Darren Lemieux is an experienced first-chair trial attorney and litigator who handles complex, high-stakes, “bet-the-company” commercial cases for both plaintiffs and defendants. Darren’s clients appreciate his confidence in the courtroom and his aggressive yet calculated approach to resolving sophisticated legal disputes. He has tried cases across the country, both in federal and state courts, and is widely recognized for his trial advocacy skills, particularly in the art of persuasion and cross-examination.
Licensed in Colorado, Nevada, and California, as well as routinely practicing in Wyoming, Darren represents numerous businesses and individuals in a wide range of disputes involving real estate, contracts, the Uniform Commercial Code, business torts, cannabis, banking and fintech, partnership disputes, and intellectual property. Beyond his substantial trial experience, Darren also guides clients to resolve disputes in pretrial mediations and settlement conferences, without the need for litigation. If litigation is required, Darren will advocate for his clients until the end, including through post-trial appeals.
In the last decade, Darren’s real estate litigation practice has quickly grown. He routinely represents developers in litigation and appeals involving land use and zoning challenges and has successfully defended clients in matters arising from adverse agency decisions. Darren’s work has enabled over one billion dollars of development projects to proceed. His real estate litigation work includes complex disputes involving large-scale housing developments, infrastructure construction, development agreements, easements, zoning issues, commercial lease conflicts, and declaratory relief actions.
Darren also has significant experience with administrative law, including representing student-athletes in eligibility matters before the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) and the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA), in which he has successfully challenged and overturned several ineligibility rulings for prominent athletes stemming from transfers, hardships, and compliance issues. Darren’s administrative law experience also includes appearing before a number of governmental and quasi-governmental agencies regarding energy and utilities, mining, healthcare, alcohol and cannabis, taxation, and licensing.
Representative Experience
Any result the lawyer or law firm may have achieved on behalf of clients in other matters does not necessarily indicate similar results can be obtained for other clients.
- Represented multiple developers in lawsuits arising out of land use and zoning decisions, obtaining complete dismissal of lawsuits challenging those decisions, along with obtaining awards of attorneys’ fees and costs and paving the way for more than a billion dollars’ worth of development.
Represented gaming inventor and litigation financier in civil theft and breach of contract lawsuit stemming from a $151 million settlement, obtaining all unpaid amounts plus legal fees. See “Gaming Co. Settles $151M Antitrust Suit Funding Dispute” and “Lewis Roca Client Cleans Up in $1.2 Million Settlement.” - Represented Wyoming bank as lead counsel in a two-week jury trial, obtaining a $1.7 million verdict for misappropriation of trade secrets (one of the first cases ever tried under Wyoming’s UTSA), breach of fiduciary duty, and intentional interference with contractual relations (including lawyers’ fees and costs). Jury verdict included a finding of willful and maliciousness on each claim, entitling the bank to punitive damages.
- Represented apparel company as lead counsel in a two-week jury trial, obtaining a complete defense verdict and an award of damages of $600,000 for fraud, deceptive trade practices, and conversion, plus an award of $125,000 in lawyers’ fees and costs.
- Obtained a $6 million jury verdict and judgment, including punitive damages and lawyers’ fees, for Southern Wine and Spirits of Nevada and Maisons Marques & Domaines USA Inc. See “Southern Wine & Spirits, Ruvo win court victory” and “Southern Wine & Spirits awarded $1.1 million in punitive damages.” This litigation spanned more than a decade and included an appeal of a permanent injunction, which Darren helped successfully uphold on appeal before the Nevada Supreme Court. See Chateau Vegas Wine, Inc. v. Southern Wine and Spirits of America, Inc., 265 P.3d 680, 127 Nev. Adv. Op. 73 (2011).
- Represented seller of petroleum business in a 13-week bench trial with more than 5,000 trial exhibits concerning a post-acquisition dispute over hundreds of millions of dollars. The case ultimately settled.
- Represented former teacher on appeal from denial of petition for judicial review regarding unemployment benefits, obtaining a reversal and remand for client by published opinion. See Hohenstein v. State Emp’t Sec. Div., 131 Nev. Adv. Op. (2015).
- Represented dissenting shareholder of company that owned Las Vegas Sun newspaper in antitrust litigation concerning area’s two major newspapers. See New York Times article “A Newspaper in Las Vegas, at Risk of Closing, Divides a Family.” The case settled and the dissenting shareholder ended up acquiring sole ownership of the newspaper. See “Brian Greenspun takes control of Las Vegas Sun, other GMG titles.”
- Represented a law firm in an action for $25 million against the firm arising out of a Qui Tam lawsuit in federal court.
- Represented commercial land owner in multimillion-dollar lawsuit for catastrophic injuries sustained from a car wash, obtaining summary judgment in favor of client and award of attorneys’ fees and costs.
- Represented Airport Authority in federal court in complex commercial dispute, obtaining a dismissal with prejudice based on state and federal motor carrier laws.
- Represented an importer/wholesaler of alcoholic beverages in a lawsuit against a number of suppliers who had infringed on the importer’s/wholesaler’s franchise rights, obtaining partial summary judgment. The suppliers ultimately agreed to pay damages and fees to the client, resulting in a successful settlement for the importer/wholesaler.
Professional & Civic Engagement
- Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, Executive Committee Member, (2021 – present)
- Litigation Counsel of America, Senior Fellow
- Member, Trial Law Institute
Member, Diversity Law Institute - William S. Boyd School of Law Alumni Association, Former Board Member
- Northern Nevada Disciplinary Panel for the Nevada State Bar, Former Member
- Washoe County Bar Association, Member
- Denver Bar Association, Member
- Colorado Bar Association, Member
- American Heart Association Western States Affiliate, Executive Leadership Team, Former Chair
- American Lung Association of Colorado, Former Board Member (Former Chair of American Lung Association of Northern Nevada)
Thought Leadership
- Quoted, "Lewis Roca Client Cleans Up in $1.2 Million Settlement," Law Week Colorado, January 6, 2020
- Quoted, "Gaming Co. Settles $151M Antitrust Suit Funding Dispute," Law360, December 20, 2019
- Contributor, "Boyd Briefs - Alumni Spotlight: Darren J. Lemieux, '05," University of Nevada, Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School of Law, May 3, 2019
- CLE International's 23rd Annual National Wine, Beer & Spirits Law Conference, October 4, 2018
Honors & Awards
- The Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation, 2023-Present
- Lawdragon's 500 Leading Litigators in America, Commercial Litigation, Administrative, 2026-Present
- Benchmark Litigation
- "Future Star," Colorado and Nevada, 2019, 2021-2025
- "40 & Under Hot List," 2018-2020
- Litigation Counsel of America, Senior Fellow
- Colorado Super Lawyers, "Rising Star," 2015-2019
- Mountain States Super Lawyers, "Rising Star," Business Litigation, 2012-2014
- Nevada Business Magazine, 2010 Northern Nevada's Top 25 Attorneys, 2013 "Northern Nevada Best," Legal Elite, 2010, 2013
