Smith Lake Lawyers

Heather K. Hansen began working on behalf of injured New Mexicans in 2003. She has handled hundreds of personal injury claims, ranging from fender benders to wrongful deaths, and she has helped her clients recover millions of dollars. Heather prides herself on her close personal relationships with her clients. She is known for her compassion and for going the extra mile to ensure that her clients are treated fairly.

Jake is an experienced trial attorney in Albuquerque, New Mexico. With a passion for capturing his clients' stories, Jake takes a personal approach to every case. His focus on family and business law allows him to provide dedicated representation and a deep understanding of the unique needs of his clients. With a proven track record of success, Jake is committed to achieving the best possible outcomes for his clients through strategic and personalized legal strategies.

I am a sole practitioner who represents injured workers in their Colorado workers' compensation cases. I previously represented employers and insurance companies in workers' compensation cases for over 21 years.

Since graduating from law school in 2009, Mark has been advocating for the underprivileged and disenfranchised as an attorney. He has practiced in Washington State, California, and Utah. He has represented more than 15,000 clients across the country and the globe. As a fluent Spanish speaker, Mark is a passionate advocate for immigrants and their rights. As an active member of the Utah State Bar Association, Mark is eligible to practice immigration law in any jurisdiction and continues to represent clients across the globe.

Nephi Hardman has represented clients in hundreds of bankruptcy cases, including as debtor’s counsel in chapter 7s, chapter 13s, and a number of major chapter 11 reorganizations.

He has also represented appellants in several foreclosure cases before the New Mexico Court of Appeals and the New Mexico Supreme Court.

While in law school, Nephi convinced the BYU Law Review to publish his musings on arbitration awards in an environment of compulsory unionism. He used lots of footnotes and semicolons and other arcane devices, and to this day, doctors regularly prescribe his paper as a sleep-aid.

In 2019, SuperLawyers identified Mr. Hardman as a...

Erlinda Ocampo Johnson is an experienced and astute litigator. She began her career as an Assistant District Attorney with the District Attorney’s Office in Albuquerque prosecuting crimes ranging from DUI’s, assault, battery, drug offenses, to violent crimes of sexual assault and murder. After over five years as a trained and experienced Assistant District Attorney in Albuquerque, Erlinda Ocampo Johnson became a Federal Prosecutor at the United States Attorney’s Office in Albuquerque. At the United States Attorney’s Office, Erlinda Ocampo Johnson prosecuted a vast array of complex drug cases involving Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force cases, Criminal...

Tamara Couture is the Senior Attorney at Couture Law. She has a Juris Doctor from the University of New Mexico School of Law and a Master of Arts in Community Counseling from the University of New Mexico. She matriculated into Occidental College for her Bachelor’s degree and received her Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Psychology and Professional Writing from the University of New Mexico, magna cum laude.

Tamara is a highly trained and experienced mediator. She is a recipient of the Judge Oliver Seth Award for Excellence in Alternative Dispute Resolution. Before becoming an attorney, her professional career...

Gary Risley is the founding director and shareholder of the Risley Law Firm, P.C. Prior to starting his own firm he was a director and shareholder in the Farmington office of the Miller Stratvert P.A.law firm. He graduated cum laude from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas in 1980 with a bachelor of arts degree, and received his juris doctor from the Baylor University School of Law in 1983. He received the second highest score among those taking the July, 1983 Texas bar examination. Gary’s practice emphasizes commercial transactions, business succession planning, estate planning, probate matters, water law, personal injury...

I am an attorney focusing on personal injury and consumer protection. I proudly serve the people of New Mexico. Cases I handle are: car collisions, truck accidents, motorcycle crashes, insurance disputes, medical malpractice, slip and falls, car dealership fraud, business fraud, unfair and deceptive practice claims, and improper debt collections. Call Today for a free consultation!

Michael grew up in San Antonio, Texas. Michael was awarded his Bachelor’s Degree from Trinity University with an emphasis in teaching political science. Out of college he began teaching at a Montessori School in San Antonio. While teaching in San Antonio he attained his Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology. This background translates seamlessly into the legal world.

Michael met his wife Heather in San Antonio, who was from Albuquerque, and he followed her home. Once he moved to Albuquerque, Michael taught Humanities at Amy Biehl High School. While at Amy Biehl Michael was the first teacher from New Mexico selected for...

After nine years as a prosecutor focused on white collar crime, including having served as the director of the New Mexico Securities Division, Matt left the government and entered private practice in 2020. He now represents parties in a broad array of civil litigation and arbitration proceedings. He also counsels individuals and small businesses on dispute resolution, personal injury, construction, unfair trade practices, and regulatory compliance matters. Call his office today for a free consultation.

I am a third generation attorney with experience in working at my family's law firm and then branching out to own a commercial enterprise in New York, then expanding on my business and legal experience to become a founding member of three law firms and several holding companies. I have been a board of directors' member as well as officer of several profit and not for profit corporations, LLC's and LP's involving real estate, grandparents rights, family law and commercial/residential entities. As a practicing attorney, my professional emphasis has been family law, civil litigation, real estate, estate planning, and...

After several years of representing large Fortune 500 companies, making the switch to representing everyday people was a significant leap into the unknown that Ben was unsure he could make. A higher power, however, forced Ben to make a decision in late October, 2009: In early October, 2009, Ben learned that he and his wife were pregnant with their first child. Two weeks later, Ben was driving from Albuquerque to Farmington for a hearing. As he past Cuba, New Mexico on 550, the sunny skies turned to dark clouds. The dark clouds traded their grey lining for...

Remember when “Made in the USA” meant the best product you could buy? People stood behind their work, emphasized quality, and created something valuable. We take pride in our work. Quality makes a difference. Jules Grandjean started his career taking injury cases others had labeled “unwinnable.” Instead, Jules successfully litigated nearly every one of them. Some of those “unwinnable” cases resulted in six-figure compensation for the injury victims who were initially shunned. Jules grew up on a steady diet of criminal law. Jules first carried, then drafted briefs for his father’s criminal practice. He graduated with highest honors in Criminology, and the highest...

Larry is a seasoned high-tech business executive and 20-year attorney, with a focus in contracts, negotiations, business transactions, intellectual property and Internet law. He has over 20 years of business development and IT consulting experience. His former clients (as a consultant) ranged from small startups to the Fortune 50, including GE Capital, Bank One, IBM and Amadeus.

James Loren is a senior partner at Goldberg & Loren and an aggressive litigator with over 50 case verdicts throughout the country. He has completed thousands of injury claims leading to over half a billion dollars in settlements for his clients. Many of these personal injury verdicts and settlements were well in the excess of one million dollars. When it comes to personal injury cases he represents clients in the following areas of practice, including wrongful death, medical malpractice, car accidents, motorcycle accidents, trucking accidents, slip and fall cases, product liability claims, employment discrimination; overtime law; and civil rights actions. Mr....

Brady C. Pofahl is a lifelong resident of New Mexico who represents New Mexicans throughout the State with their personal injury claims.
After High School, he attended the University of New Mexico where he attained his undergraduate degree with honors. Following his degree, his desire to help others led him to attend the University Of New Mexico School Of Law. Mr. Pofahl was an editor with the NM Law Review and published a law review article. In 1998, he graduated with honors.
For two years, Mr. Pofahl practiced insurance defense law and then began representing victims of negligence through Personal Injury...

Thell Thomas is a New Mexico personal injury lawyer you can count on. He and his team will aggressively pursue personal injury claims on your behalf. He will quickly investigate your accident, hire the experts necessary to analyze and prove your case at trial, or position your personal injury case for the best possible settlement.
When you are injured, choosing your lawyer may be the most important decision you make. When someone else is negligent and they injure you in a car crash, that person basically owes you a debt. The person that injured you has a responsibility to...

Education:
B.A. University of Notre Dame, 1967
J.D. University of New Mexico, 1970

Admitted:
State of New Mexico, 1970
State of Colorado, 1986
U.S. District Court, New Mexico 1970
10th Circuit Court of Appeals, 1981

AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell
Recognized specialist, Business Bankruptcy Law, by New Mexico Board of Legal Specialization
U.S. News Best Lawyers, 2014
Southwest Superlawyers, 2016
Member, Bankruptcy Section of New Mexico State Bar

Robert Gorence has over 22 years of experience as a criminal defense attorney. Mr. Gorence was a federal prosecutor for 14 years. In 2000, Mr. Gorence started his private practice as a criminal defense and personal injury attorney. Mr. Gorence has tried numerous criminal and civil cases, including several high profile cases. Mr. Gorence has successfully defended clients accused of everything from simple misdemeanors to murder. In addition to his criminal defense practice, Mr. Gorence also assists those who have been injured due to medical negligence, accidents or faulty products/premises or who have lost a loved one due to...

Great results. I return your calls. I give you answers. I work to move your case forward. I can see you on Saturday.

I have been a plaintiff's lawyer for 20 years. I was claims adjuster prior to attending law school. I have over 30 years of insurance claims experience. Bilingual (English/Spanish). At MedranoStruck Law we represent those who have been hurt or injured due to others negligent conduct.

Currently, part of my practice also includes acting as a mediator and serving as a Guardian ad Litem for personal injury cases.

I am a candidate to complete my LLM in ADR from Pepperdine Straus Law School. I have completed well over 500 mediations involving all types of civil...

Licensed since 2002. Total of 18 years in many areas of law. Local to NM and love helping people.move forward. Call 505 610 6904 for appt or email at willstandwithyou@gmail.com.

Prior to beginning his law career, Attorney McCook worked in Corporate America for over 10 years, holding professional and management roles in finance, marketing and sales. The last position held was the Analytics Manager for Comcast Western New England where he spearheaded the analytics department.

Attorney McCook left Comcast to attend law school and while in law school worked as a law clerk for the Law Offices of Bonnie C. Mangan, P.C. practicing Bankruptcy Law. Additionally, while in law school Attorney McCook participated in real estate internships at a real estate law firm and a title insurance company.

During law...

I am a partner with Findlay, & Dziak, LLC (BFD Lawyers). We are a general practice law firm that offers a variety of legal services. With an office in Albuquerque, we can help clients with issues ranging from bankruptcy, business law, contract drafting & review, criminal defense, divorce, DWI defense, estate planning, family law, personal injury, probate, real estate, taxes, and more.

Gregory Baca is a native New Mexican born and raised in Belen, NM. He is a Gulf War Veteran where he honorably served 6 years in the United States Navy on the USS Nimitz as a nuclear operator. He has over 15 years experience in the business community and has owned and operated several small businesses. He has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix and received his Juris Doctorate from the University Of New Mexico School Of Law. His experience and education favor Real Estate, Bankruptcy, Business, and Estate Law.

Christin graduated from Georgetown University with a B.S. in International Law, Relations and Organization from the School of Foreign Service in 1997. She graduated from UNM Law School in 2002. She has been a member of the New Mexico State Bar since 2003, a member of the Unted States District Court in the District of New Mexico since the 2006, and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals since 2015.

Christin was a state public defender for three years (2003-2006) snd has had her own private practice since 2006. She had a CJA appointment for about 4...

NM Workers' Compensation Attorneys LLC is a workers' compensation law firm serving all of New Mexico that is committed to representing people injured or hurt on the job. It takes only a few seconds for a work accident to happen, but it can take months or even years for the person injured in the work accident to recover from the physical and emotional harm suffered. NM Workers' Compensation Attorneys LLC fights for you. In 2006, Scott was admitted to practice law before all courts of the State of New Mexico and has been engaged in the practice...

Derick Runion was born and raised in Phoenix and is dedicated to serving the city’s citizens to this day. He graduated summa cum laude from Arizona State University with his bachelor’s degree in political science in 2007. He then went on to earn his Juris Doctor from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law in 2010. During law school, Derick was a member of the dean’s list, the order of the barristers, and the moot court. Before Derick got licensed to practice law, he spent some time working for insurance companies. This gave him a unique insight into the strategies these...

Justin R. Kaufman is a partner and manages the Santa Fe, New Mexico office of Heard Robins Cloud LLP. Mr. Kaufman received his B.A. from Cornell University’s College of Arts and Sciences in 1998. In 2004, he received his J.D., cum laude, from Temple University School of Law, where he served as an editor of the Temple Law Review. Mr. Kaufman also holds an M.B.A. from Temple University’s Fox School of Business. From 2004 to 2005, Mr. Kaufman served as Law Clerk to the Hon. Herbert J. Hutton of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Mr....