Firm Makeup

A few of the individual and collective accomplishments of the firm are shown by the following examples:

John Purvis was one of two plaintiff's counsel in a case involving a train crossing accident in which the jury returned a combined verdict of compensatory and exemplary damages in the amount of twenty-three million dollars. This is the largest personal injury verdict in Colorado history. Since then, he has successfully represented many others involved in railroad crossing collisions.

Bill Gray represented 21 Fort Collins families whose properties, homes, and bodies were contaminated by hydrocarbons from underground gasoline leaks. That complex litigation against two major oil companies was successfully settled after three weeks of trial. Bill also successfully represented another group of approximately 100 homeowners in the Boulder area similarly affected by chemical discharges.

The firm has developed significant expertise in catastrophic injury cases such as spinal cord and brain injury cases. The firm has at least several brain injury cases active at any given time. John Purvis has lectured extensively on brain injury at seminars for other lawyers in Colorado and elsewhere around the country, as well as at programs sponsored by the Colorado and Utah Head Injury Associations. All members of the firm have recovered multiple six and seven figure verdicts and settlements for people with brain or spinal injuries.

John Purvis and a retired partner led a team of plaintiff's attorneys representing those who were injured or killed in Keystone and Vail lift disasters. Bill Gray successfully represented a surgeon who was rendered a ventilator-dependent quadriplegic in a ski area accident. The firm has represented numerous clients injured at ski areas.

In addition, the firm has been retained to defend complex litigation for clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies, banks, and individuals.

All the members of the firm have obtained very substantial recoveries for people injured by defective products. The injuries involved have run the gamut, and the products have included such things as automobiles and various automobile parts, farm machinery, bicycles, a beer keg which exploded, trailer hitch equipment, aircraft components, elevator components, and pharmaceutical products.

Bill Gray and John Purvis have served as counsel for plaintiffs and defendants in significant professional malpractice cases. They have also been involved in major employment and wrongful discharge lawsuits.

Jim Heckbert is the resident attorney in the PURVIS • GRAY, LLP, Steamboat Springs office. Since graduating from law school in 1974, Jim has limited his practice to cases involving personal injury and wrongful death. Jim's practice includes representing those who have been injured as a result of auto and truck collisions, construction site negligence, medical malpractice, gas explosions and defective products.

Jim's career includes eight jury verdicts in excess of $1 million and numerous others which were settled without trial for amounts exceeding $1 million. His cases have been the subject of two segments on the CBS television show 60 Minutes, while two others were the subjects of segments of ABC's 20 20, and NBC's Dateline television news magazines.

Jim has resided in Steamboat Springs for over 18 years and is licensed to practice law in both Colorado and Arizona. He graduated first in his class from Ohio Northern University College of Law in 1974.

Mike Thomson graduated from the University of Colorado School of Law in 1994. For nearly a decade, Mike Thomson worked as a political consultant in the state of Colorado for candidates for U.S. Senate, House of Representatives, State Legislature, District Attorney, and local school board. From January 1999 thru June 2000, Mike Thomson was the Director of Community Relations and Lobbyist for the Boulder Valley School District. During his tenure with the school district, the Daily Camera in an editorial once referred to him as "The ambassador for our schools."

Mike Thomson joined PURVIS • GRAY, LLP in the fall of 2001. Since then, he has represented plaintiffs in a variety of civil lawsuits. The majority of his cases involve either serious automobile and trucking accidents or complex litigation like civil rights violations, brain injury/spinal cord injuries and wrongful death. He also has experience in commercial litigation. His experience both before and after joining the firm gives him detailed knowledge of the operations of various governmental entities and the laws which govern the operations of such entities.

Mike Thomson's practice has given him experience in Federal and State District Courts as well as Federal and state Appellate Courts. Mike Thomson also does a significant amount of pro bono work. Just as he was a strong advocate for the students of Boulder Valley School District, he is now a strong advocate for his clients and their rights.

Note: The case results summarized on this website are unique to the listed cases. Your case facts are highly important to your outcome. Cases summarized on this website should not be interpreted as indicating the results you can expect to achieve on your case, regardless of the facts, nor does this listing of cases express or imply that results in the range of the listed cases can be achieved by means that violate the Rules of Professional Conduct or any law.