Burg Simpson Eldredge Hersh & Jardine, P.C.
40 Inverness Drive East
Englewood, CO 80112
303-792-5595 www.burgsimpson.com
Michael Burg J.D. is one of America’s leading trial lawyers, a best-selling author, legal expert and founding shareholder of Burg Simpson Eldredge Hersh & Jardine. A legal champion for victims of corporate and individual malfeasance, negligence, overreach and abuse, Burg began his career fighting for the underdog and has gone on to successfully litigate some of the country’s most high-profile cases of the past four decades. Under Burg’s leadership, Burg Simpson Eldredge Hersh & Jardine has expanded to more than 60 attorneys across seven cities. A national leader in mass tort and class action litigation, the firm has won more than $1 billion in verdicts, judgments and settlements on behalf of its clients.
During his 40-year career, Burg has been a vigilant consumer watchdog, representing thousands of individuals and helping their families overcome catastrophic injuries and immense hardship. He’s taken on big pharma in multiple, dangerous drug mass tort cases including Fen-Phen, Yaz/Yasmin, Ortho Evra, and Pradaxa. Burg stood up to corporate greed fighting against UBS for knowingly selling risky mortgages to investors, creating the blueprint for many similar actions by states, municipalities, government regulators and other aggrieved investors. More recently, Burg filed a sweeping action against 28 California wineries to stop them from selling toxic wine contaminated with arsenic and he’s representing the victims of a fraudulent scheme to illegally sell human body parts of their loved one’s bodies that were supposed to be donated for scientific and medical education and research.
Burg is a member of the Arizona, Colorado and Nebraska bars and is an inductee into the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame, an honor that recognizes his lifelong dedication to representing clients at the highest level. He was named Barrister’s Best “Best Civil Litigator†of 2016, has been named to “America’s 50 Leading Lawyers†for the past six years, and is a recipient of the Clarence Darrow Award.
Burg was admitted to the practice of law in 1976 after receiving a J.D. from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and a B.A. from the University of Denver. He’s an Advocate and Life Fellow of the American Board of Trial Advocates, a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, a Sustaining Fellow of the Roscoe Pound Institute and serves on the board of Denver’s Mizel Museum.
An active and committed member of his community, Burg is a noted supporter of Toys for Tots, Make A Wish Colorado, Colorado Symphony Orchestra and the Denver Bar Association Community Action Network.
Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year 2016,†Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs, Denver
America’s 50 Leading Trial Lawyers, The U.S. Legal 500, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018.
Recommended Attorney, Mass Tort, The U.S. Legal 500, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018.
Lawyer of the Decade, Law Week Colorado, 2000-2010
Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year 2013,†Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Plaintiffs, Denver
Barrister’s Best People’s Choice, Best Civil Litigator, Law Week Colorado, 2015
Clarence Darrow Award, 2013
Outstanding Alumni Award, The University of Denver Sturm College of Law, 2013
Top 100 Most Influential Attorneys (National), the National Trial Lawyers
Top 100 Attorney (Colorado), the National Trial Lawyers
Best Lawyers® in America, 2007 – 2020
Colorado Super Lawyers®, 2006 – 2020 and Top 100 Super Lawyers® 2014
5280Â Magazine Top Lawyer, 2015-2019
Wiedemann and Wysocki Award, American Association for Justice, 2014
Litigation Star, Benchmark Litigation, United States – Plaintiffs, Mass Tort/Product Liability, 2013
Local Litigation Star, Benchmark Litigation, Colorado – Plaintiffs, 2012 and 2013
Denver Business Journal Power Book, 2011, 2013
President, the National Trial Lawyers, 2010
“Best of the U.S.†2006 – 2011
Barrister’s Best Overall Litigator, Law Week Colorado, 2010
Barrister’s Best, Personal Injury, Law Week Colorado, 2009 – 2011
Barrister’s Best, Mass Tort Lawyer, Law Week Colorado, 2011 and 2012
Colorado Lawyer of the Year, Law Week Colorado, 2008
AV Preeminent® Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
Heavy Lifting Award, American Association for Justice (AAJ), 2011
BAR ADMISSIONS
Colorado, 1976
Arizona, 2014
Nebraska, 1996
U.S. District Court, District of Colorado, 1976
U.S. District Court, District of Arizona, 2015
U.S. Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit, 1979
U.S. Supreme Court, 1990
COURT APPOINTMENTS
Appointed to the Colorado Supreme Court Nominating Commission, 2014, by the Governor of the State of Colorado, the Colorado Attorney General, and the Chief Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court.
Plaintiffs' Steering Committee for the Zyprexa Multidistrict Litigation - The Honorable Jack Weinstein, United States District Judge, Eastern District of New York
State Liaison Committee for the Vioxx Multidistrict Litigation - The Honorable Eldon Fallon, United States District Judge, Eastern District of Louisiana
Plaintiffs’ Co-lead Counsel, Ortho Evra Products Multidistrict Litigation - The Honorable David A. Katz, United States District Judge, Northern District of Ohio
Co-Lead Counsel, Yaz/Yasmin Multidistrict Litigation - The Honorable David Herndon, United States District Judge for the Southern District of Illinois
EDUCATION
J.D., 1975, The University of Denver Sturm College of Law
B.A., 1972, The University of Denver
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
The Melvin M. Belli Society
The National Trial Lawyers (NTL)
Colorado Trial Lawyers Association (CTLA)
Colorado Bar Association
Denver Bar Association
Arapahoe County Bar Association (ACBA)
American Association for Justice (AAJ)
Presidents Club, American Association for Justice (AAJ)
Advocate and Life Fellow, American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
Executive Committee, The National Trial Lawyers, 2009
Other Appointments and Accomplishments
Sustaining Fellow, Roscoe Pound Institute
Board Member, Mizel Museum
Sponsor, Study Hall at The University of Denver
Sponsor, Moot Court Trial Room at The University of Wyoming
Building a Successful Mass Tort Project: Identifying the Opportunities; October, 2016
Never Give Up!: Top Ten Lessons from Our Eight-Year Battles in the CDO Litigation about the Collapse of the U.S. Economy, January, 2016
Punitive Damages: What You Should Know to Prepare Your Next Case and to Maximize Your Damages by Including a Punitive Damages Claim; June, 2015
Protection of California Wine Consumers: Arsenic is Poison; June, 2015
Advertising: Necessity? Dangerous? Out of Control?; May, 2015
Mass Torts & Class Actions 101; May, 2015
Arsenic Levels in Popular, Low-Cost California Wines; April, 2015
The Importance of the Judge and Jurisdiction to Your Case and Common Benefit Percentages; April, 2015
Mental Pain and Anguish in Injury Cases; January, 2015
If You Build It... They Will Come: How We Have Succeeded and Thrived; January, 2015
Morcellator Litigation Primer; October, 2014
Referrals and Networking for the Future; January, 2014
Voir Dire: The New Goals in 2014 and How They Differ From the Old Goals; January, 2014
Roadmap of a Mass Tort: Lessons Learned and Strategies for the Future; September, 2013
How to Choose Your Next Mass Tort; September, 2013
Punitive Damages; June, 2013
Commercial Litigation Update; October, 2012
Presenting to the Defense and the Jury; June, 2012
Direct and Cross Examination of Life Care Planners; April, 2012
National Trial Lawyers Summit – Flourishing in the Age of Tort Reform: A Brainstorming Session; January, 2012
Panel Member: Judicial Forum on Mass Torts; January, 2012
Defining Mental Anguish; September, 2011
Moderator: Civil Court Judicial Forum: Advanced Discovery & Trial Practice; Denver, Colorado; May, 2009 and October, 2010
Trial of the Plaintiff Personal Injury Case; September, 2010
Statutes Which Affect Liability Evaluation in Personal Injury Actions; September, 2010
PI Litigator’s Summit; Las Vegas, Nevada; March 7-9, 2010
The Plaintiff Practice Goes Green; Maximizing the Value of Your Cases and Your Practice; Napa, California; September 19-20, 2010
The Art of Negotiation. What Makes Some Lawyers Poor Negotiators and Other Lawyers Superb Negotiators. The Art, Science and Skill of Mastering Negotiation Methods in Order to Maximize the Benefit for your Clients; April, 2010
The Challenge of Proving “Physical†and “Mental†Pain and Suffering; February, 2010
How to Get the Big Verdict (Personal Injury, Product Liability, and Commercial); October, 2009
Snow Skiing and Other Head Injury Cases; February, 2009
The Collapse of Wall Street and What Only Trial Lawyers Can Do About It; February, 2009
If You Build It They Will Come. The Steps to Building a Successful Law Firm; Various presentations – 2009 to present