John Reha focuses his practice on litigating business disputes, including complex commercial matters, unfair competition cases, matters relating to covenants not to compete and trade secrecy restrictions and corporate split-up and governance disputes.   He also structures business organizations, with a focus on evaluating and capturing tangible and intangible assets and determining appropriate ownership interests of those involved.  He has advised numerous clients in these areas and has successfully handled many large disputes, including numerous trials in various courts around Colorado, both to judges and juries.  He also assists business owners and purchasers in relation to the purchase and sale of businesses.  John also handles cases under the whistleblower provisions of the Dodd-Frank Financial Reform Act of 2010.  On May 25, 2011, the Colorado Supreme Court issued its Opinion in Lucht's Concrete Pumping, Inc. v. Horner, in which the Court, in a unanimous en banc Opinion, agreed with John's arguments, reversing both the trial court and the Colorado Court of Appeals on the issue of whether independent consideration is necessary to support a covenant not to compete entered into during the course of an ongoing at-will employment relationship.  As a result of this Opinion, consideration is now found to exist upon the employer's forbearance of its right to terminate the employee and the employer need not offer a bonus, raise, promotion or the like to gain consideration for the non-compete. 

Bar & Court Admissions

Iowa and U.S. District Court, Southern District of Iowa, 1980

Colorado and U.S. District Court, District of Colorado, 1982

U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas and U.S. Claims Court, 1984

U.S. Tax Court, 1985

U.S. Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit, 1990.

Publications

“The Law of Trade Secrecy and Covenants not to Compete in Colorado,” Parts I and II, Colorado Lawyer, April-May, 2001

The Law of Trade Secrecy and Covenants not to Compete in Colorado, Part  I

The Law of Trade Secrecy and Covenants not to Compete in Colorado, Part II

“Business Acquisitions,” 1998-2007, and “Due Diligence Procedures,” 1991-2000, Colorado Society of CPA's

“Fighting Check Fraud,” Bank Management Magazine, Bank Administration Institute, Chicago, Illinois, December, 1990

“Establishing an Effective Soft Asset Protection System,” Preventive Law Reporter, The National Center for Preventive Law, University of Denver School of Law, March, 1994

“The Preventive Practitioner's Guide to Acquisitions,” Preventive Law Reporter, The National Center for Preventive Law, University of Denver School of Law, October and December, 1994 (two part series)

“Effective Preventive Law Interviewing Techniques,” Preventive Law Reporter, The National Center for Preventive Law, University of Denver School of Law, December, 1995

“Trade Secrecy and Non-Competition Covenants in Colorado: Effective Drafting and Enforcement,” National Business Institute, 2000-2010

"The 'Bounty' and Strengthened Whistleblower Protection Provisions of the Dodd-Frank Reform Act," Comment in The Denver University Law Review Online, March 17, 2011.  Click here to read the article.