Paul J. Rupprecht is a Partner in the Denver office of Lewis Brisbois and contributes as a member of the Aviation, Construction, Professional Liability – Architects & Engineers, Transportation, General Liability, Products Liability, and Insurance Defense practice groups.

Based on his military, commercial, and general aviation and leadership training, as well as serving in key leadership roles in the aerospace, engineering and fire and safety industries, Mr. Rupprecht has successfully represented a diverse client group in aviation, construction, architectural, engineering, and manufacturing.

Mr. Rupprecht joined the officer ranks in the United States Air Force Reserves and held qualifications as a C-130 tactical airlift aircraft commander. During the 1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission to close the Chicago O’Hare Reserve Base, Mr. Rupprecht stepped in as Current Operations Officer and then, Chief Pilot, to support the relocation of personnel and assets in the USAFR system. Following closure of the O’Hare Air Reserve Forces Base, Mr. Rupprecht continued his military service at Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, CO.

In his transition to a commercial airline pilot, he qualified as an airline transport pilot, served as a Part 121 flight instructor and evaluation pilot at United Airlines, while still serving in the U.S. Air Force Reserves at Peterson AFB. As a result of 9/11 and having been furloughed from United Airlines in January 2004, Mr. Rupprecht was engaged by Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver, Colorado, as a senior systems engineer and served as the team lead in charge of the launch vehicle and satellite readiness and ground systems engineering teams, while attending the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in the evenings.

While at Lockheed Martin, a prime government contractor, Mr. Rupprecht was a key contributor on an aerospace program yielding classified information for the Department of Defense. There, Mr. Rupprecht worked with the contracting officer and program manager throughout his tenure as readiness and ground systems engineering team leads. In these capacities, Mr. Rupprecht supported and negotiated solicitations to expand his team’s contract line items (CLINs), including duration and scopes of work resulting in extensions of contracts and increases in the number of full-time engineers (FTEs). As a result of his experiences as a contractor in this DoD environment, Mr. Rupprecht subsequently defended government subcontractors in litigation addressing claims of False Claims Act and breach of contract.

As a growth opportunity beyond his litigation practice, Mr. Rupprecht served as general counsel for an aircraft leasing and Part 135 charter services company and provided guidance and counsel on employment, workers’ compensation, corporate transactions and resolutions, litigation and settlement matters. Based on his legal and technical background, Mr. Rupprecht has successfully represented clients in other key legal fields, including transportation, construction defect, oil and gas, and professional and product liability, involving matters of personal injury, wrongful death, property loss, product defect, and premises liability. By combining his engineering, military, and legal experience, Mr. Rupprecht has been highly successful in representing his clients, resolving disputes, and leading his clients towards successful outcomes.

Mr. Rupprecht enjoys spending time with his family traveling, camping, and hiking. For many years, he took great pride in serving and developing youth in leadership opportunities as a scoutmaster, assistant scoutmaster, and merit badge counselor.

Publications

Certifications

Military Service

Pro Bono & Philanthropy

Admissions

• State Bar Admissions
  • Colorado
• United States District Courts
  • United States District Court for the District of Colorado
• United States Courts of Appeals
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
• Other Admissions
  • United States Court of Federal Claims

Admissions

Colorado

U.S. District Court, District of Colorado

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit

U.S. Court of Federal Claims

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

Associations

• Colorado Bar Association
• Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association
• Experimental Aircraft Association
• Aircraft & Ownership Aircraft & Ownership

Awards & Honors

• Pi Tau Sigma National Honorary Mechanical Engineering Society
• Tau Beta Pi National Honorary Engineering Society

Education

University of Denver, Sturm College of Law

Juris Doctor, 2010

•  Transportation Law Journal, Staff Editor, Technical Editor and Executive Editor

Illinois Institute of Technology

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, 1985

•      Rhodes Scholarship Candidate
•      Lincoln Academy-Illinois Student Laureate Award

Representative Matters

• Represents state department of transportation and airport owner in Part 16 action against a tenant claiming discriminatory practices pursuant to unfair lease provisions alleging noncompliance with the Federal Aviation Administrative federal Grant Assurance Program.
• Represents state department of transportation during solicitation actions for leased properties at public airport pursuant to state and federal statutes, including compliance with Federal Aviation Administrative regulation due to receiving funds under federal Grant Assurance Program.
• Negotiating and amending long-term terminal, ground, fuel farm, and fixed base operations lease agreements on behalf of state department of transportation of expiring leases in order to comply with changes in state and federal statutes and municipal codes.
• Represented helicopter pilot that incurred physical injuries against an action filed by the airplane pilot due to a mid-air collision between the two aircraft resulting in withdrawal of claims at mediation.
• Represented decedent pilot’s estate against wrongful death claims by decedent occupants’ families resulting in total defense verdict.
• Represented a medevac helicopter carrier against a wrongful death case which resulted in low settlement amount.
• Advised insurance carrier on coverage analysis regarding airport operator’s request for defense against homeowners for alleging excessive noise pollution from operator’s aircraft.
• Represented a general aviation aircraft owner acquire full ownership of his aircraft from former aircraft co-owner.
• Advised Part 91 commercial pilot in submitting petition for relief to address U.S. Customs & Border Patrol notice of penalty due to an alleged unscheduled arrival from foreign departure.
• Drafted Parts 91 and 135 aircraft lease, aircraft purchase, aircraft ownership, hangar lease, and independent contractor agreements.
• Resolved insurance disputes related to insurance payout of proceeds to aircraft owners after aircraft engine failure and total hull damage.
• Updated an aviation flight school’s operations and employment /contractor handbooks.
• Represented a brazed aluminum heat exchanger manufacturer in a subrogation matter against a $20M dispute due to alleged loss of production and property damages resulting in a stipulated dismissal by opposing party.
• Represented a vendor client in a construction defect set of claims by a homeowners’ association resulting in a very successful settlement.
• Represented a natural gas compressor manufacturer against a defective product manufacture claim due to the alleged failure of the unit causing personal injuries to a contractor resulting in dismissal of client, as production company did not follow commissioning checklist on unit.
• Represented a petroleum field services company in defense against personal injury claims by field workers of another entity injured during an explosion of a 300-barrel condensate tank during cleaning operations resulting in a shared defendants’ settlement.
• Represented at trial and on appeal food manufacturer against personal injury claims from pulmonary dysfunction allegedly due to manufacturer’s failure to warn the harmful effects of inhaling butter flavoring ingredient, which resulted in a reasonable settlement.
• Represented medical device manufacturers against claims of defective manufacturing of portable oxygen concentrators and generators resulting in no or low settlement amounts on behalf of clients.
• Represented a product manufacturer against a consumer claiming permanent physical injuries due to an allegedly failed product.
• Represented several landowners from premises liability and negligent personal injury claims due to slip and fall or other personal injury incident resulting in dismissal of claims or reasonable settlement amounts.
• Represented a bowling establishment against a guest claiming personal injuries from entering and slipping on the oiled bowling lane resulting in minimal settlement.
• Represented client electronic navigation device manufacturer against alleged defective product installed in a semi-tractor trailer engine compartment  resulting in dismissal due to causation of fire determined as other defendant’s defective product manufacture of its bus module against water penetration.
• Represented gaseous and liquid oxygen cylinder manufacturer against property damage claims allegedly due to defective manufacture of cylinders causing total loss of light-duty truck from the ensuing fire accelerated by oxygen chemical leakage resulting in dismissal of client.
• Advised insurance carrier to settle subrogation matter due to negligence of insured in low property damages amount from water intrusion of medical equipment caused by insured.
• Represented plaintiff tenant against landlord due to traumatic personal injuries caused by rental property not properly electrically grounded resulting in substantial settlement to client.
• Represented student plaintiffs in civil rights claims against university for mistreatment by campus police.