Credentials
Education
Clerkships
Law Clerk to The Honorable Brian D. Boatright of the Colorado Supreme Court
Law Clerk at the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Colorado
Other Government Service
Intern to The Honorable Christine M. Arguello of the United States District Court, District of Colorado
Intern at the Colorado Department of Law (Attorney General), Criminal Justice Section
Intern to The Honorable Brian D. Boatright of the Colorado Supreme Court
Assistant to the Rules, Policies, and Records Administrator, Colorado Department of Transportation
Recognition
Benchmark Litigation
Future Star, 2026
Colorado Super Lawyers
Rising Stars, Professional Liability: Defense, 2023-2026
University of Colorado Law Review, Vol. 88
“Outstanding Board Member”
University of Colorado Law School Student Bar Association
David M. Sutcliffe Distinguished Student Award Recipient, 2017
University of Colorado Law School Public Service Pledge
Most Hours of Pro Bono Work from the Class of 2017
Legal Memberships
ABA Standing Committee on Lawyers’
Professional Liability Fellow, August 2025 – Present
Colorado Supreme Court, Committee on Pattern Civil Jury Instructions
Member
Colorado Bar Association Ethics Committee
Member
Minoru Yasui Inn of Court
Treasurer
Colorado Bar Association
Member
American Bar Association
Member
Bar and Court Admissions
Colorado
U.S. Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, 1st Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit
U.S. District Court, D. Colorado
Community Activity
Constitution Day Volunteer, Byron R. White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Law
Articles and Presentations
Co-Author, "The Duty of Competence in the New Normal," Colorado Lawyer.
Co-Author, "Practical Considerations for Rule 21 Proceedings in the Colorado Supreme Court," Denver Law Review.
Moderator, "When the Client's License Is on the Line: Defending Attorney Disciplinary Complaints," ABA Standing Committee on Lawyers' Professional Liability Spring 2024 National Legal Malpractice Conference.
Co-presenter, "I Didn't Know That! Little Known Facts and Common Misperceptions About Ethics," American Bar Association CLE webinar.
Co-presenter, "The Duty of Competence in the New Normal," 2022 Business Law Institute.
What Remains of the Exclusionary Rule?, 88 U. Colo L. Rev. Online.
Practices
Will Hauptman defends lawyers and law firms in complex legal professional liability matters and represents other sophisticated clients in commercial and constitutional litigation. He has won cases at trial and on appeal for clients nationwide.
Will has achieved numerous victories in the courtroom, including as lead trial counsel. His courtroom experience includes delivering opening statements and a closing argument at trial, successfully arguing an appeal and dispositive motions, and examining witnesses. Additionally, he has taken and defended numerous fact and expert witness depositions, drafted complex dispositive motions, briefed several appeals, and argued other motions in federal and state court and in arbitration proceedings.
Cases
Legal Professional Liability
Secured dismissal of claims against an AmLaw 50 law firm for breach of fiduciary duty, aiding and abetting breaches of contract, and tortious interference in a lawsuit arising from a dispute over the ownership of a renewable energy company.
Won a permanent injunction for an AmLaw 200 law firm following a bench trial. Delivered the opening statement for the plaintiff group and conducted direct examinations of two witnesses at trial.
Won a motion to dismiss $20 million malpractice claims brought in Connecticut against an AmLaw 200 firm. The allegations involved the firm's representation of a client in a bankruptcy proceeding. Drafted the motion and supporting briefs and coordinated the defense strategy for all co-defendants.
Successfully argued an appeal, resulting in a judgment confirming an arbitration award for a law firm in a malpractice case arising out of a construction-defect lawsuit.
Briefed a successful appeal in the Tenth Circuit for an AmLaw 100 firm reversing the denial of a motion to dismiss an adversary proceeding. The appeal involved a statutory construction issue of first impression.
Legal Professional Liability
Secured dismissal of claims against an AmLaw 50 law firm for breach of fiduciary duty, aiding and abetting breaches of contract, and tortious interference in a lawsuit arising from a dispute over the ownership of a renewable energy company.
Won a permanent injunction for an AmLaw 200 law firm following a bench trial. Delivered the opening statement for the plaintiff group and conducted direct examinations of two witnesses at trial.
Won a motion to dismiss $20 million malpractice claims brought in Connecticut against an AmLaw 200 firm. The allegations involved the firm's representation of a client in a bankruptcy proceeding. Drafted the motion and supporting briefs and coordinated the defense strategy for all co-defendants.
Successfully argued an appeal, resulting in a judgment confirming an arbitration award for a law firm in a malpractice case arising out of a construction-defect lawsuit.
Briefed a successful appeal in the Tenth Circuit for an AmLaw 100 firm reversing the denial of a motion to dismiss an adversary proceeding. The appeal involved a statutory construction issue of first impression.
Briefed, argued, and won a motion to compel production of plaintiffs' communications with a law firm that represented the plaintiffs in an underlying matter which became the subject of the subsequent malpractice claims against our clients.
Won a motion to dismiss $150 million malpractice claims brought in Nevada against an AmLaw 200 firm. The allegations involved the accuracy of an underlying tax opinion.
Constitutional Litigation
Representing an artificial-intelligence company in a constitutional challenge to state legislation regulating companies that develop and deploy artificial-intelligence systems.
Other
As lead trial counsel, won a bench trial in a matter concerning violations of campaign finance law by a gubernatorial candidate. Delivered the opening statement and closing argument and conduct the direct and cross-examinations of multiple witnesses.
Will Hauptman defends lawyers and law firms in complex legal professional liability matters and represents other sophisticated clients in commercial and constitutional litigation. He has won cases at trial and on appeal for clients nationwide.
Will has achieved numerous victories in the courtroom, including as lead trial counsel. His courtroom experience includes delivering opening statements and a closing argument at trial, successfully arguing an appeal and dispositive motions, and examining witnesses. Additionally, he has taken and defended numerous fact and expert witness depositions, drafted complex dispositive motions, briefed several appeals, and argued other motions in federal and state court and in arbitration proceedings.
Credentials
Education
Clerkships
Law Clerk to The Honorable Brian D. Boatright of the Colorado Supreme Court
Law Clerk at the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Colorado
Other Government Service
Intern to The Honorable Christine M. Arguello of the United States District Court, District of Colorado
Intern at the Colorado Department of Law (Attorney General), Criminal Justice Section
Intern to The Honorable Brian D. Boatright of the Colorado Supreme Court
Assistant to the Rules, Policies, and Records Administrator, Colorado Department of Transportation
Recognition
Benchmark Litigation
Future Star, 2026
Colorado Super Lawyers
Rising Stars, Professional Liability: Defense, 2023-2026
University of Colorado Law Review, Vol. 88
“Outstanding Board Member”
University of Colorado Law School Student Bar Association
David M. Sutcliffe Distinguished Student Award Recipient, 2017
University of Colorado Law School Public Service Pledge
Most Hours of Pro Bono Work from the Class of 2017
Legal Memberships
ABA Standing Committee on Lawyers’
Professional Liability Fellow, August 2025 – Present
Colorado Supreme Court, Committee on Pattern Civil Jury Instructions
Member
Colorado Bar Association Ethics Committee
Member
Minoru Yasui Inn of Court
Treasurer
Colorado Bar Association
Member
American Bar Association
Member
Bar and Court Admissions
Colorado
U.S. Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, 1st Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit
U.S. District Court, D. Colorado
Community Activity
Constitution Day Volunteer, Byron R. White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Law
Articles and Presentations
Co-Author, "The Duty of Competence in the New Normal," Colorado Lawyer.
Co-Author, "Practical Considerations for Rule 21 Proceedings in the Colorado Supreme Court," Denver Law Review.
Moderator, "When the Client's License Is on the Line: Defending Attorney Disciplinary Complaints," ABA Standing Committee on Lawyers' Professional Liability Spring 2024 National Legal Malpractice Conference.
Co-presenter, "I Didn't Know That! Little Known Facts and Common Misperceptions About Ethics," American Bar Association CLE webinar.
Co-presenter, "The Duty of Competence in the New Normal," 2022 Business Law Institute.
What Remains of the Exclusionary Rule?, 88 U. Colo L. Rev. Online.
Practices
Cases
Legal Professional Liability
Secured dismissal of claims against an AmLaw 50 law firm for breach of fiduciary duty, aiding and abetting breaches of contract, and tortious interference in a lawsuit arising from a dispute over the ownership of a renewable energy company.
Won a permanent injunction for an AmLaw 200 law firm following a bench trial. Delivered the opening statement for the plaintiff group and conducted direct examinations of two witnesses at trial.
Won a motion to dismiss $20 million malpractice claims brought in Connecticut against an AmLaw 200 firm. The allegations involved the firm's representation of a client in a bankruptcy proceeding. Drafted the motion and supporting briefs and coordinated the defense strategy for all co-defendants.
Successfully argued an appeal, resulting in a judgment confirming an arbitration award for a law firm in a malpractice case arising out of a construction-defect lawsuit.
Briefed a successful appeal in the Tenth Circuit for an AmLaw 100 firm reversing the denial of a motion to dismiss an adversary proceeding. The appeal involved a statutory construction issue of first impression.
Legal Professional Liability
Secured dismissal of claims against an AmLaw 50 law firm for breach of fiduciary duty, aiding and abetting breaches of contract, and tortious interference in a lawsuit arising from a dispute over the ownership of a renewable energy company.
Won a permanent injunction for an AmLaw 200 law firm following a bench trial. Delivered the opening statement for the plaintiff group and conducted direct examinations of two witnesses at trial.
Won a motion to dismiss $20 million malpractice claims brought in Connecticut against an AmLaw 200 firm. The allegations involved the firm's representation of a client in a bankruptcy proceeding. Drafted the motion and supporting briefs and coordinated the defense strategy for all co-defendants.
Successfully argued an appeal, resulting in a judgment confirming an arbitration award for a law firm in a malpractice case arising out of a construction-defect lawsuit.
Briefed a successful appeal in the Tenth Circuit for an AmLaw 100 firm reversing the denial of a motion to dismiss an adversary proceeding. The appeal involved a statutory construction issue of first impression.
Briefed, argued, and won a motion to compel production of plaintiffs' communications with a law firm that represented the plaintiffs in an underlying matter which became the subject of the subsequent malpractice claims against our clients.
Won a motion to dismiss $150 million malpractice claims brought in Nevada against an AmLaw 200 firm. The allegations involved the accuracy of an underlying tax opinion.
Constitutional Litigation
Representing an artificial-intelligence company in a constitutional challenge to state legislation regulating companies that develop and deploy artificial-intelligence systems.
Other
As lead trial counsel, won a bench trial in a matter concerning violations of campaign finance law by a gubernatorial candidate. Delivered the opening statement and closing argument and conduct the direct and cross-examinations of multiple witnesses.