Brooke Colaizzi is known among clients and colleagues for providing practical, business-minded solutions that place her clients in the best possible position to achieve success in litigation.
Approaching every client problem from two perspectives—what the law requires and what the business needs—Brooke has been counseling employers on all aspects of the employment relationship for more than 15 years. Her counseling services include contracts, workplace policies, employee relations, wage/hour issues, leave laws, wellness programs, issues regarding independent contractors, and covenants not to compete. In recognition of her experience and stature, Brooke was selected to serve as a member of the Colorado Chamber of Commerce’s Labor and Employment Council. She actively engages in discussions and negotiations of employment-related legislation. She also has testified before Colorado legislative committees regarding the implications of proposed legislation for Colorado’s businesses.
Brooke has the experience to successfully defend employers in court when they are faced with legal challenges to their policies or decisions. She has litigated and tried cases involving claims under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and many other federal and state statutes and laws governing the employment relationship. Brooke has first- or second-chaired dozens of cases in both federal and state courts—both class actions and single-plaintiff cases—involving sophisticated and complex employment-related claims.
Bridging the span between counseling and litigation, Brooke has extensive experience conducting and advising on internal and third-party workplace investigations. She headed the employment law segment of a year-long, multidisciplinary investigation of the leadership of a multinational corporation. She has directed and conducted workplace misconduct investigations in a variety of industries, including mining, finance, technology, real estate, e-commerce, and oil and gas, advised employers on post-investigation next steps, and litigated the outcomes of investigations. She has been involved in investigations related to sexual harassment; gender, age, and race discrimination; retaliation; fraud; and many other topics. She has a thorough understanding of the client and privilege issues present in investigations, and a deep understanding and appreciation for the importance of developing a complete, balanced, and accurate factual record.
Representing employers in multiple industries, including information technology, oil and gas, healthcare, food and beverage, government service, semiconductor, beauty, floral, cultural exchange, and telecommunications, Brooke is often called upon to conduct workplace investigations of discrimination and harassment claims involving alleged misconduct by supervisors and managers.