Jon F. Sands, Esq. brings over 42 years of Colorado trial experience to the JAMS panel in Denver. His civil litigation practice involved a wide variety of matters, including insurance coverage and bad faith; real estate; construction of roads, easements, and adverse possession claims; title insurance; real and personal property appraisal; commercial contract disputes; partition; cases against officers and directors of financial institutions; professional liability insurance; protection of trade secrets; and disputes involving bodily injury.
Mr. Sands is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and an associate member of the American Board of Trial Advocates.
ADR Experience & Qualifications
As a third party neutral, Mr. Sands has served the Denver District Courts as a pro bono mediator pursuant to the ACTL mediation program.
As an advocate in arbitration, he was lead counsel in Ingold v. AIMCO/Bluffs L.L.C. Apartments, 159 P.3d 116 (Colo. 2007). He co-authored The Demise of the Intertwining Doctrine in Colorado©, The Colorado Lawyer, 37-Jan Colo. Law. 21 (January 2008), an article featuring that case and its significance to Colorado arbitration practice.
Litigation Matters
As an advocate in private practice, Mr. Sands handled a wide array of matters, including:
Representative Matters
Appellate
- Ingold v. AIMCO/BLUFFS, L.L.C. Apartments, 159 P.3d 116 (Colo. 2007)
- Ranta Const., Inc. v. Anderson, 190 P.3d 835 (Colo. App. 2008)
- State Farm v. Fisher, 418 P.3d 501 (Colo. 2018)
- Preferred Professional Ins. Co v. The Doctors Company, 419 P.3d 1020 (Colo. App. 2018)
- Figuli v. State Farm Mutual Fire & Casualty, 304 P.3d 595 (Colo. App. 2012)
- Vaccaro v. American Family Insurance Group, 275 P.3d 750 (Colo. App. 2012)
- 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)
- 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)
- Eagle Admixtures v. Hannon, 867 P.2d 111 (Colo. App. 1993)
- Thompson v. State Farm, 165 P.3d 900 (Colo. App. 2007)
- Camus v. State Farm, 151 P.3d 678 (Colo. App. 2006)
- McGowan v. State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, 100 P.3d 521 (Colo. App. 2004)
- Borjas v. State Farm, 33 P.3d 1265 (Colo. App. 2001)
- Poole v. State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, 941 Supp. 117 (D. Colo. 1996)
Business Commercial
- As an advocate, handled business/commercial litigation, including breach of contract claims, Colorado Consumer Protection Act claims, financial institution matters, securities fraud claims, corporate formation and actions, piercing the corporate veil, and freeze-out mergers.
Insurance
- Handled dozens of insurance coverage jury trials, including trials for bad faith denials of coverage.
- As an advocate for either plaintiff or the defense, performed insurance coverage analysis of hundreds of insurance contracts
Real Property
- Successfully represented a church that owned a very large, extremely valuable parcel of real property that was subject to an adverse possession claim by a potential buyer who recorded a lis pendens and clouded title to the property for several years. The matter settled for $100,000 more than the original contract sale price.
- Successfully represented a commercial property management company in an action arising from a treasurer’s sale where the parcel was the subject of a tax dispute.
- Successfully represented estate heirs against a bank claiming priority as the result of a loan to the testator.
- Successfully compelled arbitration against a party and on behalf of a contractor.
- Successfully defended lease language on behalf of the nation’s largest apartment complex and a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) in two actions.
- Successful litigation of title insurance claims for title insurers and insureds.
Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities
Admissions
- United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- United States District Court for the District of Colorado
- United States Court of Federal Claims
- State of Colorado
Memberships and Affiliations
- Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers
- Associate Member, American Board of Trial Advocates
- Member, Denver Bar Association
- Member, First Judicial District Bar Association
- Former Member, Colorado Bar Association
- Bench Bar Committee
- Real Estate Title Standards Committee
- Board of Directors, Peppers Senior Dog Sanctuary
- Board of Trustees, Animal Assistance Foundation, 1999-2012
- President, 2002-2004
- Board of Directors, Dumb Friends League, Denver, CO, 1986-1999
- President, 1990-1992
Selected Awards and Honors
- Super Lawyers
- Top 100 List 2017-2023
- Top Ten List in Colorado, 2016
- Recognized by Best Lawyers in America, 2007-2023
- Lawyer of the Year – Insurance, 2012, 2018, 2020, 2021
- Insurance Litigation
- Real Estate
- Commercial Litigation
- 5280 Magazine Best Lawyers, 2023
- Law Week Insurance Lawyer of the Year, 2013, 2018
- Named Best Insurance Lawyer for Defendants by Law Week Colorado, Barrister’s Best 2016
- Professionalism Award, Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, 2012
- Best Lawyers Denver Defense Lawyer of the Year, 2012
- Named a Best Lawyer® for Insurance Law by US News & World Report
Publications and Teaching
- Sands authors and edits the Opening Statements chapter in the Colorado Courtroom Handbook. He was co-author of The Demise of the Intertwining Doctrine in Colorado©.
- He regularly teaches trial academy courses on behalf of the Colorado Bar Association and the ACTL for new and experienced lawyers.
Background and Education
- J.D., University of Colorado, 1980
- B.S., with honors, Journalism, University of Colorado, 1976
Virtual & In-Person Locations
Home Office
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Denver, CO
News & Insights
Events
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Case Manager
Lisa Gaige - Denver
410 17th Street Suite 2440
Denver, CO 80202
T: 303-534-1254