DIANE MICHELE CARLTON, Partner

Diane is a founding partner of Heckenbach Carlton Ammarell, LLP. She has been a trial lawyer for almost 30 years, achieving the highest ranking in the Martindale-Hubbell attorney rating system: A-V, Preeminent lawyer.

Diane was named as one of the top divorce lawyers by Divorce in Denver magazine. She was selected by her peers to be included in Best Lawyers in America and as a Colorado Family Law Superlawyer, as seen in 5280 magazine. In addition to Diane’s family law honors, she was also named a Colorado Super Lawyer as one of the top 50 lawyers in all categories of law, including one of the top 25 woman lawyers in Colorado.

Practicing exclusively in family law, Diane is dedicated to helping families come through a divorce in a productive way. For those cases that require court intervention, Diane brings the trial skills to prevail. She is a former municipal judge and lead public defender and has conducted well over 500 trials, giving her extensive courtroom experience. Diane specializes in handling complex cases including large financial estates, custody disputes and unique issues. She has been qualified as an expert witness in family law on numerous occasions, and she serves as co-counsel for other law firms who benefit from her expertise in family law.

Diane is a past president of the Colorado chapter of the highly respected American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and of the Arapahoe Bar Association. She is a past member/chair of the Arapahoe, Douglas and Elbert Judicial Performance Committee, and a former member of the Colorado Board of Governors. She is an active member of the Arapahoe Bar Association, Douglas-Elbert Bar Association, Metropolitan Interdisciplinary Custody Committee, and Colorado Criminal Defense Association. She is also listed in multiple Who’s Who publications and has received numerous nominations and awards of merit over the years as both a lawyer and a judge.

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DAVID W. HECKENBACH, Partner

Dave is a founding partner of Heckenbach Carlton Ammarell, LLP. He has been a trial lawyer for over 26 years and has achieved the highest possible ranking in the Martindale-Hubbell attorney rating system: A-V, Preeminent Lawyer.

Dave was selected by his peers as a Colorado Family Law Superlawyer, as seen in 5280 magazine.

Prior to entering private practice, Dave was Denver’s Chief Deputy District Attorney in charge of Complex Prosecutions and Grand Jury Investigations. He has been in private practice since 1992 and practices exclusively in family law.

Dave devotes his energies to complex financial, custody and high conflict cases. He is well known for his courtroom skills and no-nonsense approach. He has tried well over 500 trials. His reputation as a formidable advocate and litigator makes him a significant asset to clients who need that assistance. He has also been qualified as an expert witness on family law issues and has also been appointed as a Special Master to assist in particularly difficult or complex matters.

Dave is a past president of the Douglas-Elbert Bar Association, has served on the Executive Council for the Family Law Section of the Colorado Bar Association, is a member of the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, is a member of the Arapahoe and Denver Bar Associations, and has served on numerous boards and committees.

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LAURA L. AMMARELL, Partner

Laura is a graduate of Colorado State University and a cum laude graduate of Gonzaga University School of Law. Laura is one of the founding members of Heckenbach Carlton Ammarell, LLP. Before joining the firm she was an associate with Cross & Heckenbach, P.C. where she focused her practice exclusively on family law.

Laura is an experienced litigator, combining compassion with tough advocacy. She has a well-developed understanding of the divorce and post-decree process, which lends to her exceptional ability to effectively handle any family law matter. Laura’s practice focuses on complex financial issues and allocation of parental responsibilities, custody, adoption, paternity, grandparent rights and all phases of family law. She places special emphasis on domestic violence and emotional abuse issues as they relate to divorce and post-decree matters. Laura is an accomplished lecturer and highly skilled litigator and strategist.

Laura is the immediate Past-President of the Douglas-Elbert Bar Association, and current member of the Arapahoe, Denver and Colorado Bar Associations and the Metropolitan Denver Interdisciplinary Counsel. She is also a Fellow of the Colorado Bar Association. She handles cases in most counties statewide.

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C. DARIN JENSEN
Darin is a native of western Oklahoma, received his undergraduate degree from Southwestern Oklahoma State University and his law degree from the University of Denver College of Law. Prior to law school, Darin studied graduate-level sociology at the University of Oklahoma while also providing instruction in introductory-level sociology courses to undergraduates. Before joining Heckenbach Carlton Ammarell, Darin worked as a Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable Juanita L. Rice and for the Honorable J. Mark Hannen, both of the Arapahoe County District Court, where he gained experience and insight in all phases of litigation from the unique perspective of the Court. Darin is committed solely to the practice family law. He is a member of the Arapahoe, Douglas-Elbert, and Colorado Bar Associations and the Metropolitan Interdisciplinary Counsel.

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KEVIN VAN DONSELAAR
Kevin received his undergraduate degree from Calvin College in 1994 and his law degree from the University of Colorado in 1997. Prior to joining Heckenbach Carlton Ammarell, LLP, Kevin was a Deputy District Attorney in Adams County for over two years and then a Senior Deputy District Attorney in Denver for almost six years. Kevin is a seasoned and skilled trial lawyer, having tried hundreds of cases. Since 2001 he has served as the Legislative Representative for the Colorado Juvenile Council where he specializes in all legal issues surrounding juveniles. In addition, he is an accomplished lecturer and has taught criminal law at the college level as an associate professor for many years. He is a member of the Denver, Arapahoe, Douglas, and Colorado Bar Associations, and the Metro Denver Interdisciplinary Committee. Kevin’s practice focuses on all areas of family and criminal law.

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MYCHAEL R. DAVE
Mychael earned his undergraduate degree at The Ohio State University and a Juris Doctor degree at the University of Denver, College of Law. Mychael was a member of the law school’s National Institute of Trial Advocacy trial team in 1996 and 1997. His team was invited to the Tournament of Champions in 1997 based on their competition success. Prior to attending law school, Mychael counseled at risk youth and their families as a licensed social worker in the state of Ohio. Before joining Heckenbach Carlton Ammarell LLP, Mychael was a Senior Deputy District Attorney in Denver, Colorado. He was assigned to specialized units for the majority of his prosecuting career, including the Family Violence Unit where he litigated crimes against children and domestic violence; and the Gang Unit where he prosecuted and disrupted organized criminal activity. Mychael’s trial expertise was demonstrated on national television in 2003 in an ABC documentary. Mychael now dedicates his wealth of courtroom experience and conflict resolution skills to the practice of family law.

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G. AARON SUAZO
Aaron holds two bachelor’s degrees, one from the State University of New York in 1993, and one from the University of Colorado in 1996. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Colorado in 1999. While in law school, Aaron successfully participated in several national trial and appellate moot court competitions. He was on the winning team at the University of Colorado School of Law’s Carrigan Cup Mock Trial Competition and was a finalist in the University of Colorado School of Law’s Rothgerber Appellate Moot Court Competition. Preceding his formal study of law, Aaron served in the United States Marine Corps in the United States and overseas, specializing as an interrogator in the military intelligence field. Aaron attended the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, and studied the Korean language. After earning his law degree, Aaron began his legal career as a law clerk for the Honorable Frank Plaut in the Jefferson County District Court. For the seven years prior to joining Heckenbach Carlton Ammarell, LLP, Aaron worked as a Senior Deputy District Attorney at the Denver District Attorney’s Office. While there he was assigned to several specialized units, including the High Impact Drug Trafficking Area where he focused in dismantling multi-state drug trafficking organizations and was appointed as a Special Assistant United States Attorney. He was also assigned to the Family Violence Unit for four years where he devoted his practice to prosecuting criminals charged with sexual assault, domestic violence, and crimes against children. Aaron has tried numerous jury trials – highlighted by sixteen sexual assaults and seven first degree murder cases. He is both a skilled litigator and negotiator in situations of family crisis and brings this unique sense of balance to the practice of family law. He is a member of the Colorado, Denver, Arapahoe, and Douglas Bar Associations.

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