Experience
David Lichtenstein has been trying civil cases for over thirty-five years, as well as representing and advising individuals in appeals, administrative hearings, settlement negotiations, and transactional matters. His familiarity with a wide variety of areas of law allows him to take a multi-disciplinary approach to your case.
After graduating from the University of Colorado in 1981, Dave began practicing commercial, securities, and real estate law and litigation in the early 1980s. Later, his practice concentrated on litigation in personal injury and commercial matters. Since 1990 he has primarily represented employees in employment disputes, and injured and disabled individuals.
Dave is admitted to practice in Colorado (since 1981), the United States District Court for the District of Colorado (1982), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (1984), and the U.S. Supreme Court (2000). He practices in Federal court and all state courts, including Denver, Adams County, Arapahoe County, Jefferson County, Boulder County and Douglas County.
Activities
He is a member of the National Employment Lawyers Association and its Colorado affiliate, the Colorado Plaintiff Employment Lawyers Association (of which he has served as President and as a member of the Board of Directors and the legislative committee), the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, and the Denver and Colorado Bar Associations. He has written articles and delivered lectures on employment and employment discrimination law, the Colorado Wage Claim Act, and insurance law for professional publications and seminars.
In 2007 and 2014, he participated actively in the Colorado Plaintiff Employment Lawyers Association’s successful legislative efforts to revise the Colorado Wage Claim Act to improve its protections for workers’ most basic right: the right to be paid for the work they do.
Dave strives to participate in the life of his community. He is a member, former president, and current board member of the Littleton Symphony Orchestra. He has served as a member of the Collaborative Decisionmaking (CDM) Committee for Cory Elementary School in the Denver Public Schools, and as a mentor for East High School students. He does pro bono legal work for clients who qualify for United States District Court’s pro bono program. the Denver Bar Association’s Metro Volunteer Lawyers assistance program. He serves on the Diversity and Inclusivity Committee and the Lawyer Development Committee of the Faculty of Federal Advocates, an organization of attorneys dedicated to improving the quality of legal practice in Colorado’s federal courts. He also provides pro bono legal advice to the South City Park Neighborhood Association. And, Dave is a long-time member of the Denver Law Club, probably the only group of Colorado lawyers dedicated to collegiality, professionalism, and producing musical presentations that educate other lawyers about their ethical responsibilities.
Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Dave attained his B.A. from Yale University before moving to Colorado and attending law school. There, he met his wife, Donna Schmalberger, now a retired Denver Juvenile Court judge. They have two adult sons, a purebred black and tan rescue dog, and an alpha red tabby cat.