Hon. Christopher C. Cross (Ret.) served as a county and district court judge for 18 ½ years in the most populous judicial district in the State of Colorado. He presided over domestic relations, civil, and criminal dockets. As noted by the Judicial Retention commission in its most recent evaluation, Judge Cross “received some of the highest ratings of any judge . . .in the State,” and “Attorneys [and] litigants all have a high degree of admiration for his courteous and professional demeanor in the court room.” One appellate judge commented, “He is one of our best.” Judge Cross is known for his fairness, ability to listen, in-depth preparation, and the ability to resolve complex legal and factual issues—all with compassion and a sense of humor. Prior to his appointment, he practiced complex civil litigation, professional disciplinary administrative actions, both criminal defense and prosecution, and family law.

ADR Experience and Qualifications

• National Appraiser and Umpire Association Certification course; Denver, August, 2019
• NADN Advanced Mediation Training (18 hour course); Seattle, September, 2019
• Regularly selected as the “neutral” arbitrator for complex civil cases while in private practice.
• JAMS National three-day mediation/arbitration training; San Francisco, November, 2017
• Innovated “mediation with a robe” in domestic relations court.
• Frequent lecturer, teacher, mentor, and author on a wide variety of topics, including new judge training, panel discussions, and moderator of presentations.
• Developed and facilitated discussions with the bench and bar, including the Colorado Judicial Philosophical Society, Courageous Conversations about Race and the Judiciary, and Promoting Diversity on the Bench.
• Selected to be on the team assembled by the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS) to create the standards and rules for the Civil Access Pilot Project (CAPP) in Colorado, which morphed into the new Colorado rules of civil procedure regarding discovery and better access to the courts.
• Certified mediator after attending a forty-hour mediation training at the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada (June, 2015)
• Certified conflict coach after attending a two-day training course from Common Ground Mediation and Coaching, LLC (August, 2015)
• Collaborative Resolution in Domestic Relations training and experience

Practice Areas

• Complex civil matters, including personal injury, bad faith, business disputes, construction defect litigation, and discovery disputes
• Family law matters
• HOA and neighbor disputes
• Special Master, Statutory Judge, Umpire