About Us
“We Are Colorado Employment Attorneys Specialized in Enforcing the Wage Recovery and Overtime Pay Laws”
After earning his juris doctor from the University of Michigan School of Law, Mr. Gonzales joined the complex litigation department of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP, one of the world’s largest law firms and a 2010 “Litigation Department of the Year” honoree. Mr. Gonzales subsequently joined a group of Gibson, Dunn partners and associates in founding the Denver law firm known as Fognani & Faught, PLLC. In 2008, Mr. Gonzales left the partnership to found his own firm specializing in the representation of employees denied wages owed them under federal and Colorado wage recovery and overtime pay laws.
Mr. Gonzales has broad and multi-faceted complex litigation experience in state and federal courts. He has litigated on behalf of individuals and Fortune 50 companies, plaintiffs and defendants, in direct and class action disputes involving hundreds of thousands to hundreds of millions of dollars. As a Colorado employment attorney, he has successfully litigated numerous cases relating to federal and Colorado wage recovery and overtime pay laws. Some of his representative cases are outlined below.
In addition to litigation before state and federal trial courts, Mr. Gonzales has had substantial success in appellate courts. In particular, Mr. Gonzales has briefed and argued four appeals, including two before the Colorado Supreme Court, resulting in three reversals on behalf of appellants.
Whatever your employment litigation issue, Mr. Gonzales has the integrity, experience and dedication to provide the innovative legal guidance you need.
Curriculum Vitae
Education
- University of Kansas (B.A., 1992), Philosophy and Psychology
- University of Michigan School of Law (J.D., 1996)
Admissions
- Texas, 1996
- Colorado, 1998
Organizations
- Colorado Bar Association
- Colorado Trial Lawyers Association
- Colorado Plaintiff Employment Lawyers Association
- American Association for Justice
- National Employment Lawyers Association
- National Employment Law Project
- Worker Injury Law & Advocacy Group (Wage and Hour Section)
Pro Bono
- Rocky Mountain Children’s Law Center
- Colorado Wage Theft Task Force
Litigation Experience
- Representation of thousands of employees in class, collective and individual litigation under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Colorado Minimum Wage Act and the Colorado Wage Claim Act relating to failure to pay earned wages and compensation.
- Defense of an oil and gas pipeline company in a consolidated groundwater contamination lawsuit, which included a medical monitoring class action on behalf of several hundred thousand area residents, as well as twelve direct actions on behalf of 900 individual personal injury plaintiffs.
- Defense of a construction management firm in a suit by a project owner seeking $14 million in damages for an alleged failure to manage construction adequately.
- Prosecution of a derivative shareholder lawsuit on behalf of minority investors in a closely-held mineral exploration and development company. Litigation contended that the majority investors misappropriated a valuable business opportunity, i.e., the company’s option to purchase land at a price tens of millions of dollars below its actual value.
- Prosecution of a breach of contract class action on behalf of hundreds of former independent dealers of a home security company seeking in excess of $100 million in damages.
- Prosecution of a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act lawsuit on behalf of employees seeking remediation of unsafe work conditions at the Denver International Airport.
- Defense of a manufacturing company in a products liability class action seeking approximately $250 million in damages.
- Defense of a manufacturing company in a Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) cost recovery action seeking approximately $12 million in damages.
- Defense of a former company officer in a CERCLA cost recovery action brought by the United States seeking in excess of $150 million in damages.
- Representation of a real estate developer with regard to various issues arising from the developer’s efforts to develop tens of millions of dollars in real estate, including multi-million dollar home sites in Aspen, Colorado.