Paul G. Karlsgodt
Paul Karlsgodt is a litigation partner with a diverse complex commercial litigation practice that emphasizes class action defense. Mr. Karlsgodt has represented major insurers and other FORTUNE 500 companies in numerous nationwide and statewide consumer class action lawsuits and related litigation across the United States. He has represented clients in class action lawsuits involving sales and marketing practices, insurance coverage, claims adjustment practices, corporate securities, retailer/dealer disputes, employment and taxation.
Mr. Karlsgodt serves as Chair of the Class Actions, Derivative Suits and Mass Torts Subsection of the Litigation Section of the Colorado Bar Association. He is also editor and contributor to the legal blog, www.ClassActionBlawg.com, which covers a variety of class action-related issues, including decisions, trends, best practices, news and reform, both in the U.S. and throughout the world.
In addition to his class action experience, Mr. Karlsgodt has represented clients in construction defect and mechanic’s lien litigation, unfair competition suits, corporate shareholder and partnership disputes, disputes involving trade secrets and restrictive covenants, insurance subrogation actions, disputes involving contracts, sales, commercial paper, wrongful death, oil and gas and intellectual property, as well as in probate, domestic and employment disputes.
Drawing on his background as an electrical engineer, Mr. Karlsgodt has extensive experience with the management of electronic data in complex litigation. Examples of projects that he has supervised include exposure analysis, electronic data preservation and e-discovery compliance, class action membership identification and settlement award calculations. This work has involved collaboration with clients’ internal technical personnel, Baker Hostetler IT resources and outside consultants.
Mr. Karlsgodt has experience as lead counsel in both jury and bench trials. He has also argued several cases before the Colorado Court of Appeals and the Colorado Supreme Court.
Prior to joining Baker Hostetler, Mr. Karlsgodt clerked for the Honorable D. Brook Bartlett, Chief Judge, United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri. Before receiving his law degree, he served as Articles Editor for the Denver University Law Review, was a member of the University of Denver mock trial team and was inducted into the Order of St. Ives.
Some of Mr. Karlsgodt’s speaking engagements and presentations include:
- Program Chair: “Economic Crisis Litigation Update,” Colorado Inc. (July 2009)
CLE program discussing trends in class action and other litigation in the wake of the subprime mortgage crisis and the economic downturn.
- Panelist: “Rule 23(f) Class Certification Appeals—Strategies for Pursuing or Opposing Appellate Review in the Absence of Clear Standards,” Strafford Publications (January 2009)
CLE teleconference discussing how various appellate courts are responding to Rule 23(f) appeals and offering strategies for counsel for pursuing and opposing appellate review of a class certification decision.
Mr. Karlsgodt is a member of the American, Colorado and Denver Bar Associations and the Rhone-Brackett Inn of Court. He also serves as Pro Bono Coordinator for the firm’s Denver office.