At USC Gould School of Law, Paul Maxon earned the Malcolm Lucas Prize for graduating first in his class and was inducted into the Order of the Coif — recognition reserved for graduates in the top ten percent of their class nationally. He went on to work at O’Melveny & Myers in Los Angeles, one of the country’s largest law firms, where he received multiple pro bono awards. When he left to open his own practice in Boulder, Colorado in 2005, he took that foundation into a specific and deliberate direction: representing employees — exclusively employees — in workplace disputes against employers. The Law Office of Paul Maxon P.C. has spent the years since accumulating three Case of the Year awards, five Super Lawyer recognitions, and verdicts and settlements in the millions of dollars.
Overview
The Law Office of Paul Maxon P.C. is a plaintiff-side employment law boutique in Boulder, Colorado, established in 2005. Paul Maxon practices as a solo attorney and represents only employees — not employers — in workplace disputes. His practice covers employment discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, wage disputes, and non-competition agreement litigation in Colorado and California, where he also holds a bar license.
The firm is one of a small number of Colorado practices that specializes exclusively in employment law on the plaintiff side. In 2016, Paul Maxon joined the faculty of the University of Colorado-Boulder School of Law, teaching employment discrimination. He served as co-chair of the Boulder County Bar Association Employment Law Section from 2018 to 2019 and remains a member of the National Employment Lawyers Association, the Plaintiff’s Employment Lawyers Association, and the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association.
Practice Areas
Employment Discrimination. The firm’s core work involves claims of unlawful discrimination in the workplace. Maxon handles racial discrimination, gender discrimination, age discrimination (governed by the ADEA), pregnancy discrimination (Pregnancy Discrimination Act), sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination, and disability discrimination (ADA). Cases are analyzed under federal statutes including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA), which provides additional protections for Colorado employees.
Sexual Harassment. Sexual harassment claims — both quid pro quo harassment and hostile work environment harassment — are a significant part of the firm’s practice. These cases often involve individual supervisors as well as the employing organization and require careful attention to the employer’s knowledge of the harassment and its response to complaints.
Wrongful Termination. Colorado follows the at-will employment doctrine, but numerous exceptions exist. The firm handles wrongful termination claims including terminations that violate public policy, constitute retaliation for protected activity (such as filing a discrimination complaint or reporting illegal conduct), or breach an express or implied employment contract.
Wage and Salary Disputes. The firm handles disputes over wages, overtime, bonuses, commissions, and severance packages. Employees who have been denied promised compensation or who believe they were improperly classified as exempt from overtime have claims the firm evaluates and litigates.
Non-Competition Agreements. Colorado law governing non-compete agreements has undergone significant change in recent years. Maxon handles both the enforcement defense side (employees seeking to invalidate overbroad non-competes) and related trade secret disputes that arise when an employee changes jobs.
Trade Secrets. Related to non-compete matters, the firm handles situations where a former employer accuses a departing employee of taking trade secrets. Maxon represents the employee in defending against these claims.
Firings, Layoffs, and Severance. The firm evaluates and negotiates severance package terms for employees who have been let go and advises on whether the circumstances of a termination give rise to legal claims.
Attorney Profiles
Paul Maxon is the founder and sole attorney. He earned his J.D. from USC Gould School of Law, where he received the Malcolm Lucas Prize for graduating first in his class and was inducted into the Order of the Coif (top 10% nationally). He holds a bar admission in Colorado and California. After law school, he practiced as an associate at O’Melveny & Myers in Los Angeles, where he received multiple pro bono awards. He founded The Law Office of Paul Maxon P.C. in Boulder in 2005. Notable cases include: the 2021 Case of the Year from the Plaintiff Employment Lawyers Association (Kokot v. Maxim), the 2017 Case of the Year from the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association for Hayes v. Skywest ($2.45 million ADA verdict, described as one of the largest ADA verdicts in Colorado), and the 2015 Case of the Year from the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association for Basevitz v. Fremont (religious discrimination against a school district). Additional results include a $2.6 million arbitration award in Munoz v. Boulder Homemade, a $2.3 million sex and age discrimination settlement, and a Colorado Supreme Court victory in Boyer v. Healthgrades. He was recognized as a Super Lawyer in Employment Law from 2019 through 2025. He joined the faculty of the University of Colorado-Boulder School of Law in 2016, teaching employment discrimination. He served as co-chair of the Boulder County Bar Association Employment Law Section from 2018 to 2019.
Location and Service Area
The Law Office of Paul Maxon P.C. is located at 4450 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder, CO 80303. Phone: (303) 473-9999. The website is https://maxonlaw.com/
The firm serves the greater Denver area and all of Colorado. Paul Maxon is also licensed in California. Consultations are available in person following an initial case evaluation.
Client Focus
The firm represents only employees. This is not a generalist employment practice that shifts between plaintiffs and defendants depending on who calls first — the firm’s orientation is fixed on the employee side of every dispute. The client profile includes workers who have been discriminated against based on race, gender, age, pregnancy, disability, or sexual orientation; employees who experienced or witnessed sexual harassment; workers who were terminated in circumstances that may be unlawful; and employees navigating non-compete agreements when they change jobs.
Clients receive a case evaluation before an in-person consultation, which means the firm invests time in understanding a prospective matter before scheduling a meeting. This is consistent with a solo practice that cannot take every case and that applies the same analytical rigor to case selection that it applies to litigation.
FAQ
Does the firm represent employers as well as employees?
No. The Law Office of Paul Maxon P.C. represents only employees. Businesses or employers seeking employment law counsel should look elsewhere. This exclusivity allows the firm to maintain a consistent orientation in every case and to avoid conflicts of interest that arise in practices that represent both sides.
What was the Hayes v. Skywest case, and why is it notable?
Hayes v. Skywest resulted in a $2.45 million jury verdict in 2017 under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and was recognized as the Case of the Year by the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association. It is described as one of the largest ADA verdicts in Colorado, which reflects the difficulty of winning ADA cases at trial and the size of the outcome the firm obtained for its client.
What is the Order of the Coif, and what does it mean for a client?
The Order of the Coif is a national honor society for law school graduates in the top ten percent of their class across participating law schools. Graduation first in class with the Malcolm Lucas Prize from USC Gould — a highly ranked law school — places Paul Maxon in a specific tier of law school achievement. For clients, it is a signal about the analytical foundation underlying the firm’s work, which is tested in the complex evidentiary and legal questions that employment discrimination cases present.
How are fees structured?
The firm handles cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning the attorney’s fee is a percentage of the recovery if the case is successful. Clients do not pay attorney fees out of pocket while the case is pending. Specific fee percentages and arrangements are discussed at the consultation stage.
Does the firm handle cases under the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA) as well as federal law?
Yes. CADA provides protections that in some respects parallel federal statutes like Title VII and the ADA, and in some cases provide additional or broader protections for Colorado employees. Maxon handles claims under both federal and Colorado state law and evaluates which legal frameworks best support each client’s case.
Closing
Three Case of the Year wins across three different plaintiff trial bar organizations, five Super Lawyer recognitions, and a record that includes one of the largest ADA verdicts in Colorado history establish The Law Office of Paul Maxon P.C. as a measurably effective practice in a specialized niche. The firm’s structure — solo, plaintiff-only, Boulder-based — is a deliberate choice: focused on a single side of a single area of law, and built on the credential foundation that made the transition from a large Los Angeles firm to an independent Colorado practice possible in the first place.