Bret Cogdill

Mr. Cogdill concentrates his practice in civil construction defect litigation. Since joining Higgins, Hopkins, McLain and Roswell in 2005, Mr. Cogdill has represented developers and general contractors in several cases involving large, multi-family developments. He has defended against allegations regarding all phases of development, from initial design to construction and finish work to incorporation of homeowners associations. He has also represented developers and construction professionals in cases related to single family homes, damages to underground utilities, and personal injury allegedly resulting from construction or design defects. Mr. Cogdill has negotiated several settlements between our clients and plaintiff-homeowners and recovered damages against subcontractors.

Before he joined this firm, Mr. Cogdill was a Judge Advocate Army Officer, where he focused on Federal Tort Claims Act matters and assisted the Department of Justice in Federal tort cases. He also served as a Military Magistrate, and was responsible for approving or denying search warrant requests, conducting pre-trial confinement hearings, and ordering continued confinement or release of accused soldiers.

Mr. Cogdill received his law degree in 2001 from the University of Denver, College of Law. During law school Mr. Cogdill was awarded an internship with the State Department, serving at the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Hercegovina. There he drafted reporting cables after interviewing Bosnian and international leaders on legal and political issues vital to U.S. foreign policy: redistribution of pre-war real property, reform of property law, a Constitutional Court case revising the Peace Accords, judicial reform, a controversial plan for post-war reconstruction of religious sites, and rebuilding of government institutions.