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Cliff Stricklin, a longtime Texas and Colorado based trial lawyer, guides companies and executives through critical situations where litigation is a possible result. He advises clients in commercial disputes and defends them against government inquiries and private allegations of wrongdoing. He is a trusted advisor to C-suite executives and board members. He performs independent investigations on behalf of corporations and boards on subjects that include auditing, accounting, corporate governance and control, sexual harassment, and fraud. Should litigation become necessary, Cliff is an accomplished trial lawyer who has successfully tried and won some of the nation’s largest, most complex cases, including those involving Enron and Qwest.
Cliff aggressively defends corporations and executives in serious matters involving commercial litigation, antitrust, the False Claims Act, securities fraud and regulation (including cryptocurrency issues), industrial accidents, healthcare fraud, and environmental claims. He provides sophisticated advice and counseling in government investigations and parallel civil suits. His industry experience includes healthcare, finance & banking, fintech & cryptocurrency, oil & gas, pipelines, regulated utilities, telecommunications, civil engineering, web-based retail, biotech, medical devices, food production, faith-based organizations, real estate investments, recreation & hospitality, sports & entertainment, higher education, and mining.
His public service positions have included the roles of First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney with the Enron Task Force in Houston and Dallas, Texas, State District Judge in Dallas, Texas, and Assistant U.S. Attorney in Plano and Dallas, Texas.
As a federal prosecutor, Cliff was one of the few attorneys to have won the two highest awards bestowed by the U.S. Department of Justice: the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service for his work as a key member of the Enron Task Force, and the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service for his work prosecuting the CEO of Qwest Communications for insider trading.
Cliff’s courtroom experience also extends to the bench. During his distinguished term as a Texas state district judge in which he heard thousands of cases – not a single case was overturned on appeal. Cliff also served as presiding judge in Dallas County, Texas, a position he used to implement a number of measures designed to bring openness and fairness to the justice system. The Dallas Morning News opined, “Mr. Stricklin totes impressive credentials. His work ethic, calm judicial temperament and judgment have earned him the respect of his robed colleagues … Mr. Stricklin has performed admirably on the bench.”
Additionally, Cliff created the White Collar Criminal Law program at the University of Colorado’s School of Law and served there as an adjunct professor for ten years. He also taught trial advocacy at SMU Dedman School of Law in Dallas, Texas, and at the U.S. Department of Justice's National Advocacy Center in Columbia, South Carolina and Washington, D.C. He is also Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
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