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Mia K. Della Cava

Partner

Mia, Subchair of the Denver office’s Litigation Practice Group, focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation, with a special emphasis on public finance litigation. She represents municipalities, special districts, bondholders, banks, trustees and other clients in virtually every type of dispute arising from public finance transactions and related tax laws. Mia has deep experience in the litigation of, among other things, validation actions, TABOR and other bond-related constitutional provisions, Title 32 and the Election Code, as well as related contract disputes. She has frequently litigated public finance-related issues before the Colorado Court of Appeals and Colorado Supreme Court. 

Mia also routinely represents clients in the agribusiness sector. Her agribusiness experience includes counseling agribusiness clients on the federal and state exemptions to “shelter in place” orders issued during the COVID-19 pandemic for firms engaged in food and feed distribution, representing regional plant breeders and growers in protecting proprietary plant varieties, representing protein producers in product liability matters, representing growers and distributors in defending claims arising from foodborne illnesses, and representing producers of agricultural commodities in contract negotiations and related disputes.  

Strongly committed to civic and community service, Mia serves on Kutak Rock’s Diversity and Inclusiveness Committee. She completed the Denver Chamber of Commerce civic leadership program, “Impact Denver,” for Denver’s next generation of community leaders. Mia has also served as a Reporter at the 90th Arizona Town Hall, where she co-authored a report published statewide in Arizona, “Health Care in Arizona: Accessibility, Affordability, and Accountability.”

With her experience, responsiveness and pragmatic approach, Mia has the experience to obtain successful resolutions on behalf of her clients. She speaks Croatian fluently.

Publications
Community Service
  • The Colorado Humane Society, an affiliate of the Denver Dumb Friends League

  • Prevailed in Landmark Towers Association, Inc. v. Colorado Bondshares, et al., 408 P.3d 836 (Colo. 2017), where the Colorado Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals and held that homeowners association’s challenge to a TABOR Election was barred under the Election Code; in the same case, successfully represented the bondholder and trustee at the TABOR refund trial, where the Court dismissed the plaintiff homeowners association’s claims against them for fraudulent transfer and unjust enrichment in connection with a $30 million bond financing for a residential development. 
  • In a related case, served on team of attorneys that prevailed in Marin Metropolitan District v. Landmark Towers Association, Inc., 2014 COA 40, where the Colorado Court of Appeals rejected the plaintiff’s challenge to the creation of a special district. 
  • Successfully secured the dismissal of a class action alleging Proposition 218 violations based on a California municipality’s negotiation of franchise agreements with local gas and electric utilities. 
  • Successfully represented a California municipality in a validation action, including at trial and on appeal, thereby permitting the municipality to proceed with a planned financing for the development of public streets and highways valued at nearly $1 billion. 
  • Successfully represented a financial institution and trustee involved in a contract dispute with developers related to the issuance of tax increment revenue bonds, which dispute gave rise to two Missouri state court actions and two Missouri federal court actions over several years. 
  • Represented special districts in amicus briefing in SDI Inc. v. Pivotal Parker Commercial, LLC, 339 P.3d 672 (Colo. 2014), where the Colorado Supreme Court reversed the Colorado Court of Appeals and held that Title 32 allows special districts to assign the right to receive development fees. 
  • Recovered substantial sums for national financial services institutions in actions on loans and lease agreements in default; secured on summary judgment a $1.8 million ruling in favor of a Fortune 100 client.