Julie Williamson is a skilled, logical and compassionate mediator and arbitrator who helps resolve business, employment, and probate disputes. She recognizes that all cases contain legal, financial and emotional components that must be respected. She is committed to resolving disputes outside of the courtroom to minimize litigation and allow parties to return to pursuing productive lives and profitable businesses.
JULIE McCURDY WILLIAMSON, ESQ.
MEDIATION FOCUS
Ms. Williamson focuses on resolving cases involving:
• Breach of contract/business tort claims
• Business & professional dissolutions
• Real estate disputes
• Breaches of fiduciary duty
• Financial fraud and investment cases
• Probate matters
• Franchise, license and trade secret disputes
• Insurance valuations
• Employment claims
• Class & FLSA collective actions
• Bankruptcy-related issues
LEGAL BACKGROUND
Ms. Williamson has focused her practice entirely on mediation and litigation since 2013. Previously, as a litigator for over 32 years, Ms. Williamson handled a wide variety of complex commercial cases, including:
•Defending an NFL franchise in a class action brought by season ticket holders claiming breach of contract in the setting of ticket prices.
•Representing managers in a federal court class action against a publicly held chemical company to recover severance benefits under ERISA.
•Defending a national FLSA collective overtime action with state law class action claims brought by physical damage insurance adjusters.
•Representing investors in actions against national brokerage company in state and federal courts in five states.
•Taking a leading role in federal court case against one hundred defendants, including appearing before the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation.
•Representing business owner in bankruptcy court adversary proceeding against former business partner for fraud and misappropriation of funds.
•Representing lenders and receivers in actions involving manipulative borrowing practices, flipping schemes, and fraudulent conveyances.
•Representing second-generation business owner in arbitration concerning the dissolution of a multi-state family-owned gravel operation.
WORK HISTORY AND RECOGNITION
Ms. Williamson practiced law in Denver from 1982 to 2013. She was a partner at the law firms of Sherman & Howard, McKenna & Cuneo, L.L.P. and Bieging Shapiro & Barber LLP, and was a founding partner of Hoffman Reilly Pozner & Williamson LLP.Ms. Williamson has been elected to The Best Lawyers in America® for all years since 2006. She was named a Colorado Super Lawyer in Business Litigation from 2009 to 2013 and in Alternative Dispute Resolution in 2014 through 2020. She holds Martindale Hubbell’s highest rating of AV preeminent.
EDUCATION
•University of Colorado School of Law, J.D., 1982, Order of the Coif
•Lewis and Clark College, B.A.,1978, summa cum laude, National Merit Scholar
•Approximately 1500 hours of basic and advanced ADR training through Mares-Dixon &Associates and the American Arbitration Association.
BAR ADMISSIONS AND ACTIVITIES
•Admitted to the bars of the State of Colorado, the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, and the United States Court of Federal Claims.
•Arbitrator (National Roster of Commercial Arbitrators and Large Complex Panel) and Mediator for the American Arbitration Association.
•Colorado Bar Association: Ethics Committee and Trust and Probate, Solo and Small Firms, Employment, and ADR sections.
•Colorado Lawyers Committee: former Board Chair, Hate Crimes Education Task Force member.
•Member of the Faculty of Federal Advocates, Colorado Women’s Bar Association, Colorado Women’s Bar Foundation (Circle of Minerva), and Colorado Bar Foundation (fellow). Enthusiastic CBA Law Club member and performer in its annual Ethics Revue.
RECENT PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
•“Mediating a Business Dissolution,” Colorado ADR Conference, November 2019.
•“Mediating Highly Emotional Cases,” Co-author, The Colorado Lawyer, July 2018.
•“Increasing Your Superpowers in Mediation and Negotiations,” co-presenter, CWBA Convention, May 2018.
•“Ethical Issues in Mediation and Settlement,” Colorado PELA, May 2018.
•“Inch by Inch: Cultivating Mediation Skills One Weed at a Time,“ Colorado ADR Conference,November 2017.
•”Making Your Arbitrator’s Life Easier,” The Colorado Lawyer, August/September 2017.
•”FLSA Claims, Litigation, and Settlements,” Co-presenter, Colorado Employment Law Conference, April 2016.
•”Quotable Quotes; Notes from Three Mediators,” Co-author, Trial Talk, December 2015/January 2016.
•“Effective Use of Experts in Mediation and Arbitration,” Colorado Statewide ADR Conference,October 2015.
•“Effective Pre-Mediation Evaluation of the Commercial Case,” The Colorado Lawyer, June 2015.
•“How to Make the Mediation Process Work and Avoid Malpractice Pitfalls Along the Way,” CLE in Colorado, Inc., February 2015.
• “Ethical Dilemmas in Mediation: What Would You Do?” Trial Talk, August/September 2014, Colorado Trial Lawyers Association.
•Settlement and Mediation,” Lawyers’ Professional Liability in Colorado: Preventing Legal Malpractice and Disciplinary Actions, 2014 through 2016 Editions, CLE in Colorado, Inc.
•“Negotiating with Difficult People,” Colorado Statewide ADR Conference, October 2013.
OTHER INTERESTS
Gardening, yoga, standard poodles, choral music, theater, golf, and sewing masks.
RATES
Arbitrations:
•$425 Per Hour
Mediations:
•$3000 full-day or $1500 half-day flat fee, including prep time and follow-up
•$400 hourly (two-hour minimum)
•Different rates may apply for multi-party cases
She also takes a limited number of sliding scale and pro-bono cases each year. Please contact AB-CRS to determine if you are eligible.
No charge for travel within the Denver Metro and Front Range areas.
