Leslie A. Tuft

Leslie A. Tuft attended Stanford Law School, where she received the Hilmer Oehlmann Jr. Award for excellence in legal research and writing and the Lawrason Driscoll Moot Court Award. While at Stanford, Ms. Tuft served as Co-President of Stanford’s Kirkwood Moot Court program (2000-2001).

Ms. Tuft focuses her practice on construction defect litigation and related insurance issues and appeals. She has co-authored many articles and books concerning important construction defect, insurance, and ethics issues. She is admitted to practice before all Colorado courts.

Honors & Accolades

• Selected to Best Lawyers® in America, 2021 – 2022

• Selected to Colorado Super Lawyers® Rising Stars, 2016

Publications & Media

• “A Deeper Look at CDARA’s Scope,” Colorado Lawyer, Vol. 51, No. 8 (August/September 2022), co-authored with Ronald M. Sandgrund.

• “Claim and Issue Preclusion Arising from Residential Construction and Other Arbitrations – Part 2,” Colorado Lawyer, Vol. 51, No. 3 (March 2022), co-authored with Ronald M. Sandgrund and Jennifer A. Seidman.

• “Claim and Issue Preclusion Arising from Residential Construction and Other Arbitrations – Part 1,” Colorado Lawyer, Vol. 51, No. 2 (Feb. 2022), co-authored with Ronald M. Sangrund and Jennifer A. Seidman.

• “The Scope of CDARA: Time and Place Limitations,” Colorado Lawyer, (March 2021), co-authored with Ronald M. Sandgrund

• “Construction Defect Statutes of Limitation and Repose Update (Part 1),” Colorado Lawyer, Vol. 49, No. 11 (December 2020), coordinating editor.

• “Applying Waiver and Estoppel Principles to Insurance Contracts,” Colorado Lawyer, Vol. 49, No. 1 (January 2020), co-authored with Ronald M. Sandgrund and Thomas L. Roberts.

• “Mitigating Potential Condo Conversion and Renovation Construction Defect Liabilities (Part 2),” Colorado Lawyer, Vol. 48, No. 5 (May 2019), co-authored with Ronald M. Sandgrund and Jennifer A. Seidman.

• “Mitigating Potential Condo Conversion and Renovation Construction Defect Liabilities (Part 1),” Colorado Lawyer, Vol. 48, No. 4 (April 2019), co-authored with Ronald M. Sandgrund and Jennifer A. Seidman.

• “Residential Construction Law in Colorado,” (CLE-CBA, Denver 2021, 7th ed.), co-authored with Ron Sandgrund and Valerie Sullan. First published in 2005, this guide is updated every two years, with the most recent edition published in early 2021. This book won the national 2011 Award of Professional Excellence given by the Association for Continuing Legal Education.

• “Residential Construction,” Chapter 14 in the Practitioner’s Guide to Colorado Construction Law (Robert Benson, CLE in Colo., Inc., Denver 2020), co-authored with Ronald M. Sandgrund and Valerie Sullan.

• “Class Action Counsel’s Professional Responsibilities,” Chapter 37 in Lawyers’ Professional Liability in Colorado: Preventing Legal Malpractice and Disciplinary Actions, (Michael T. Mihm ed., CLE in Colo., Inc., Denver, 2016), co-authored with Ronald M. Sandgrund and Valerie Sullan.

• “The Colorado Supreme Court May Have Granted Developers the Right to Perpetually Control Common Interest Communities,” Trial Talk, August/September 2017, co-authored with Mari K. Perczak, Jennifer A. Seidman, Brian K. Matise, and Ronald M. Sandgrund

• “Construction Defect Municipal Ordinances: The Balkanization of Tort and Contract Law (Part 3),” The Colorado Lawyer, vol. 46, no. 4 (Apr. 2017), co-authored with Ronald M. Sandgrund, Jennifer A. Seidman, and Nelson Boyle.

• “Construction Defect Municipal Ordinances: The Balkanization of Tort and Contract Law (Part 2),” The Colorado Lawyer, vol. 46, no. 3 (Mar. 2017), co-authored with Ronald M. Sandgrund, Jennifer A. Seidman, and Nelson Boyle.

• “Construction Defect Municipal Ordinances: The Balkanization of Tort and Contract Law (Part 1),” The Colorado Lawyer, vol. 46, no. 2 (Feb. 2017), co-authored with Ronald M. Sandgrund, Jennifer A. Seidman, and Nelson Boyle.

• “Shoddy Work, Negligent Construction and Reconciling the Irreconcilable Under CGL Policies,” The Colorado Lawyer, vol. 38, no. 11 (Nov. 2009), co-authored with Ronald M. Sandgrund and Harmon Graves.

• “Recovering ‘Actual Damages’ Under Colorado’s Construction Defect Action Reform Act, Part II” The Colorado Lawyer, vol. 38, no. 6 (June 2009), co-authored with Ronald M. Sandgrund and Mari Perczak.

• “Recovering ‘Actual Damages’ Under Colorado’s Construction Defect Action Reform Act, Part I” The Colorado Lawyer, vol. 38, no. 5 (May 2009), co-authored with Ronald M. Sandgrund and Mari Perczak.

• “Crossing the Separation of Powers Threshold: Legislative and Regulatory Control of Expert Witness Testimony,” The Colorado Lawyer, vol. 37, no. 5 (May 2008), co-authored with Ronald M. Sandgrund and Jennifer A. Seidman.

• “Liability Insurance Coverage for Breach of Contract Damages,” The Colorado Lawyer, vol. 36, no. 2 (Feb. 2007), co-authored with Ronald M. Sandgrund.

• “Another Perspective on Extrapolation Evidence,” Mealey’s Litigation Report: Construction Defects, vol. 7, Iss. 4 (2006), co-authored with Ronald M. Sandgrund and Valerie Sullan.

Lectures & Seminars

• “Residential Construction Defect Law Update 2021,” Continuing Legal Education of Colorado, August 2021

Professional Affiliations

• California Bar Association Member

• Colorado Bar Association Member

• Denver Bar Association Member