Dave is a leader in the legal community and has received numerous prestigious distinctions and awards during his 43 years of practice as a litigator.

Dave began his career before taking the bar exam at the District Attorney’s office for Denver, Colorado. After passing the bar on his first attempt, Dave was sworn in to practice law and sworn in as a Deputy District Attorney the same day, on October 9, 1979, when he was only 24 years old. He has been trying cases ever since.

Dave began prosecuting misdemeanors and major traffic offenses in County Court. He was promoted less than a year later to the Juvenile Court and prosecuted felonies and misdemeanors against juveniles. Again, in less than a year, he was elevated to practice in the District Court, where he prosecuted adult felonies from First Degree Murder to Forgery and everything in between. In 1983, Dave was promoted to Chief Deputy District Attorney for the Denver District Attorney’s office, one of the youngest in its history.

Dave entered private practice in the spring of 1984 and practiced as a civil litigator, primarily doing insurance defense work and the defense of U.S.C. section 1983 cases. However, in January of 1985, Dave was asked to return to the District Attorney’s Office, by D.A. Norm Early, as the Chief Deputy in charge of Complex Prosecutions for the Denver District Attorney’s office. He accepted that position and held it until October of 1992 when he entered private practice. During his tenure as the Chief Deputy in charge of the Complex Prosecutions unit, Dave handled various high-profile, high-publicity, and difficult, complex matters. He was also in charge of all Denver Statutory Grand Jury matters, investigations, and public corruption prosecutions.

In October of 1992, Dave joined Christopher C. Cross as a partner in the firm of Cross and Heckenbach, PC. During the five years Cross and Heckenbach, P.C. existed, Dave began handling complicated divorce matters, security litigation, criminal matters, attorney disciplinary matters, and some personal injury matters. Upon his partner’s elevation to the bench in 1997, Dave became a founding partner in one of the preceding entities to Heckenbach Suazo LLP. First known as Gutterman Carlton Heckenbach, LLP, the name changes evolved to reflect Dave Heckenbach, Jim Thompson, and Mychael Dave as the primary partners in the same entity that began on August 1, 1997.

During his time with Heckenbach Suazo LLP and now, Heckenbach Law PC, Dave has continued to practice primarily in highly complicated divorce matters for individuals of high net worth and income. He has handled hundreds of contested hearings in cases such as divorce, paternity, allocation of parental responsibilities, child support modification, child support enforcement, maintenance modification, stepparent rights, and grandparents’ rights.

As a trial lawyer for over 43 years, Dave is well known for the respect he commands in the courtroom among attorneys and judges and as a formidable adversary who is entirely at ease and confident in the courtroom. Because of his courtroom presence and skills, Dave is generally successful in negotiating cases to a conclusion without requiring litigation. Adversaries have come to know his trial talent, and skills, and knowledge. He will present a case with a zeal, skill, and compelling strategies.

Family Law

Divorce

Post-Decree Modifications

Paternity Actions

Juvenile / DNN

Marital Prenuptial & Postnuptial Agreements

Same Sex / Cohabitation Issues

Grandparent Rights

Dependency & Neglect

Guardianship

Adoption

Child Support Modifications

Emergency Motions: Suspend Parenting Time

Non-Parent Rights

Protection Orders

Legal Separation

Child Custody

Contempt / Enforcement

Interstate / International Jurisdiction

Criminal

Parental Relinquishment / Termination

Rights of Unmarried Parents

Rights of Cohabitants (Partition / Replevin)

Appeals (Family / Domestic)

DUI Defense

Misdemeanors

Domestic Violence Defense

Traffic Violations

Drafting of Wills

Medical Durable Power of Attorney

Financial Durable Power of Attorney

Wills / Probate

Living Wills

Probate / Estate Finalization

Conservatorship

Guardianship

Civil / Corporate

Civil Litigation: Plaintiff

Civil Litigation: Defendant

Corporate Formatics

Mediation

Full Service Mediation

2 hour minimum

$300 / hour

Saturdays Available Upon Request

Colorado (1979)

U.S. District of Colorado (1979)

U.S. Court of Appeals 10th Circuit (1984)

Colorado Bar Association (member) Douglas / Elbert

Denver and Arapahoe Bar Associations (member)

American Bar Association (member)

Douglas / Elber Bar Association (member and past President)

Executive Council of the Family Law Section: Colorado Bar Association (Former Member)

Honors and Awards: Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Lawyer

Colorado Super Lawyers since 2006;

Recognized as one of the Top Ten Family Law Attorneys by the National Academy of Family Law Lawyers and as one of the Top Ten Family Law Lawyers in Colorado;

Perfect AVVO rating of 10.0;

Recently recognized as a Best Lawyer in America;

Featured in Forbes Magazine as Heckenbach Carlton Ammarell, LLP (10/17/’07);

Recipient of the Pacemaker Award

University of Colorado School of Law, Boulder, CO [J.D – 1979]

Honors: Quarter Finalist, Rothgerber Moot Court Competition

Washington & Lee University, Lexington, VA [B.A – 1976]

Honors: cum laude & Psychology – (Psi Chi National Honors Society for Psychology).

New York University Medical School:

Major: Forensic Sciences Graduate Work, Medial/Legal Causes of Death

Leukemia Benefit Top Fundraiser, Alzheimer’s Association (past Board Member)

American Heart Association of Colorado (past Board Member/ Former Chairman)

Toyota Celebrity Ski Challenge (Co-Chairman)

Cross and Clef Ministries (past Board Member and Volunteer)

Deputy District Attorney (1979 – 1983)

Chief Deputy District Attorney (1983 – 1984)

Private Practice with Halaby and McCrea (1984 – 1985)

Chief Deputy District Attorney in Denver in charge of the Complex Prosecutions Unit (1985 – 1992)

Cross and Heckenbach (1992 – 1998)

Gutterman Carlton and Heckenbach LLP, followed by other iterations that ended in Heckenbach Suazo in 2020 and Heckenbach Law PC from then to present