
Lidiana Rios
Associate
LANGUAGE Spanish, French
EMAIL lrios@irelandstapleton.comEmail Lidiana
OFFICEDenver
- Malia Heyd
303-628-3643
mheyd@irelandstapleton.comEmail Malia
Related Practice Areas
- Biography
- Legal Experience
- Insights
- Presentations & Publications
- Memberships
- Community Involvement
- Media
- Firm News
Lidiana Rios is an efficient and results-driven complex commercial litigation and regulatory attorney, designing winning legal strategies with an eye towards clients’ business goals. Lidiana handles a wide range of business matters, including governance and contract disputes, trade secrets, unfair competition, and fraud. She represents companies and individuals in dispute resolution, trials, appeals, arbitrations, mediations, and regulatory proceedings. In her regulatory practice, Lidiana advises investors, creditors, developers, intellectual property holders, and other license-holders regulated by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, including cannabis companies. Lidiana has experience representing Spanish-speaking business clients in all of these areas.
Lidiana is also uniquely suited for international business disputes and legal matters, having conducted corporate due diligence, legal drafting, investigations, and resolving dispute in partnership with foreign law firms for transnational clients. She was also a law clerk at the Centro por la Justicia y el Derecho Internacional in San Jose, Costa Rica, working on litigation and investigations with the Organization of American States and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
Lidiana’s pro bono work has focused on immigration and human rights matters. Lidiana has represented VAWA and asylum applicants in collaboration with the Texas Civil Rights Project, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights in San Francisco, Public Counsel and Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project in Los Angeles, and International Rescue Committee in Denver.
Before joining Ireland Stapleton, Lidiana clerked for former Colorado Supreme Court Justice (now 10th Circuit Judge) Allison H. Eid. She also clerked at the Municipal Operations department of the Denver City Attorney’s Office, and interned with Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper’s Office of Sustainability.
Admissions
- Colorado and California
Education
- J.D., University of California, Los Angeles, 2010, Hagman Scholar
- B.A., Pace University, Pforzheimer Honors College, 2005, Summa Cum Laude, Recipient of the Kahlo-Bolivar Award for Latin American History
Honors & Awards
- Selected to Colorado Super Lawyers® for Business Litigation, 2017- 2020
- Obtained a favorable interpretation of Delaware law from the Colorado Supreme Court, resulting in compelled deposition of a high-profile public figure.
- Reached a favorable mediation resolution for a housing authority client, in a dispute with an insurance company regarding coverage for methamphetamine testing and repairs.
- Prevailed at the summary judgment stage on behalf of a family-owned recycling company in a contract dispute against a multinational electric utility company.
- Represented a multinational engineering firm in a transnational trade secrets and usurpation of business opportunity dispute with former officers and employees, winning both at trial and arbitration.
- Successfully represented a national marijuana packaging, labeling, and branding company in trade secrets and racketeering litigation.
- Prevailed at trial on behalf of a global tax services provider in interference with business contract litigation with a former franchisee and employee.
- Represented employee agents in a compensation and trade secrets dispute against a national life insurance company.
- Litigated on behalf of a global financial services firm in disputes related to mortgage origination and subprime mortgage investments.
- Represented a U.S. state in interstate compact water litigation before the U.S. Supreme Court.
- Successfully represented defendant accountancy firm in a 5-day federal jury trial adjudicating a breach of fiduciary duty dispute brought by a former client and obtained a defense verdict finding the defendant did not commit fiduciary breaches.


Injunctive Relief for Residential Property Disputes

UPDATE: The Paycheck Protection Program

Understanding Business Interruption Insurance
- Presenter (Spanish-speaking), “Litigios Civiles – Preparación y proceso (Civil Litigation – Preparation and Process),” Hispanic Chamber of Commerce & Colorado Hispanic Bar Association Event, May 16th, 2023
- Presenter, “Women in Wealth,” Transitions Wealth Management, May 26th, 2022
- Presenter, “2020 Changes to Mobile Home Park Act – Purchase Opportunities for Mobile Home Owners,” October 20th, 2021
- Colorado Hispanic Bar Foundation, Secretary
- Colorado Bar Association, Litigation Section
- Secretary/Treasurer of the Executive Council
- Equity, Diversity, and Inclusiveness (EDI) Committee Chair
- Past Legislative Liaison
- Denver Bar Association, Member
- Downtown Denver Partnership Leadership Program, Program Participant
- Transitions Wealth Management, Advisory Board of Transitions Member
- Mentor for Colorado Attorney Mentoring Program (CAMP)
- Denver Kids, Inc., Executive Council and Young Professionals Council Member
- Volunteer Pro Bono Attorney at International Rescue Committee, Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network, and Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project
- Quoted in Westword, “Challenge to Colorado Charitable Solicitations Act Could Decrease Trust in Nonprofits,” February 10, 2023

Bally’s Arapahoe Park Fights for Tax Policy

Rios Elected as Secretary/Treasurer of CBA’s Litigation Section

Ireland Stapleton Announces 2023 EDI Committee

Spotlight on Lidiana Rios

Rios Named to the CHBA Foundation’s Board of Directors
