The Best Lawyers in America® has recognized hundreds of Colorado attorneys across dozens of practice areas in its 2027 edition.
Law Week Colorado is highlighting Colorado attorneys whose firms reported their recognition to LWC, including six attorneys profiled in greater depth. The entries were self-reported by participating law firms and are not intended to represent a comprehensive list of Colorado attorneys recognized in the 2027 edition.
For Karen Rogers, the best part of law is rooted in helping people solve difficult problems.
“I always wanted a career where I could focus on helping people,” Rogers said. “But I also wanted something that could be intellectually challenging and analytical because those are just things I enjoy. Law has been that.”
Rogers, an attorney in Woods Aitken’s Denver office, describes her work as complex civil litigation. Most clients are in construction, and she handles matters ranging from liens to delay, disruption and defect claims.
“I’ve had to learn so many different areas between engineering and materials,” she said. “I’ve had to learn how to read architectural drawings and plans. So, the work is constantly challenging me mentally, which I love.”
Construction litigation is particularly fact-driven, she said, though determining what happened on a project can be laborious. “Why did this project go awry? Why did it take two years more? Or why was it more expensive?” she said. “It’s never a simple answer.”
One case that illustrates that complexity is PCL Construction Services, Inc. v. Monarch Growth Inc., et al., a dispute arising from construction of a hotel and casino. Rogers represented PCL in the case, which involved about $80 million in work and counterclaims alleging about $80 million in construction defects.
The case went to a bench trial in Denver District Court, with alleged defects involving plumbing and the building’s exterior façade, as well as delays.
“It was highly complex, highly technical,” she said. “I had to learn, for instance, about what a stack effect is in a tall building, and it was really difficult. And so fun.”
When meeting a client, Rogers aims to spell out all of the options. “I tell every client that I view my job as telling them the good, the bad and the ugly,” she said. “My job is not to tell them what they want to hear. My job is to tell them all of the information so that they can make an important decision.”
She continued, “The reality is that litigation still is largely cost-prohibitive for most people. So, trying to come up with alternatives and being creative on the methods of resolving a matter is of paramount importance for my clients.”
That client-centered approach was one reason Rogers made the move to Woods Aitken. She previously worked primarily in insurance defense.
Rogers began her legal career as an assistant public defender in Miami, focusing on criminal defense and constitutional rights. She later shifted to civil litigation before landing in construction.
She moved to Colorado in 2013 and spends time outside work with her two children, often on a sports field.