Keith Olivera was selected to serve as the Secretary for the Insurance Committee with the Colorado Bar Association in February of 2021. Keith served as an At-Large Member, Insurer Side, of the Insurance Committee from February 2020 to February 2021. The Insurance Committee is an organization that promotes education, knowledge, and professionalism among lawyers who practice in the area of insurance law.
White and Steele attorneys John Lebsack and Keith Olivera have won a 3-0 reversal in the Colorado Court of Appeals.
White and Steele, P.C.’s attorneys, including Keith Olivera, John Lebsack, Rachel Jennings, and Dmitry Vilner, are upholding the firm’s tradition of pro bono work by volunteering their time at Centro San Juan Diego’s Legal Nights. These Legal Nights, which are sponsored by the Colorado Lawyers Committee, provide an opportunity for individuals from traditionally under-served communities to meet one-on-one with an attorney and obtain free counseling or information about a legal issue affecting their lives. White and Steele looks forward to continuing to help the community at future Legal Nights.
For more information, please feel free to contact any of our participating attorneys or Centro San Juan Diego.
Keith Olivera recently obtained a defense verdict for his client, an insurance agent who sold a Commercial General Liability policy to the plaintiff, a construction company. The plaintiff was audited by its insurance company, and the plaintiff was required to pay an additional premium. However, the plaintiff never paid the premium, so its policy was cancelled by its insurance company. The plaintiff alleged that it went a month without insurance because it was never notified of the cancellation. Having no insurance, the plaintiff alleged it lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in business opportunities. So, the plaintiff sued the insurance company, an intermediate insurance broker, and Keith’s client, the agent. The plaintiff argued that the “agency billing” relationship between the three insurance entities created a duty of care towards it, and that the relationship violated the Colorado Consumer Protection Act (the CCPA).
Before trial, Keith Olivera and Dmitry Vilner filed a summary judgment motion that disposed of most of the plaintiff’s claims, including claims based on the alleged duty of care and violation of the CCPA. On the claim remaining for trial, Keith successfully argued to the jury that the plaintiff could not prove his client made an intentional misrepresentation of material fact regarding the audit process or the cancellation of the insurance policy.
Thank you to Susan Portillos and Keith Olivera (and Kyle) for their volunteering time in May! Keith and Kyle were in the freezer and refrigerator all night, keeping the bins loaded which was a chore along with moving everything around in the freezer. They had a pallet of eggs (which were a hot item!) and Kyle was digging out and loading them as fast as they were taking them off the shelves. Keith and Kyle were good sports about freezing - that freezer is cold! Susan was in the marketplace on the warm side of the glass helping the shoppers unload what Keith and Kyle loaded. It was a busy night for sure!
Interested in getting involved? We would love to see you on the last Tuesday of the month from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm!
Thank you to Adam Goldstein (as well as Laura, Kate, Kacey and Kyle), John Craver, Keith Olivera and Susan and Mike Portillos for their volunteering time in October. Adam and his crew worked in the warehouse sorting a lot of canned goods, dried goods and produce. The produce sorting is so important so that it can get out on the shelves for shoppers before it goes bad. Unfortunately sorting means composting portions which our volunteers did a lot of! Laura brought her foreign exchange student Kate with her who has to get a lot of volunteer hours while she is here. Kate will be submitting an application to become a volunteer for Metro Caring on Tuesday nights until she leaves in June! John and Keith ended up in the freezer most of the night stocking freezer items as they fly off the shelves all night long. Mike and Susan were in the marketplace assisting shoppers in the first section (which includes produce), constantly shifting the stock on the shelves to make each shopper feel like the first with fully stocked and neat shelves. One larger family walked out with 279 pounds of food! With the new Metro Caring system of “take what you need” the only thing they have to limit each family on is frozen meats due to quantity.
"My kids and I had a good time volunteering, and it was rewarding to help the community in such a direct way." -Adam Goldstein
"John Craver and I spent two hours in the freezer. Cold, but it feels warm to do a good deed! This place is amazing. Come join us!" -Keith Olivera
It was a great night! Come and join us for volunteering on Tuesday, November 22. This is the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, which is a super fun night to help with. Come check it out!
Keith Olivera won a verdict for the defense in a recent jury trial. A construction worker allegedly dropped a wooden window well cover and broke his ankle. His workers’ compensation carrier filed suit against the framer of the house. The worker said the cover tipped to the right when he moved it while he was in the window well and that the window well cover was not made wide enough to be safe. Keith argued that it is unlikely that the window well cover could fall and cause the injuries alleged by the plaintiff. Keith also argued that as a matter of common sense, when you drop an object and injure yourself, you are responsible for your own injury. The jury found that the framing company was not negligent and did not cause the worker’s injuries.
Keith Olivera obtained a defense verdict in Weld County District Court arising out of a multiple car accident on Interstate 25 near the Wyoming/Colorado border. The jury agreed with the defendants’ arguments that none of the drivers - other than a defaulted driver - was at fault in causing the accident.
Keith Olivera tried an auto accident case in Denver District Court with admitted liability. Plaintiff alleged that Defendant ran a red light and was negligent in causing the collision and that as a result of the accident Plaintiff suffered injuries. Defendant disputed that the accident caused the Plaintiff’s injuries and disputed the extent of the Plaintiff’s alleged injuries and damages. Plaintiff alleged over $40,000.00 in medical bills, loss of earnings and pain and suffering. Prior to trial, the Plaintiff’s last demand was $215,000 and the last offer of settlement was $80,000.00. The jury awarded $9,000.00. The Plaintiff was represented by Frank Azar and Associates.
