Michael T. Mihm

Michael T. Mihm

Starrs Mihm LLP
707 Seventeenth Street, Ste. 2600
Denver, CO 80202
Contact Us

Phone: 303.592.5900
Fax:303.592.5910

michael.mihm@starrslaw.com
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Education: 
  • University of Southern California Gould School of Law, Los Angeles, California, J.D.
  • Walla Walla College, College Place, Washington, B.A., Cum Laude, 1980
Practice Areas: 

Founding Partner, Starrs Mihm LLP

Michael Mihm’s trial practice focuses on representing plaintiffs in professional negligence lawsuits against their former lawyers. His legal malpractice cases often involve underlying business or real estate transactions, but can also involve claims arising from breach of fiduciary duty, self-dealing, conflicts of interest, tax advice, estate planning, land use, mishandling of lawsuits, fraud and many other legal matters.  Michael’s trial team also routinely represents clients in business, real estate and corporate control disputes, and, occasionally, in select catastrophic personal injury or wrongful death cases. 

Michael was selected by his peers for inclusion in 2011 and 2012 The Best Lawyers in America ® in the field of Legal Malpractice Law - Plaintiff.  In 2006, Michael was designated as a Colorado Super Lawyer®, and he has received this designation each year since 2006.  He is rated AV® Preeminent™ and 5.0 out of 5.0 by Martindale-Hubbell, and is rated “10.0 out of 10 Superb” by Avvo.com. 

Michael serves as the managing editor of Lawyers' Professional Liability in Colorado, Second Ed. (Michael T. Mihm ed., CLE in Colorado, Inc., 2005, Supp. 2011). This two-volume, 42-chapter book focuses on legal ethics and lawyers' professional liability issues, and is updated annually.  Michael recruited some of Colorado’s most knowledgeable lawyers in their respective fields to author chapters for the book.  Michael authored or co-authored 5 chapters in the book.

Michael serves as an elected officer of the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association (CTLA), the primary organization for plaintiff and consumer lawyers in Colorado.  As an officer of CTLA, he works with CTLA's staff, lobbyists, and Colorado State Representatives and Senators on legislation of interest to Colorado consumers.  Michael currently serves as CTLA’s Secretary, as well as on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee. 

Michael is serving his second term on the Board of Directors of CLE in Colorado, Inc.  CLE in Colorado, Inc. is the nonprofit education and publishing arm of the Colorado Bar Association and the Denver Bar Association.  CLE in Colorado, Inc. publishes more than 30 practice guides and handbooks on various areas of the law, and presents more than 100 live education programs each year on a multitude of legal topics.  Michael is a frequent speaker at legal conferences and continuing legal education seminars on topics of malpractice prevention and trial advocacy skills.

Michael is also active in the International Society of Primerus Law Firms, a highly-selective alliance of more than 190 top-rated, independent law firms located in more than 135 cities around the world. 

Michael is admitted to practice in California and Colorado; he and his trial team routinely represent clients in state and federal courts throughout the southwestern United States.

Michael is married to Nanette Mihm; they have two children, Stefanie Mihm Albrecht, age 27, and Nicholas Mihm, age 22.  Michael and Nanette make their home in Roxborough, Colorado.  When not practicing law, Michael’s outside interests include travel, skiing, jazz, architecture and American History.

Recent Trials and Cases of Note

  • Michael Mihm and Booka Smith represented a husband and wife in a personal injury action in which the husband was catastrophically injured in a construction crane accident, Paul Snow and Patrece Snow vs. RMS Cranes, et al. We settled our clients’ claims for $2.785 million shortly before trial.
  • Michael Mihm and Anna Martinez represented a widow in a medical negligence claim against a New Mexico hospital and emergency room physician arising out of the death of her husband from an undiagnosed subdural hematoma, Jill Lau vs. San Juan Regional Medical Center, et al. We settled our client’s claims against the hospital and the emergency room physician for a confidential amount shortly before trial. Mr. Mihm and Ms. Martinez tried the claims against the remaining defendant, a New Mexico oral surgeon; however, after a three-week trial the jury returned a verdict in favor of the defendant oral surgeon.
  • Michael Mihm represented a private equity fund that sued the former CEO of one of its companies, along with the CEO’s spouse, for fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and embezzlement, International Beauty Products, LLC vs. Garth Beveridge and Dinah Beveridge. After a 10-day trial, a Texas state court jury found the defendants liable for fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, conversion and civil conspiracy, and awarded damages of $632,000 to our client; the trial court later awarded attorney fees and other relief. Later, after a second bench trial, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas denied the defendants’ discharge in bankruptcy and entered a non-dischargeable judgment of $554,000 against the former CEO, plus substantial other equitable relief.
  • Michael Mihm and Booka Smith defended the owners of a start-up energy conservation company in a lawsuit brought by a former business partner who claimed that our clients had misappropriated his business opportunities. Mr. Mihm and Ms. Smith also pursed a legal malpractice case against the lawyer who had advised our clients about the business opportunity. The case settled for a confidential amount before trial.
  • Michael Mihm represented the minority owners of a Colorado casino in a dispute with the majority owner. Mr. Mihm settled the matter on favorable terms for the client without filing suit.
  • "Michael Mihm represented a real estate development partnership against the partnership's former managing partner in claims of breach of fiduciary duty, fraud and conversion, Florado Partners, LLC v. Ronald D. Gollehon, et al. After a three-week arbitration, the arbitrator awarded substantial damages, plus other relief. The district court affirmed the arbitration award and entered judment for $983,000.

Additional Information

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