Brendan O. Powers

Brendan Powers joined Montgomery | Amatuzio as a Partner in 2026 after decades of legal practice as a shareholder at the Colorado defense firm Spies, Powers & Robinson, P.C. He holds an AV® rating from Martindale-Hubbell®, reflecting peer recognition for preeminent legal ability and the highest ethical standards. Brendan is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, an invitation-only organization recognizing trial lawyers of exceptional skill, integrity, and professional reputation. He is widely recognized as a leader among trial attorneys throughout the Rocky Mountain region by multiple professional organizations and independent publications.

Brendan’s practice focuses on civil litigation and business regulation, with a particular emphasis on insurance defense and complex commercial matters. He has served as lead counsel in numerous state and federal trials involving insurance bad faith, arson, fraud, environmental hazards, automobile claims, personal injury, real estate misrepresentation, and skier liability.

Brendan is also well regarded for his expertise in complex insurance coverage analysis. He has supervised claim investigations, conducted examinations under oath, and advised insurers on a broad range of coverage and claim determinations. His experience includes significant work in property and casualty matters involving fraud and arson, as well as errors and omissions, business interruption losses, complex commercial claims, and automobile coverage issues. In addition, he has served as a consulting expert, including in matters involving post-litigation defense of claim denials and attorney malpractice, and is a frequent lecturer on insurance and litigation topics.

• Appellate

• Bad Faith

• Construction

• Insurance Coverage

• Insurance Defense

• Oil and Gas

• Personal Injury

• Premises Liability

• Products Liability

• Toxic Torts

• Trucking

• State of Alaska (Inactive)

• State of Colorado

• United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

• United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit

• United States District Court, District of Colorado

University of Denver Sturm College of Law, Denver, Colorado, J.D.

Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, B.A. in Journalism and History

• American Board of Trial Advocates

• Colorado Bar Association

• Colorado Defense Lawyers Association

• Defense Research Institute

• Denver Bar Association

• Globe Indem. Co. v. Travelers Indem. Co. of Illinois, 98 P.3d 971 (Colo. App. 2004)

• Showpiece Homes Corp. v. Assurance Company of America, 38 P.3d 47 (Colo. 2001)

• Novell v. American Guarantee and Liability Insurance Co., 15 P.3d 775 (Colo. App. 1999)

• CLE Instructor, Trial and Depositions in the Virtual World, Colorado Defense Lawyers Association (May 2020).

• CLE Instructor, Hot Topics: Property Claims, Bad Faith, and Delay, Colorado Defense Lawyers Association (July 2019).

• CLE Instructor, New Lawyer Boot Camp (December 2018).

• CLE Instructor, Having Nunn of It: Ethics and the Tripartite Morass, Colorado Defense Lawyers Association (July 2017).

• CLE Instructor, New Lawyer Boot Camp (June 2017).

• CLE Instructor, Ethics and the Expert, Exponent, Inc. and Colorado Defense Lawyers Association (October 2016).

• CLE Instructor, New Lawyer Boot Camp (June 2016).

• CE Instructor, Ethics, Values, and the Claim Representative: Canons, Statutes, Reality, and Perspective, CPCU (May 2015).

• Mentor, Colorado Defense Lawyers Association Trial Academy (2014).

• CLE Instructor and Panel Moderator, Negative Corpus: Admissions, Prohibitions, and Does It Matter, O&C Investigations: Legal Aspects of Fire Investigations, AEI Corporation (February 2014).

• Constitution Associates: Approval of the Use of Anticipatory Declaratory Judgment Actions, 26 Colorado Lawyer 93 (August 1997)