Phone: (303) 951-6605
Fax: (303) 757-5106
PRACTICE AREAS
– Municipal Liability
– Employment
– Insurance Defense
– Civil Rights Litigation Defense
EDUCATION
– 2023 J.D. – University of Denver, Sturm College of Law
– 2023 LL.M. – Universidad Pontificia Comillas
– 2019 LL.M – Vrije Universiteit
– B.S. and B.A. – Iowa State University
Andrew J. Phaff
Associate
Andrew earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 2023, with Certificates in Basic, Advanced, and International Legal Research. During law school, Andrew specialized in litigation practice and international law as a student attorney in Sturm’s Civil Litigation Clinic and by serving as the Managing Editor for the Denver Journal of International Law and Policy. Andrew completed law clerk externships with the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado in Magistrate Judge Kristen L. Mix’s chambers and with the Denver District Court in Judge Michael Vallejos’s chambers. Andrew sat on the Executive Council of the International Law Section of the Colorado Bar Association, serving as the liaison between the Sturm College of Law and the International Law Section.
During his Juris Doctor studies, Andrew completed a concurrent Master of Law degree in International and European Business Law at the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas in Madrid, Spain, with a thesis focus on international arbitration and cross-border dispute resolution. Prior to his time in Denver, Andrew earned a Master of Law degree in International Security at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, Netherlands, with a thesis focus on the international laws of war regarding cyber-attacks. Andrew attended Iowa State University for his undergraduate studies, graduating with honors after earning a Bachelor of Science degree in History and a Bachelor of Art degree in Political Science. Between studies, Andrew spent a year in the New York City office of JAMS as a legal administrative assistant, learning the ins and outs of mediation and arbitration as alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. Andrew additionally had the pleasure of serving as the legislative clerk for Colonel Ken Rizer (Ret.) in the Iowa House of Representatives.
After one and a half years law clerking with NDM, Andrew joined the team as an associate attorney in November 2023. Andrew practices in Colorado state and federal district courts, focusing on municipal liability, employment, insurance, and civil rights litigation defense. Andrew is a member of the Denver Bar, Colorado Bar, and American Bar Associations, as well as the Colorado Defense Lawyers Association.
Andrew grew up in Boston, making him a diehard New England Patriots and Boston Bruins fan. In his free time, he skis, snowboards, and hikes, with the current goal to summit all of Colorado’s 14,000ft peaks. He also enjoys traveling and visiting historical sites and museums. Andrew is proficient in Spanish, with a B2 level certificate from the Cervantes Spanish Language Institute.
