Higgs, Stephen J.

Judge Michael Heydt is Senior Counsel to the firm. He has over thirty years experience as a lawyer, including twelve years experience as a trial judge. Although Judge Heydt no longer represents clients in litigation, he works with Firm’s lawyers to develop winning strategy and tactics with ideas drawn from his many years of practice and experience on the bench. He also mediates disputes in selected cases. Judge Heydt was a Fourth Judicial District Court Judge from 1990 – 1999 and for five years during that time was Presiding ADR Judge of the District Court. He was also an El Paso County Court Judge from 1987-1990. He was a member of the city attorney’s office in Colorado Springs, Colorado and served as the Chief Litigation Attorney. Judge Heydt, after leaving the bench, was an in house counsel for a major energy company.

Judge Heydt has been an adjunct professor at the Webster University of St. Louis Graduate Center in Colorado Springs from 1985 – 2002 and he has been both a student and an instructor at the National Judicial College at the University of Nevada – Reno.

Judge Heydt has an A.A. degree from El Paso Community College (n/k/a Pikes Peak Community College) and a B.A. degree in History from the Colorado College. He received his J.D. degree with honors from Washburn University School of Law.

Judge Heydt is a member of the Colorado, U.S. District Court (D. Colo.), Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the United States Supreme Court bars; and a member of the Colorado and Denver Bar Associations. He has served on numerous non-profit boards in the past and is a veteran having honorably served with the U.S. Air Force from 1969-1972.