Colorado attorneys recognized in the 2026 edition of Best Law Firms® are monitoring significant legal trends as the year winds down, from questions related to artificial intelligence (AI) and energy regulations to the consolidation of law firms, economic uncertainty around banking and the evolving economic loss rule.
Best Law Firms is the annual report published by Best Lawyers®; rankings are based on client feedback, peer reviews and firm-provided information. Law firms can earn Tier 1, Tier 2 or Tier 3 rankings at national and metropolitan levels. Colorado firms received distinctions across a spectrum of practices and awards in every tier in the 2026 edition of Best Law Firms, announced in November.
AI in Law and Advising
AI presents the most nuanced trend. Some firms have opted not to use AI due to risks of inaccuracy, while others employ non-generative machine learning to streamline business processes. Some are experimenting with generative AI, such as ChatGPT, while many attorneys are considering how to advise clients regarding AI usage and documentation.
At Jackson Lewis PC, attorneys “use AI-driven tools to efficiently review and analyze large
volumes of documents and data, helping to identify key evidence and themes more quickly than traditional methods would allow,” said Ryan P. Lessmann, Denver office managing principal and national head of specialty practice groups. Jackson Lewis was named as a Tier 1 national firm for Employment Law – Management, among other practice areas, in the 2026 edition of Best Law Firms, and Lessmann was included in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in AmericaÒ for Employment Law – Management and for Litigation – Labor and Employment.
He added, “The increased reliance on digital communication and the rapid evolution of AI tools have changed the way litigation is handled, particularly in discovery.”
Lessmann highlighted Colorado’s AI Governance in Hiring and HR (SB 24-205) legislation, which covers high-risk AI used in employment decisions. Though full compliance has been delayed from Feb. 1 to June 30, 2026, Lessmann urged employers to “plan now, build risk-management programs and potentially audit vendors.”
He said, “We are working closely with clients to help them understand both the opportunities and risks presented by emerging technologies including AI. That involves developing or updating policies to ensure these tools are used responsibly and in ways that protect confidential information and maintain compliance with legal and regulatory obligations.”
Like Lessmann, partners John Crisham and David Holman of Crisham & Holman, LLC advise business clients to manage careful digital communication and record-keeping. Crisham & Holman, LLC was listed in the 16th edition of Best Law Firms, receiving a Tier 1 ranking in Denver in Natural Resources Law and Tier 2 ranking in Denver for Commercial Litigation. Crisham was included in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America for Commercial Litigation, and Holman was included for Commercial Litigation and Natural Resources Law.
Crisham & Holman does not use AI in legal practice. Holman said, “I think the tools around AI are still developing, and like any tool, you need to know when to use it and how. Our takeaway for now is that it’s not ready for legal use.” He mentioned that anecdotes from clients about the use of AI in legal spheres “have been more cautionary than encouraging so far.”
Some courts have banned or limited the use of AI for certain legal tasks or have implemented rules requiring transparency, verification and oversight to prevent the misuse of AI. “It will be interesting to watch whether that trend continues,” Crisham said.
Juries and Information Siloing
Even as AI alters how people consume information, Holman observed that news siloing may affect jurors’ perspectives. “There may be an increase in skepticism — they’re not just going to take your word for it.” Regardless, he said, “One of the greatest joys of practicing law in Colorado is the opportunity to work with some very sharp and professional opposing counsel.”
Crisham agreed, “It is a real gift to be able to practice in our state and federal courts. The judges that preside over cases here in Colorado are extremely quick studies on substance, and they consistently encourage professionalism among adverse parties and counsel.”
Consolidation of Law Firms
Another trend in the legal sphere in 2025 was “the consolidation trend of smaller firms merging with each other or with Big Law,” Crisham said. “What it means for the market remains to be seen, but I think there’s space in the legal market for large firms, mid-sized firms, as well as boutique firms like ours and niche, with a particular specialty.”
A boutique litigation firm, Crisham & Holman has benefited from the consolidation of other firms as a recipient of more conflict referrals. “Big firms are going to have more conflicts,” Holman noted.
After serving at large law firms, he and Crisham are intentional about the size of their practice. “We want to do this in an excellent way without the added overhead of a large firm,” he said.
Banking Mergers and Economic Uncertainty
Along with the consolidation of smaller law firms, “Colorado has recently seen major changes in the banking/lending landscape from bank mergers,” said M. Katherine VanderVeen of Dickinson Wright PLLC’s Denver office. She is a member of the firm’s
banking and finance group, which received a Tier 2 national ranking by Best Law Firms for the 2026 edition.
Several banks have expanded or consolidated since January, including PNC’s acquisition of FirstBank and UMB’s acquisition of Heartland Financial. VanderVeen said, “The West has proven itself to be a powerful economic force, as evidenced by private equity’s increased investment in and relocation to Colorado; it is only natural that other financial institutions in the U.S. are following suit.”
Consolidations have made the existence of local or regional banks “even more imperative,” she said, because a “one-size-fits-most approach will not work given the diversity in industry, size and mindset here.”
Colorado banks have not escaped the economic uncertainties of 2025, “particularly the limited flow of capital in Colorado and across the country,” she said. Banks have been more conservative in issuing loans, and “businesses are more cautious in adding debt to their balance sheets, creating a somewhat of a deadlock in the debt market.”
VanderVeen expects that while there may be a loosening of requirements related to treasury services, credit requirements for loans will remain fairly tight in 2026. At the same time, she is “hoping that we will see increased deal flow in 2026, stemming from the changes to the banking and lending landscape in 2025.”
Economic Loss Rules
Colorado courts are moving toward further clarification of the economic loss rule, the legal doctrine preventing parties from recovering purely economic losses in a tort action unless there is physical injury or damage to property. “We’re seeing the development of this doctrine, with Colorado appellate courts taking this seriously,” Crisham said. “Step two is watching the federal side of things, and I think we’ll get more clarity — what is within the rule, and what is not?”
Energy Regulation
Energy regulation remains a major legal issue in Colorado. Scott Campbell of Steptoe & Johnson PLLC noted that regulatory actions will continue to limit gas production in the
state. Steptoe & Johnson PLLC was named a Tier 1 firm for Mining Law and Tier 2 firm for Natural Resources Law, among other practice areas in the national rankings, in the 16th edition of Best Law Firms.
For Campbell, who also was included in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, “Interesting questions of government power and property rights are coming to the forefront because of such regulations. The human costs — tax revenue, energy costs, jobs, and displacement of families — appear to be marginalized or sometimes lost in the policy debates.”
Practicing in Colorado
For many listed in the 2026 edition of Best Law Firms, they relish practicing in Colorado despite the challenges.
“The joy is in the struggle,” said Lessmann, who focuses on employment law. “I enjoy working with clients to build productive workplace environments that meet their business needs and also are compliant with the everchanging landscape.”
VanderVeen said, “I smile every time I see a customer’s name on a building, storefront or billboard, reminding me that while the work I do is not lifesaving, cure-inventing or world-peace-inducing, my work does make a positive impact on my community by getting businesses the capital they need to achieve their goals.”
And Campbell of Steptoe & Johnson joked, “It is a joy to work in Denver, the Queen of the Plains; 250 days of sunshine a year and mountain activities are hard to beat. The biggest challenge to practicing law in Colorado is 250 days of sunshine a year, and the mountain activities are hard to beat.”
Colorado firms named in the 2026 edition of Best Law Firms, as shared with Law Week Colorado
- Crisham & Holman LLC: Tier 1 in Natural Resources Law; Tier 2 in Commercial Litigation, Metropolitan (Colorado)
- Jackson Lewis PC: Tier 1 in Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Employment Law – Management, Immigration Law, Labor Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment, National
- Steptoe & Johnson PLLC: Tier 1 in Mining Law, National; Tier 2 in Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Corporate Law, Natural Resources Law, National; Tier 3 in Banking and Finance Law, Energy Law, Litigation – Construction, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Oil and Gas Law, Real Estate Law, National
- Woods Aitken LLP: Tier 2 in Construction Law, Litigation – Construction, National; Tier 1 in Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Litigation – Construction, Metropolitan (Colorado); Tier 3 in Real Estate Law, Metropolitan (Colorado)
- Dickson Wright: Tier 1 in Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, Construction law, National; Tier 2 in Banking and Finance Law, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Corporate Law, Environmental Law, Land Use & Zoning Law, Litigation – Bankruptcy, Litigation – Construction, Litigation – Labor & Employment, Litigation – Real Estate, Mergers & Acquisitions Law, Tax Law, Technology Law, Trademark Law, Trusts & Estates Law, National; Tier 3 in Communications Law, Copyright Law, Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law, Litigation – Intellectual Property, Private Funds/Hedge Funds Law, Real Estate Law, Securities Regulation, National; Tier 2 in Water Law, Metropolitan (Colorado); Tier 3 in Health Care Law, Metropolitan (Colorado)
- Coan, Payton & Payne LLC: Recognized in Real Estate Law, Corporate Law, Trusts & Estates, Banking & Finance Law, Construction Law, Environmental Law, Creditors’ Rights, Bankruptcy & Reorganization Law, Metropolitan (Colorado)