DAVID W. HECKENBACH, Partner

Dave is a founding partner of Heckenbach/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/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/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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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/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/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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DIANE HANKINS
Diane graduated Magna Cum Laude with a business degree from the University of Oklahoma and earned her law degree from the University of Houston where she was an editor on the Houston Journal of Health Law and Policy. Prior to joining Heckenbach and Ammarell, Diane clerked in Arapahoe County District Court for the Honorable Judge Cheryl Post and the Honorable Judge Charles Pratt. Diane focuses her practice in the areas of family law, criminal defense, and general civil matters.

Diane serves on the Scholarship Committee for the Douglas/Elbert County Bar Association. Diane is also a member of the Colorado Bar Association, the Denver Bar Association, and the Arapahoe County Bar Association. Diane also serves on the board for Habitat for Humanity Young Professionals. In her spare time, Diane volunteers with Fast Forward Sports, coaching distance runners and triathletes, and regularly competes in marathons, triathlons, and various endurance events.

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DANIEL N. DEASY, Special Counsel
Dan attended the University of Colorado at Boulder where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree.  He then attended the University's School of Law, where he received the prestigious William O. DeSouchet Award for outstanding trial advocacy before graduating with a Juris Doctor in 1993.  Following graduation, Dan became a judicial clerk at the Jefferson County District Court and performed duties as a prosecutor in the First Judicial District of Colorado (Jefferson and Gilpin counties) until his departure in 1998.  He then went to work for a medical management group, serving as the director of contracting and legal affairs for a year before returning to litigation in 1999 as in-house counsel for Colorado's leading insurance carrier.  In 2005, Dan became the managing partner at Caplis & Deasy, LLC, a firm focused solely on personal injury work.  When he crossed paths with the attorneys of Heckenbach/ Ammarell, LLP in 2008, he immediately realized it was time to spread his wings. 

In the last three years, Dan has settled 25 cases for $100,000 or more, including six above the $500,000 mark and two above $1.4 Million.
 
When not serving the needs of his clients, Dan devotes a great deal of time to trial advocacy instruction.  He has taught advocacy skills to attorneys and law students across the country as a faculty member at the National Institute for Trial Advocacy, the University of Colorado School of Law, the University of Denver College of Law, and the Colorado District Attorneys Council Trial Techniques School. In addition, he has taught courses in juvenile law, delinquent behavior, judicial function, and criminal investigation.  Dan brings both a wealth of trial experience and a broad understanding of legal theory to Heckenbach/Ammarell, LLP.  He has prosecuted and defended more than 150 criminal and civil suits across the State of Colorado.

In 2003, Dan was recognized for outstanding leadership, community involvement, and professional accomplishments when he was named one of Denver’s 40 Under Forty by The Denver Business Journal.

Dan handles all family law matters statewide, as well as serious personal injury and criminal defense matters.

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