distribution – 1999
Representative Cases
- Federal Court litigation on behalf of longtime airline employee engaging in off-duty conduct (posting on social media and engaging in petitioning activity) alleging employer wrongfully terminated her in contravention of Colorado statute protecting employee lawful off-duty activity
- Arbitration of dispute involving fraud, statutory civil theft, and civil conspiracy involving disputed sale of business assets including a franchise license; enforced $536,000 judgment by setting aside fraudulent
conveyances - Successful defense of commercial litigation action brought against company and owner clients involving an international distributor agreement in which plaintiff’s claims exceeded $10,000,000 in both arbitration and
district court - Representation of several Colorado employers through state and federal departments of labor investigations and hearings involving alleged employee misclassification and wage and hour issues
- Enforcement of $1.6 million judgment lien by, among other methods, marshaling debtor’s real properties and homestead through levy and execution (Sheriff’s sales)
- Assistance to oil and gas well-site supervision and consulting company (and its principals) in overcoming a state agency’s determination of successor liability and its associated insurance rate consequences
- Successful representation of individuals through U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Colorado Civil Rights Division (CCRD) Probable Cause findings in cases involving employer retaliation or
discrimination based on gender, sexual harassment, age, religion, race, and national origin - Negotiation of various severance or separation agreements for employees and employers, where appropriate
- Advise individual and entity clients concerning the enforceability of provisions in non-competition agreements, non-disclosure/confidentiality agreements, and employment policies
- Advocacy for family law clients, including those in high-conflict relationships, in actions for the allocation of parental rights or dissolution of marriage
- Assist secured creditor clients perfect and foreclose on their security interests in collateral
- Assistance to victims of sexual harassment and hostile work environment in having the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Colorado Civil Rights Commission accept their cases for co-prosecution
- Successful defense of a medical doctor client from an overzealous medical practice’s attempts to enforce a non-competition agreement and attendant liquidated damages forfeiture clause
- Negotiation of favorable severance terms for an executive-level creative professional separated from an international company located in Colorado
- Successful defense of client against a party asserting theories of common law marriage, fraud, and other civil claims
- Obtained verdict for individual in wage claim litigation for $30,000+ in back pay, interest, and penalties
- Assistance to multistate employer in the prompt resolution of multiparty employment tort claims including fraudulent concealment and fraudulent inducement into employment
- Counsel to one of 50 fastest growing woman-owned companies globally on employer best practices and compliance with labor and employment law for its 15,000+ employees
- Settlement of numerous personal injury cases including several for policy limits
Classes/Seminars
- Resurgent NLRB Finds Employees Chilled by Common Language in Arbitration Agreements and Employer Policies, Co-Presenter, CLE, Boulder County Bar Association, March 8, 2016
- Following the Employee Grievance from Start to Finish; Plus, Tips to Avoid It in the First Place from the Corporate and Employee Perspective, Co-Presenter, CLE, Boulder County Bar Association, November 13, 2012
Honors and Awards
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America (2025 Edition)
- Employment Law – Individuals
- Employment Law – Management
- Family Law
- Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
- Best Lawyers, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, 2023
- Best Lawyers, Litigation – Labor and Employment, 2023
- Best Lawyers, Employment Law – Management, 2023
- Best Lawyers, Employment Law – Individuals, 2023
- AV Preeminent Rated, Highest Possible Rating in Both Legal Ability & Ethical Standards, Lawyers.com, 2023
- Selected to Super Lawyers, 2017 – 2022
- Colorado Super Lawyers 2021
- Top-Rated Employment & Labor Attorney, Super Lawyers, Boulder, CO, 2017 – 2020
- AV Preeminent Rated, Highest Level of Professional Excellence, Martindale-Hubbell, 2017 – Present
- Pro Bono Award Recipient, Boulder County Legal Services, 2016 – 2017
Professional Associations and Memberships
- American Bar Association (ABA), Member, 2000 – Present
- Colorado Bar Association (CBA), Member, 2001 – Present
- Boulder Bar Association (BBA), Member, 2001 – Present
- Denver Bar Association (DBA), Member, 1999 – 2005, Denver Bar Association, Executive Council Member, 2003 – 2005
- USA Triathlon, Member, 2003 – Present
- GS Boulder Cycling, Executive Member, 2006 – 2007
Past Employment
- Robinson Hungate, Of Counsel, 2015-2017
- Clair & Greschler, P.C., Associate/Of Counsel, 2005-2015
- Colorado Civil Rights Division, Investigator, 2004 – 2005
- American Civil Liberties Union, Intake Director, 2002 – 2004
Pro Bono Activities
- Boulder Legal Clinic, Volunteer
Languages
- English
- Gujarati
- French
- Hindi