Jon F. Sands

Jon F. Sands is a Special Counsel of Sweetbaum Miller PC.  Mr. Sands practices in the area of civil litigation including trials, appeals and arbitrations. His particular areas of emphasis include insurance coverage, bad faith defense, insurance defense, professional liability defense, construction defect, title insurance and real estate, unfair competition and trade secret protection, and general commercial litigation.  Mr. Sands is an AV Preeminent (5.0 out of 5) rated lawyer by Martindale Hubbell.  He has been lead trial counsel in numerous jury and bench trials throughout the state of Colorado, and has an extensive appellate practice. Mr. Sands teaches courses on insurance law and trial presentation, and is a frequent lecturer for continuing education courses involving insurance bad faith, real estate litigation and general litigation. Mr. Sands has been selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers by Law and Politics Magazine for every year since its inception in 2006, reflecting a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.  Mr. Sands has also been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2013-2019 in the fields of Insurance Law and Commercial Litigation.

Admission to Practice:

• Licensed by Colorado Supreme Court October, 1980
• Admitted to practice before all Colorado state courts; The United States District Court for the District of Colorado; The United States Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals; and The United States Court of Federal Claims

Education:

• University of Colorado School of Law.  J.D., 1980
• University of Colorado, B.S. Journalism, 1976.  Graduated with honors.

Memberships and Professional Experience:

• Elected to the American Board of Trial Advocates
• Member of Colorado, Denver and First Judicial District Bar Associations
• Member, Colorado Bar Association Litigation Section Council
• Member, Colorado Bar Association Board of Governors
• Past Member, Colorado State Title Standards Committee
• Shareholder and Director, Cross & Sands, P.C. (f/k/a Cross, Sands & Sares, P.C.), September, 2002 – May, 2005.
• Shareholder and Director, Bostrom, Sands & Sander, P.C. (f/k/a Bostrom & Sands, P.C.)  February, 1988 – September, 2002.
• Haligman & Lottner, P.C. (f/k/a Atler, Zall & Haligman, P.C.), August, 1981 -February, 1988.
• Heyl, Bostrom & Musyl, P.C., October, 1980 – August, 1981.

Awards:

• Selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® since 2007 in the area of Insurance Law, and since 2013 in the areas of Commercial Litigation and Real Estate Law.
• Named a Best Lawyer® for Insurance Law by US News & World Report.
• Best Lawyers in America Denver Defense Lawyer of the Year for 2012.
• 5280 Magazine Super Lawyer for 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009, 2010 2011 and 2012; included in Colorado’s Top 50 for 2010 and Top 100 for 2012.
• Denver Business Journal and Denver Bar Association “Best of the Bar” 2004 finalist for Insurance Practice Area.

Community Activities:

• Animal Assistance Foundation Board of Trustees 1999-present (President 2004-2008).
• Denver Dumb Friends League, Member of Board of Directors 1986 – 1999, President 1988 – 1990.
• Colorado Humane Society, Director.

Publications and Speeches:

• Author, CLE in Colorado- Colorado Courtroom  Handbook for Civil Trials Opening Statements chapter
• Author, “Demise of the Intertwining Doctrine in Colorado”.  The Colorado Lawyer, January 2008.
• Author, “The Two Year Construction Statute of Limitations”.  The Colorado Lawyer, March, 1986.
• Author, “Prior Representation:  The Specter of Disqualification of Trial Counsel”. The Colorado Lawyer, May, 1982.
• Author, Numerous continuing legal education publications, including “Bad Faith Litigation in Colorado”; “Essentials of Insurance Coverage; “Discovery in Bad Faith Litigation” “Title Insurance In Colorado”; “Curing Title Defects”; “Mechanics Liens”; “Real Estate Litigation in Colorado.”
• Presenter/Speaker:  Numerous continuing legal education seminars including “Bad Faith Litigation In Colorado;” “Essentials of Insurance Coverage;” “Essentials of Title Insurance in Colorado;” “Discovery in Bad Faith Actions;” “UM/UIM Insurance in Colorado;” “Title Insurance and Curing Title Defects;” “Mechanics Liens;” “Construction Defect Litigation;” and “Real Estate Litigation in Colorado.”

Representative Reported Decisions:

• Sanderson v. American Family Mutual Insurance Company, 251 P.3d 1213 (Colo. App. 2010).
• General Security Indemnity Company of Arizona v. Mountain States Casualty Company, et. al., 205 P.3d 529 (Colo. App. 2009).
• Brody v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, 194 P.3d 459 (Colo. App. 2008).
• Ranta Const., Inc. v. Anderson, 190 P.3d 835 (Colo. App. 2008).
• Ingold v. AIMCO/BLUFFS, L.L.C. Apartments, 159 P.3d 116 (Colo. 2007).
• Olson v. State Farm, 174 P.3d 849 (Colo. App. 2007).
• Thompson v. State Farm, 165 P.3d 900 (Colo. App. 2007).
• McGowan v. State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, 100 P.3d 521 (Colo. App. 2004) cert denied.
• Poole v. State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, 941 F. Supp. 117 (D. Colo. 1996).
• Ringwelski v. Pederson, 919 P.2d 957 (Colo. App. 1996).
• Security Savings v. Estate of Kite, 857 P.2d 430 (Colo. App. 1992).
• Koch v. U.S., 822 F. Supp. 117 (D. Colo. 1993).