Merc Pittinos
Merc Pittinos exclusively focuses his practice on helping clients resolve real estate disputes and lawsuits. He represents clients throughout Colorado.
Merc works with developers, landowners, landlords, brokers, and homeowners. He has helped clients resolve disputes involving real estate transactions, leases, loans, easements, covenants, and boundaries. He has written and lectured about Colorado adverse possession and easement law and has helped educate Colorado commercial real estate brokers on how to avoid lawsuits.
In his practice, Merc has represented landlords in lease disputes; developers in breach of contract, construction, and foreclosure actions; property owners in title and boundary disputes; and oil and gas companies in title, lease, and joint operating agreement disputes.
Merc is a former member of the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Board of Adjustment and Appeals for the City of Englewood. From 2022 – 2023, he was recognized by Best Lawyers in Real Estate, and from 2023 – 2025, he was recognized by Best Lawyers in Real Estate Litigation. In 2024 and 2025 he was recognized as a Colorado Super Lawyer in Real Estate, and in 2013 and 2014, he was selected as a Rising Star in Real Estate by Colorado Super Lawyers.
Prior to joining Fennemore, Merc was the Managing Partner of Moye White LLP, and he served on the Management Committee at Fennemore.
Merc has represented clients in jury trials, bench trials, and arbitration proceedings and has argued cases before the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Colorado Supreme Court, and the Colorado Court of Appeals.
Education
- J.D., University of Denver
- Managing Editor, University of Denver Water Law Review
- B.A., Duke University
Areas Of Practice
Experienced, forward-thinking advocates who go beyond the expected for clients in dispute prevention and resolution.
Our experienced agricultural attorneys provide a broad range of assistance to clients, both domestically and internationally, in many areas of agribusiness and agricultural law.
Articles and Presentations
- Author, “Q&A: Why agricultural succession planning in Colorado is more important now than ever,” Denver Business Journal, March 1, 2025
- Co-Author, “Denver voters reject slaughterhouse and fur ban initiatives,” Fennemore Blog, December 11, 2024
- Presenter, “Timely Commercial Real Estate Issues Every Broker Should Know to Avoid Litigation, Lurking Legal Issues,” Denver Metro Commercial Association of Realtors, December 3, 2024
- Co-Author, “Economic Realities if Colorado Amendment 309 is Adopted,” Fennemore Blog, November 1, 2024
- Presenter, “Risk Management – Brokers Behaving Badly: Risky, Silly and Annoying Things REALTORS do in Real Estate Transaction,” Colorado Association of Realtors Leadership Symposium, October 15, 2024
- Presenter, “Industry Update: Buyer and Seller Disputes,” Heritage Title Company Webinar, April 4, 2024
- Interview, “After 47 Years, Denver’s Moye White to Wind Down After Most Lawyers Join Fennemore Craig,” The American Lawyer, April 1, 2024
- Interview, “Participants Discuss Remote Work Policies, Paperless Offices, Decreased Staff Utilization, AI Uncertainty,” Law Week Colorado, December 18, 2023
- Presenter, “Timely Commercial Real Estate Issues Every Broker Should Know to Avoid Litigation, Lurking Legal Issues,” Denver Metro Commercial Association of Realtors, December 5, 2023
- Interview, “How I Made Managing Partner,” Law.com, November 22, 2023
- Interview, “Moye White law firm makes ‘unconventional’ move to Denver’s River North neighborhood,” Denver Business Journal, October 17, 2023
- Interview, “As Big Law Plunders Talent, Midsize Firms Embrace “Lifestyle” Firm Status,” Law.com, September 27, 2023
- Interview, “Moye White Names New Managing Partner, Other Leaders,” Law360 Pulse, July 10, 2023
- Presenter, “Industry Update: When Buyers and Sellers Sue Each Other,” Heritage Title Company Webinar, April 5, 2023
- Presenter, “Timely Commercial Real Estate Issues Every Broker Should Know to Avoid Litigation, Lurking Legal Issues,” Denver Metro Commercial Association of Realtors, December 6, 2022
- Author, “Avoiding Real Estate Litigation: Follow these suggestions,” Colorado Real Estate Journal, November 2, 2022
- Presenter, “Timely Commercial Real Estate Issues Every Broker Should Know to Avoid Litigation, Lurking Legal Issues,” Denver Metro Commercial Association of Realtors, December 12, 2021
- Presenter, “Industry Update: When Buyers and Sellers Sue Each Other,” Heritage Title Company Webinar, September 2, 2021
- Author, “How Pandemic-Related Executive Orders Impact Real Estate,” Colorado Real Estate Journal, June 2, 2021
- Interview, “Commercial Evictions in Boston: A Roadmap for the Future,” Dwight Knell & Pete Stein, April 6, 2021
- Presenter, “Timely Commercial Real Estate Issues Every Broker Should Know to Avoid Litigation, Lurking Legal Issues,” Denver Metro Commercial Association of Realtors, December 10, 2020
- Interview, “As Denver storefronts go dark, experts expect more vacancies, better deals ahead,” Denver Post, November 8, 2020
- Panelist, “A Legal Perspective on the Real Estate Industry: A Conversation on the Impacts of COVID-19,” Moye White Online Event, June 17, 2020
- Interview, “Landlord sues Red Robin over unpaid HQ rent,” Business Den, May 14, 2020
- Co-Author, “Working with troubled tenants in the time of COVID-19,” Colorado Real Estate Journal, April 13, 2020
- Presenter, “Timely Commercial Real Estate Issues Every Broker Should Know to Avoid Litigation, Lurking Legal Issues,” Denver Metro Commercial Association of Realtors, December 12, 2019
- Interview, “Gravel pit could be unexpected neighbor to new Longmont subdivision,” Fox 31 News, August 14, 2019
- Presenter, “Understanding Adverse Possession, Land Laws for Civil Engineers and Land Surveyors,” Half Moon Education Seminar, May 17, 2019
- Interview, “Buyer beware: Oil and gas rigs may be closer than you think,” Denver Business Journal, September 15, 2017
- Presenter, “Defining Adverse Possession and Trespass, Boundaries and Easements,” Half Moon Education Seminar, January 13, 2017
- Presenter, “Defining Adverse Possession and Trespass, Determining Land Ownership and Access Rights,” Half Moon Education Seminar, November 17, 2015
- Presenter, “Procuring Cause,” Colorado Association of Realtors Webcast, January 21, 2015
Panelist, Colorado Association of Realtors, Legal Panel, 2016 Convention, Sept. 22, 2016 - Panelist, Colorado Association of Realtors, Legal Panel, 2014 Convention, October 21, 2014
- Author, “Is Adverse Possession in Colorado Real Estate Dead?,” Colorado Real Estate Journal, February 5, 2014, at 19
- Presenter, “Quiet Title Actions: The Basics Plus Selected Advanced Topics,” February 9, 2011
- Author, “Adverse Possession after House Bill 1148, 37 Law. 73,” November 2008
- Presenter, “Quiet Title Actions: The Basics Plus Selected Advanced Topics,” August 20, 2008
- Authored chapter on adverse possession in Geoffrey P. Anderson, “Colorado Quiet Title Actions”
- Author, “Gordon L. Allott, Sr., 36 Law. 29,” July 2007
AWARDS AND HONORS
PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY AFFILIATIONS
- Member, American Bar Association
- Member, Colorado Bar Association
Admissions
- Colorado
- Colorado Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- U.S. District Court – District of Colorado