Ed Hopkins
J.D., B.S.
Ed Hopkins is a trial lawyer and appellate litigator focusing on civil rights, defamation defense, employee rights, and wrongful death cases. Before joining the Civil Rights Litigation Group, Ed was a partner at two large national law firms and a mid-sized civil rights law firm. Before that, he owned a boutique firm focusing on defamation, invasion of privacy, and social media law. Ed was also a United States Air Force finance officer, a U.S. defense industry entrepreneur, and a business acquisition consultant before attending law school. Ed’s diverse background gives him invaluable insight into how corporate and government defendants strategize, operate, negotiate, and litigate. He also has extensive business management, project management, and leadership experience.
Ed and the firm’s founding attorney, Raymond Bryant, were mock trial teammates during law school and successfully litigated high-stakes cases together while at separate firms. Their beliefs about the important role that righteous civil rights lawyers play and their commitment to excellent trial advocacy drive their partnership and the firm’s mission to practice civil rights law with courage, integrity, and skill.
Areas of Practice
- Civil Rights
- Defamation
- First Amendment
- Police Misconduct
- Employment Discrimination
- Sexual Harassment
- Wrongful Death
- Litigation Percentage: 100%
Past Legal Employment
- Rathod Mohamedbhai LLC, Denver, CO (2023-25)
Partner – Civil Rights and Defamation - Clark Hill PLC, Denver, CO (2022)
Partner – Civil Litigation and Data Privacy - Fisher Phillips LLP, Denver, CO (2020-22)
Partner – Civil Litigation and Data Privacy - HopkinsWay PLLC, Phoenix, AZ and Denver, CO (2012-20)
Owner and Managing Attorney – Civil Litigation, Defamation, and Privacy - Fisher Hopkins Nangdan Pangalos PLLC, Denver, CO (2011-12)
Shareholder – Civil Litigation, Defamation, Personal Injury
Professional Associations & Memberships
- National Institute for Trial Advocacy – Trial Skills Instructor
- Colorado Trial Lawyers Association (CTLA) – Board Member
- Lawyers Civil Rights Coalition
- National Bar Association
- Sam Cary Bar Association
- United States Air Force Academy Association of Graduates (AOG)
- Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
- Delta Eta Boulé – Social Action Chairperson
Honors & Awards
- Colorado Super Lawyers – Civil Rights (2024 to present)
- Lead Counsel Verified (2020 to present)
- Colorado Rising Stars (2020-2021)
- Martindale-Hubbard AV-Rated Attorney (2015 to present)
- Sam Cary Bar Association President’s Award (2014)
- Young Leader of the Future Award (EBONY Magazine, 2003)
Legal Publications
-
“Q&A with Ed Hopkins | Sounding the alarm on Colorado’s lack of legal diversity”
(by Michael Karlik for Colorado Politics, November 9, 2020) - “Invisible Capital: A Startup Law Firm’s Best Defense against Failure”
(Trial Talk, July 2012) - “A Guilty Pause, A Downward Glance, or A Nervous Twitch: A Ten-Step Strategy for Exposing Nonverbal Lies on Cross-Examination.”
(University of Arizona College of Law Thesis, Faculty Adviser – Thomas A. Mauet, 2010)
Bar Admissions
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Georgia
- U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona
- U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
- U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
Education
- J.D., University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law
- Trial Team
- William T. Birmingham Award (Best Trial Advocate)
- Postbaccalaureate Studies in Linguistics and Philosophy, University of Arizona College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Phi Beta Kappa
- B.S., United States Air Force Academy
Do you have a case?
Please click here to request an attorney review of your case.
