Atty. Erica Payne
Erica Payne focuses her practice on complex civil litigation and appeals. She has significant experience in a variety of fields including insurance bad faith, breach of contract, business disputes, and construction defect.
Profile Summary
About Erica Payne at a glance
Erica Payne is a employment, litigation, and insurance attorney based in Centennial, Colorado, practicing at Johnson Bakken Smith PC. Educated at University of Colorado at Boulder (J.D., 2006). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Litigation - Insurance (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Litigation - Labor and Employment (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — in America (2026). Serands clients in Centennial, CO and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
- Erica Payne focuses her practice on complex civil litigation and appeals
- She has significant experience in a variety of fields including insurance bad faith, breach of contract, business disputes, and construction defect
- She is a tenacious, empathetic, and prepared lawyer when advocating for her clients
- Erica’s passion for mountain climbing and endurance running drives and informs her law practice
- When presented with a challenge, she analyzes it from multiple angles and then attacks it with the mindset of “it’s a marathon, not a sprint.” She envisions a positive outcome and implements a plan to achieve it
- Erica is a problem solver and is known for her ability to think outside the box, finding solutions where conflict seemed intractable
- Erica’s work has led her to represent a wide array of clients including individuals, companies, homeowners, business owners, owners’ associations, commercial building owners, and nonprofits
- She relies on her background in the natural sciences and her experience with expert witnesses when it comes to complex matters
- At trial, through meticulous deliberation and preparation, Erica is able to cross-examine expert witnesses on complicated and nuanced matters, often understanding the substance as well as, or better than, the witnesses themselves
- This can often make the difference between success and failure for clients where both parties retain qualified and articulate experts to represent their position
- In having resolved numerous high-value cases, Erica’s track record has a significant value for her clients, who can have confidence that she will zealously represent their interests and obtain the best possible outcome whether through settlement or trial
- Erica is admitted to practice before the Colorado State and Federal Courts
- Oregon State Courts (by examination)
- and the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit
- Erica has tried multiple civil jury trials to verdict
- Prior to joining Zupkus & Angell, Erica managed a consultancy practice in Southeast Asia focused on sustainability nonprofit work
- Outside of work, Erica enjoys exploring new places by participating in trail and road races in countries on her “must visit” list
- She loves living in Colorado and—as an avid mountaineer who has summitted all of Colorado’s fifty-eight 14,000-foot peaks—she is especially fond of hiking, rock climbing, and ski touring
Practice Areas Explained
Erica Payne's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Erica Payne handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
Employment lawyers represent workers in wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, wage & hour disputes, and severance negotiations.
Erica Payne is one of 169,120 employment attorneys indexed nationally. Browse employment attorneys in Colorado →
Civil litigation attorneys for breach of contract, business disputes, civil rights, and class action lawsuits.
Erica Payne is one of 454,532 litigation attorneys indexed nationally. Browse litigation attorneys in Colorado →
Insurance attorneys for coverage disputes, bad faith claims, denied claims, and policy disputes.
Erica Payne is one of 121,912 insurance attorneys indexed nationally. Browse insurance attorneys in Colorado →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in Colorado
Practicing law in Colorado. Legal matters in Colorado are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Centennial are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate Colorado state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in Colorado brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in Colorado courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Looking for additional Colorado attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Centennial or all attorneys in Colorado.
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