Lawyer Of The Year: John Chanin, partner at Foster Graham Milstein & Calisher, was recently selected by his peers as the top lawyer in litigation for banking and finance.

John Chanin, a partner at Foster Graham Milstein & Calisher, has recently been selected by his peers as the 2020 Lawyer of the Year for Litigation-Banking and Finance by U.S. News & World Report. Chanin has been listed for a number of years for his practices in financial litigation, white-collar defense and government investigations, but this year, he was named Lawyer of the Year, a distinction awarded to one attorney in each geographic region per year.

“The most exciting thing for me about this was who had it last year,” said John Chanin. “Last year it was Dan Riley and Skip Netzorg who are some of the best lawyers in Denver. That is good company to be in.”

Danny Foster, partner at Foster Graham, is proud to have Chanin with the firm. “We are really lucky,” said Foster. “We have done everything we can over the years to continue bringing in higher quality attorneys to the firm. When John joined 18 months ago, it was really a compliment to us. We were very excited because he is very well regarded in his field. To have this type of award and be connected to Foster Graham is certainly a great thing for not only the firm but for our clients.”

The firm itself was listed as a Tier 1 firm in criminal defense on the Best Law Firms in America list. Foster Graham has evolved over the years and now attracts top level talent. “One of the things I liked about Foster Graham is for a relatively small firm, we punch above our weight,” said Chanin. “And that is really true in lots of different areas. That’s one of the things I liked about it and why I was attracted to the firm.”

Another thing that attracted Chanin to the firm was his mentor Gary Lozow who is a partner at Foster Graham. “It’s an amazing firm with great people,” said Chanin. “The chance to work with my mentor again in the last year or so of his career has been fantastic.”

Chanin, prior to joining Foster Graham, had been with larger firms and it allowed him to build his practice and reputation. But when the firm he was at sold to a larger one, he decided to look for the next opportunity. “I didn’t want to roll up to a 2,000-lawyer law firm,” said Chanin. “I wanted to focus more on being the best in Colorado rather than being a tiny fish in a national law firm pool.”

Chanin has nearly 30 years of experience as an effective trial lawyer specializing in complex business litigation, financial fraud, government investigations, and white-collar defense. In his practice, Chanin has handled and tried diverse cases involving securities, intellectual property, and trade secrets, commercial disputes, employment agreements, real estate, healthcare, and financial institutions.

He has also represented numerous companies and individuals facing government investigations, enforcement proceedings, and white-collar prosecutions. Often practicing at the intersection of civil, criminal, and regulatory law, Chanin brings a global perspective, keen intellect, and when necessary, vast courtroom experience to bear for his clients.

“In some respects, I’m unique because a lot of people won’t cross the civil and criminal lines,” said Chanin. “And I do that every day in my practice.”

“One of the reasons John is such a valuable asset to the firm is because he has a reputation as someone who will try a case and win a case, and is very bright and will work a case exceptionally hard,” said Foster. “Whenever I get a case that I think requires a lot of expertise and grit, then I’ll send it to John and if he has the ability to take it, he’ll take it.”

For more information about Foster Graham, visit www.fostergraham.com.