This week’s 5Q features Hannah Seifert McCalla, a partner in Spencer Fane’s Insurance Litigation Practice Group. She represents sophisticated clients in commercial litigation at the trial and appellate levels nationwide, with a focus on defense of insurance bad faith claims and class actions.
Question 1: If you weren’t a lawyer, what would you be doing in Colorado?
McCalla: Honestly, the only other thing I could really imagine myself doing is raising my daughter full-time. I truly underestimated how much I would love being a mom until she was born in 2025. I love practicing law, but I love her even more. I’m blessed to be in a position where I have the flexibility to do both.
Q2: What’s something you know now that you wish you’d known when you began practicing?
McCalla: That everyone is truly “practicing” law. The emphasis on practice is real. The laws and issues are always evolving, and attorneys have to keep learning and adjusting. Ten years in now, I don’t think experienced lawyers necessarily have all the answers. What they do have is a better sense of how to approach problems. But we’re all still learning, and we’re all still practicing this profession.
Q3: What’s the one case or moment that shaped your career?
McCalla: A pivotal moment was deciding, as an associate, to join several partners who were starting an insurance litigation practice at Spencer Fane. That decision really shaped where I was going in my career. It gave me the opportunity to continue working with mentors I trusted, while also developing my own client relationships and taking a more active role in building something.
The firm’s national footprint was also a major factor. It created an opportunity for our team to expand the practice and serve clients with a deeper bench, broader geographic reach, and increased resources. Knowing we had that level of support, especially within one of the firm’s largest practice areas, made the decision make a lot of sense.
And, of course, the opportunity to continue working with a team I genuinely enjoy being part of was a significant factor as well.
Q4: What do you like most about Colorado?
McCalla: Opportunity. I moved to Colorado from Montana for a professional opportunity, and I’ve really seen that come to light here. I’ve been able to handle national complex litigation for my clients and continue to grow professionally.
Q5: Are you an early-bird or night-owl lawyer?
McCalla: I’m an early bird. My ideal schedule would be to wind down between 9 and 10 at night, then get up early the next morning to exercise and start work. That’s a good day when it works out!
Law Week Colorado invites Colorado lawyers, paralegals, judges, law professors and other legal professionals to share their insights and experiences with the community with our weekly 5Q Questionnaire.