Barb's litigation practice includes real estate disputes, business torts, complex contract cases, intellectual property, professional liability, creditor/debtor and securities. She also has significant experience in the employment area, including extensive representation of employers and employees both inside and outside the courtroom.
She frequently consults with employers regarding workplace issues, such as employee hiring, discipline and terminations, privacy and social media matters, reductions in force, executive employment, wage and hour matters, and employment handbooks, policies and training.
Barb has also handled numerous cases involving non-compete and similar agreements, theft of trade secrets, state and federal wage and hour laws, DOL, EEOC and other state and federal agency investigations, as well as issues relating to Title VII, ADEA and ADA, FMLA and workers' compensation, OSHA and COBRA and other contract and tort issues relating to the employment relationship.
She has represented employers and employees in various agency, state and federal court and arbitration (AAA, JAG, FINRA) proceedings related to non-competition agreements, theft of trade secrets, wrongful termination, fiduciary duty, breach of contract, wage disputes, equal pay, discrimination, retaliation and harassment claims.
She is often hired to conduct internal workplace investigations on a wide variety of topics. The clients Barb has worked with span across industries including hospitality and resort, food service, light manufacturing, professional and financial services, medical, engineering, transportation, publishing, retail, real estate sales and investment and development.
Barb lectures at continuing legal education programs regarding various employment law topics and has provided employment law-related training to several large national and international companies, as well as smaller local and regional companies.
Awards & Recognitions
· Colorado Super Lawyers, Labor & Employment, 2011-2012; Top 50 Female Colorado Super Lawyers, 2012
Professional Associations & Memberships
· American Bar Association
· American Health Lawyers Association
· Colorado Bar Association
· Denver Bar Association
· Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation, Access Denver, Class of 2008
· Faculty of Federal Advocates, 2006-present
Civic Involvement
· American Red Cross-Mile High Chapter, Director, 2009-present; Legal Counsel, 2010-present; Bench and Bar Society, Founding Member, Co-chair
· Easter Seals Colorado, Board of Directors Chair, 2007-2009; Governance Committee, 2005-2007; Director, 2003-2009
Experience
Labor & Employment
· Conducted internal workplace investigations for numerous public and private companies concerning sexual harassment, workplace violence, conflicts of interest, ethical and policy violations, race discrimination, age discrimination, gender discrimination and retaliation
· Represented a high-level executive in wrongful termination and defamation claims against former employer
· Represented national brokerage firm in arbitration proceedings with other brokerage firms concerning the hiring of employees and "raid" claims
· Defended national retailer in ADA litigation concerning shopping center access
· Successfully defended corporate representative in multiple day jury trial against claims by former employee of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and civil conspiracy
Business Litigation
· Represented international real estate marketing and sales company in multi-day arbitration proceeding with counterclaim for $14 million
· Represented numerous commercial landlords in breach of lease and eviction proceedings, including pre-judgment attachment of personal property on the leased premises
· Represented landowner in partition action
· Represented former officers and directors in various breach of fiduciary duty actions brought by bankruptcy trustee and creditors
· Represented purchaser of commercial property in escrow dispute with seller
· Represented several landowners in adverse possession and quiet title actions
· Defended landowner in dispute with broker regarding commissions
· Represented buyers and sellers in failed real estate purchase and sale transactions
· Defended ski area owner and operator in dispute with adjacent landowners concerning access through multi-day trial
· Defended public company in class action securities lawsuit that included cross claims and third-party claims
· Represented individuals in Colorado Consumer Protection Act claim against former legal counsel in connection with the brokerage and sale of a business
· Represented national building products manufacturer in dispute with distributor
· Represented beneficiaries of trust against trustee alleging fraud and breach of fiduciary duty, including obtaining award of enhanced punitive damages after multi-day trial
· Represented plaintiff class against public company asserting claims of securities fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and related torts
· Represented shipping company in enforcing territorial restriction in license agreement through a preliminary injunction hearing
News & Publications
News
3.20.12, American Red Cross Bench & Bar Society Names Husch Blackwell's Barbara Grandjean Co-Chair
3.2.12, Colorado Super Lawyers and Rising Stars 2012 Names 17 Husch Blackwell Attorneys
7.13.11, Husch Blackwell Continues Strategic Denver Expansion With Addition of 24 Attorneys
Events
4.3.12, Labor & Employment Seminar
Denver, CO
Seminar
9.19.11, Customer and Employee Privacy Policy: New Frontiers in the Information Sharing Age
Denver, CO
Speaking Engagement