I have deep roots in the Jefferson County community of Colorado. I graduated from Columbine High School, and then earned my B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines. After working as a project engineer for a couple of years, I returned to Mines for work on a M.S. in Environmental Economics while earning my J.D. from the University of Denver College of Law.
I began practicing law in 1991, and since my admission to the Colorado bar I have partnered with my husband, Jim Chalat. We share a commitment to helping individuals and families injured by the negligence of others, and take great pride in our ability to obtain compensation for victims.
We believe that one of the most rewarding aspects of our work is the personal attention we can give each client. We have deliberately remained a small firm to allow ourselves the opportunity to work closely with each client and fully pursue each claim. Our clients know their case is being handled by one of our five lawyers, not assigned to a paralegal.
This approach allows us to successfully handle complex and catastrophic cases. My technical background gives us an added advantage in many defective product claims and accident reconstruction. And we do understand that for some clients, having a female lawyer is more comfortable, I am always available to those individuals.
My husband and I have lived in the Rocky Mountain foothills for over twenty years. We are avid alpine skiers, having skied across North America, frequently for ski accident cases, and in the Austrian and Italian Alps. We also are outdoor recreation enthusiasts – mountain biking and trail running as often as possible. Many of our clients mourn the loss of their ability to engage in recreational activities following a serious injury, and we understand how important those activities are to a healthy and enjoyable life.
We also have great regard for the value of family, having four wonderful children. So we understand the anxiety of losing one’s ability to earn an income to provide for a family. Our children have also introduced us to many great opportunities for involvement within the community – working as volunteers on many sport booster clubs, in supporting the local public school district and working as attorney coaches for our high school mock trial team.
In spite of the years of bad lawyer jokes, and down-right rude comments regarding ambulance chasing, I take great pride and enjoyment in my work for others. It is an honor to represent honest people who need the best legal help available.
