Richard Hughes is a graduate of Indiana University and the University of Denver College of Law. He and his staff have hosted hundreds of seminars, workshops and panel discussions on a variety of estate planning topics including probate avoidance, tax savings, powers of attorney, living wills, HIPAA, disability issues, asset-protection strategies, Medicaid law, and trust planning.

Richard is a member of the Denver Bar Association, the Elder Law Section of the Colorado Bar Association, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the Rocky Mountain Estate Planning Council, the Alzheimer's Association, the Southwest Denver Estate Planning Council, the Colorado Estate Planning Education Council and WealthCounsel. He is a former director of the National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys and Liberty Savings Bank, FSB, and was honored in 2010 as a top wealth manager by DenverBiz.

Whether conducting a seminar or confidential client meeting, Richard translates difficult legal strategies into plain English and zeros in on real-life issues that concern most every American family — regardless of means.

Richard is proud of his peer-rated Martindale-Hubbell® "AV" rating (the highest possible rating for both skills and ethics), his loyal staff of 16 professionals, his beautiful daughters — Hallie and Lauren — and the privilege of having helped over 28,000 families plan for their loved ones' inheritances since 1974.

Richard Hughes

Direct Line: (303) 409-3555 
Email: richard@thehlf.net

Bill Carpenter is our senior Colorado estate planning associate. He's been with the firm since 2001 and has worked with thousands of our clients helping them to plan and settle their estates.

Bill has an undergraduate degree in business administration from the University of Washington, giving him a great foundation for being able to help our clients sort out the details of business planning. A graduate of the University of Colorado School of Law in 1977, Bill began working as a district attorney prosecuting a wide variety of felonies and misdemeanors before moving to estate planning. Bill loves the fact that he is now free of the trial-court environment and can help Denver families plan from a non-adversarial platform.

Bill always keeps moving whether it's running a few miles at lunch, skiing down the black diamond slopes at Winter Park, or sailing Lake Granby in the summers. He is the kind of lawyer who you will feel comfortable working with to put your family's worries about planning to rest. We are proud to have Bill Carpenter as a member of The Hughes Law Firm.

Bill Carpenter

Direct Line: (303) 409-3571 
Email: bill@thehlf.net

Garrett Andersen has been an attorney with our firm since 2007, clearly our most popular lawyer, his clients adore him. With dual bachelor's degrees from New Mexico State University in economics and criminal justice, and a law degree from Creighton University, Garrett is uniquely equipped to handle the wide variety of cases he sees on a regular basis. He fills a real need at The Hughes Law Firm and for our clients who need his special talents.

Garrett is now concentrating his talents on estate planning, contested trust and will issues, probate avoidance/litigation, and guardianship and conservatorship matters. His specialized knowledge, coupled with his kind and gentle nature, gives him the ability to often obtain resolutions in cases where no hope appeared possible. In addition, Garrett's passion for educating others has translated into his conducting hundreds of our seminars on estate planning and elder law throughout the Denver Metro area.

Garrett thoroughly enjoys living in Colorado where he is able to engage in his love of camping, hunting, fishing, and travel. With his warm, engaging personality and his specialized knowledge, Garrett is an attorney you can instantly feel comfortable with. He is truly an asset to The Hughes Law Firm.

Garrett Andersen

Direct Line: (303) 409-3574 
Email: garrett@thehlf.net

John J. Campbell, CELA, MSCC, is the latest addition to our esteemed group of attorneys, serving "of counsel" to The Hughes Law Firm. With 25 years of experience, John is one of the most respected elder law attorneys in the country. He is a Certified Elder Law Attorney, a Colorado Super Lawyer®, and is affiliated with more Elder Law Groups, Boards and Memberships nationwide than we have space to convey. John has published numerous articles and has presented hundreds of seminars on issues relating to Elder Law across the county.

Specializing in what is known as "Crisis Medicaid Planning," John is passionate about helping families protect their homes and life savings. If your family needs help in this area, you couldn't do better than working with John.

Away from work, John is married to his beloved Annie, is a dog lover, and likes playing poker with the guys.

Having John on our staff allows us to provide the absolute best to our clients who need his specialized services. We are truly honored to be able to work with him.

Contact John Campbell

Direct Line: 
Email: john@thehlf.net

Cynthia Walsmith, our longest-term employee, has been a paralegal with our firm since 1982. She constructs most of the estate plans designed by our estate planning attorneys. In addition to her paralegal duties, Cynthia wears many administrative hats. Somehow, she manages to get everything done in a timely and professional manner. If we could clone Cynthia, The Hughes Law Firm world would be a much more efficient place.

Away from the office, Cynthia enjoys spending time with her daughter, Kendra, and her three young grandchildren.

Cynthia is one of the hardest-working and loyal employees at our firm. We couldn't function without her. She is truly indispensable!

Cynthia Walsmith

Direct Line: (303) 268-3999
Email: cynthia@thehlf.net

Marilyn Lane is our senior paralegal and the manager of our probate and trust administration department. As a certified paralegal with over 20 years experience, Marilyn is capable of handling estates from date of death through settlement while keeping the IRS, creditors, the court, and the beneficiaries smiling throughout.

Marilyn joined The Hughes Law Firm in 1984. She is compassionate and caring, with a strong desire to help our families. The knowledge and confidence she shares with our clients every day helps to relieve the stress associated with the unknown steps of settling an estate.

Soft-spoken, but direct, Marilyn frequently spots issues and finds solutions in difficult cases often before the attorneys do, making her one our most valuable and cherished team members at The Hughes Law Firm.

In addition to her paralegal duties, Marilyn manages many of the processes of the business infrastructure and is indispensible to all of our strategic planning teams. She is stimulated and energized about learning new technology and passing that knowledge on to others.

She is avid gardener, devoted to her family and proud of her daughter Danielle, who will graduate from CSU in 2012. Marilyn finds balance in her life and meaning in her work.

We are blessed to call Marilyn an employee of The Hughes Law Firm. We can't imagine the firm without her!

Marilyn Lane

Direct Line: (303) 409-3559
Email: marilyn@thehlf.net

Laurie Babbitt has been with our firm since 1984, helping in many areas of law. Laurie received her degree from Rick's College in 1980 and her paralegal certificate from the Denver Paralegal Institute in 1984.

Laurie is very knowledgeable in a wide variety of legal fields and has guided our clients over the years with matters as diverse as real estate, employment, bankruptcy, warranties, landlord tenant disputes, as well as estate planning. In recent years, Laurie has focused her talents on working with our estate planning and elder law departments. She assists our attorneys as well as their clients in explaining the clients' estate planning documents and how they work, including providing critical funding instructions for clients regarding their trusts. Laurie is able to explain the complex legal terminology and concepts to our clients in a manner that is both comprehensive and understandable.

Laurie is virtually indispensible to our firm. Intelligent, patient and upbeat at all times, Laurie is the type of person any employer would want working with his or her clients. Laurie receives the highest praises from our clients who know they can rely on her to provide them with assistance for years to come.

Laurie has two sons, Nick and Tyler, and a fantastic husband, Rob. Laurie loves spending time with her family, scrapbooking and travelling. We are truly grateful for the many outstanding contributions Laurie brings to the firm.

Laurie Babbitt

Direct Line: (303) 409-3558
Email: laurie@thehlf.net

Pam Nunez holds the title of Marketing Director and handles all aspects to the firm's seminars. She devotes much of her time working with executives and marketing directors of the credit unions who participate in our Group Legal Service Plan. She also is the firm's accounting manager.

Pam is a licensed real estate broker and a member of the Denver Board of Realtors and the National Board of Realtors. Pam has filled a niche for the firm's clients who have lost a loved one or are moving on to senior living, developing services to help assist the families with everything from downsizing and estate sales to property repairs and the sale of their home. Her goal is to make "transitioning" as seamless and pleasant a process as possible under sometimes difficult circumstances.

Pam has been with the firm since 1989. Her effervescent personality makes everyone she meets instantly fall in love with her. Through tough times and mundane ones, Pam always finds the silver lining. She is truly one in a million!

Pam Nunez

Direct Line: (303) 409-3570
Email: pam@thehlf.net

Sheila Barrows is a certified paralegal who brings years of experience to the firm in the areas of estate planning, probate, domestic relations, criminal law, and civil litigation. She holds a BS in Judicial/Legal Administration from Colorado State University and is a Graduate of the Denver Paralegal Institute. Sheila has worked with numerous attorneys in our firm for more than 18 years. She is so easy to work with and always willing to help a co-worker.

Sheila spends her free time being a self-taught "techy" student. After hours, you'll find her in front of her laptop learning about the rapid changes to the cloud and social media. She is happily sharing this knowledge with our firm's strategic planning teams and is indispensible as we move The Hughes Law Firm into the future.

Sheila has 2 beautiful children, Kassidy, 16, and Joey, 19. Juggling family, work and her passion for technology keeps her very busy, but somehow she manages to keep it all together. She truly is an asset to the firm. We are fortunate to have her on our team.

Sheila Barrows

Direct Line: 
Email: sheila@thehlf.net

Barbara Biddle is our paralegal who handles the preparation and recording of deeds associated with funding our clients' trusts. Her close attention to detail makes her a great fit for these responsibilities. In addition to her paralegal duties, Barbara serves on the firm's committees charged with web site development and new marketing initiatives. A part of our firm since 2008, Barbara has earned a bachelor's degree from Allegheny College, a liberal arts college in Pennsylvania, and a certificate from the Institute for Paralegal Training in Philadelphia.

Barbara is kind, soft-spoken, and a natural team-minded employee who loves helping clients and co-workers alike. She's involved in several of the firm's strategic planning teams and brings so much value to the table. But don't let her gentle style fool you — she's an amazingly talented and creative person, working on her own book.

Away from the office, Barbara is an avid sports fan, a fitness enthusiast, a devoted dog and cat lover, and a voracious reader. When she can find the time, she also enjoys a wide variety of creative endeavors, including writing, quilting, scrapbooking, and interior decorating.

Barbara Biddle

Direct Line: 
Email: barbara@thehlf.net

Andrea Laiti has been with The Hughes Law Firm since 2006 and serves as our client relations representative and marketing assistant, handling incoming calls from prospective clients, setting appointments, directing callers to the proper lawyer or paralegal, and maintaining the firm's database and contacts. Andrea also helps to organize and conduct all of the approximately 165 estate planning seminars we give each year throughout the Denver Metro area.

On any given day, Andrea may be juggling 5 to 10 different projects — all while seeming calm and unfazed. A computer whiz, Andrea is always being asked for help by people in the office facing a technical glitch or a meltdown that seemingly can't be sorted out; she always comes through. As if that's not enough, Andrea also serves on the firm's strategic planning teams charged with designing and maintaining our web presence and developing new marketing initiatives. Andrea is truly indispensible as we move The Hughes Law Firm into the future.

Passionate and organized, Andrea brings the kind of spirit and dedication to the firm that makes us all better.  We are lucky to have Andrea as a member of The Hughes Law Firm team.

Andrea Laiti

Direct Line: (303) 409-3548
Email: andrea@thehlf.net

Claudia Itjen came to The Hughes Law Firm in 2007. She moved to the United States from Germany in 2001, and, since 2010, has been a dual citizen of both Germany and the United States.

Claudia is a paralegal in our probate and estate administration department. She brings enthusiasm and energy to her job, and loves learning and taking on new projects and challenges. She helps families from the first contact with the firm through the completion the estate settlement process. Detail-oriented, caring, and totally organized, her skill set is amazing. Our families simply love working with her.

In addition to her duties in our probate and estate administration department, Claudia makes invaluable contributions serving on the firm's strategic planning teams charged with maintaining systems and processes and helping the firm move into the future.

Claudia enjoys playing darts and golf on the weekends with her cherished boyfriend Nick. Claudia is a joy to have in the office and we couldn't imagine it here without her.

Claudia Itjen

Direct Line: (303) 409-3551
Email: claudia@thehlf.net

Sabrina King, our receptionist since 2000, is the CEO ("Chief Enthusiasm Officer") at The Hughes Law Firm.

She greets our clients in the reception area with dignity, warmth and charm. Sabrina goes above and beyond, making sure our clients feel welcome, cared for, and valued. Sitting at the front desk, dealing with anxious people who may have never been in an attorney's office before, can be a difficult challenge; but, Sabrina makes it look easy as she somehow manages to help clients feel relaxed and comfortable – even under the most difficult of circumstances.

In short, Sabrina truly cares and that's what makes her so special.

Sabrina King

Pam Peterson Hohs is our Director of Elder Law Crisis Management. She has over 20 years experience as a resourceful, team-oriented professional in nursing, elder care consulting, elder law and case management. With her experience specializing in elder care and geriatric case management, Pam brings to the table a complete understanding of what many families face allowing her to help bridge the ongoing journey in all aspects of healthcare planning. She approaches the goals of each family with the absolute expectation of meeting them, or exceeding them, with the care and understanding needed during often difficult times.

Pam works daily with other professionals in the Denver area who service our aging population, providing education and confidence for The Hughes Law Firm.

Pam is also involved in numerous affiliations relating to elder care solutions, including government entitlements such as VA benefits and Medicaid, and can educate families on the best way to navigate their loved ones' needs. She has been a district director and national VP of business development with assisted living and skilled nursing centers throughout the country, a geriatric nurse and case manager in elder law.

Pam attended Mankato State University in Minnesota, majoring in business, went to Saddleback State University for her nursing practicum and has participated in CLE's through the Colorado Bar Association for Elder Law. She is a certified paralegal in the field of elder law.

In her spare time, Pam enjoys spending time with her family and grandchildren, skiing, and golfing.

Pam's unique combination of knowledge and hands-on experience makes her an essential member of our firm. We are truly grateful to have her.

Pam Peterson-Hohs

Direct Line: 
Email: pamph@thehlf.net

While working locally and remote for The Hughes Law Firm, Danielle completed a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree, graduating Summa Cum Laude at Colorado State University.

Pioneering blogging and video blogging at the Hughes Law Firm, she also participates in the teams managing Cloud Migration, Cloud Security, CRM, interactive forms and other technology initiatives.

Respected by her coworkers, she ads insight, motivation and elbow grease to every project she is assigned.

Danielle Lane

Direct Line: (303) 409-3559
Email: danielle@thehlf.net