About Stephen
Stephen Hess built an unusual path into law that began in the liberal arts and moved through graduate study in logic and the philosophy of science. He earned a B.A. from Franklin & Marshall College in 1982, continued to Rice University where he completed an M.A. in 1984, and received his J.D. from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1987. Those academic steps shaped a methodical approach to legal problems and a comfort with technical material.
He launched his legal career in Denver. In 1989 he joined Moye White LLP. He moved to Gelt Fleishman Sterling in 1992 and then took an in-house senior lawyer role at Colorado Interstate Gas in 1995. In 1998 he became a shareholder at Sparks Willson, P.C., and later affiliated with Sherman & Howard beginning in 2008. Alongside private practice he spent time teaching; he served as an adjunct professor at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 2004.
Dispute resolution has been a recurring theme in his work. In 2009 he joined the American Arbitration Association roster and has served as an arbitrator. He also established his own firm in 2022 and is principal of The Law Office of Stephen A. Hess, P.C. He maintains memberships in both the Colorado State Bar, admitted 1987, and the New Mexico State Bar, active since 2010.
His courtroom and arbitration admissions are broad. They include the federal courts that handle appeals and specialized claims: multiple U.S. Courts of Appeals, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the U.S. Tax Court, and several U.S. District Courts including Colorado, Northern District of Ohio and the Western District of Michigan. He is also listed on national rosters for construction arbitration and is a member of the Academy of Court Appointed Neutrals.
Sport governing bodies have drawn on his procedural and disciplinary experience. He serves on the Juridical Committee of World Taekwondo and holds positions on the Ethics Committee and as Chairman of the Appeals Tribunal for the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation. Those roles involve rules interpretation, appeals work and the mechanics of internal disciplinary processes. Today he practices from his eponymous firm and concentrates on arbitration, appellate litigation and regulatory and disciplinary matters in both civil and sports contexts.
