Marianne Lizza-Irwin

Foothills Mediation and ADR owner Marianne Lizza-Irwin, Esq. provides professional mediation services in Colorado as well as other states. She has experience with cases at all court levels. Her broad-based legal knowledge provides realistic understanding of not only the trial process, but also of the importance of party-determined settlements and resolutions.She also provides on-line, video-conferencing with "virtual" separate rooms as an option.

Having moved from Michigan to Colorado after law school, Marianne Lizza-Irwin litigated a wide variety of civil cases, for both individuals and corporations, for almost 30 years. She was most recently counsel with Lewis Roca in Denver from October 2020- April 2025.

Her extensive legal experience covers a wide range of areas including:

• Business
• Contracts 
• Personal injury, insurance
• Property
• Family & Estates
• Post Decree matters
• HOA
• Employment
• Commercial
• Securities and business cases
• Hundreds of mediations

Having this experience, her addition of a mediation practice was natural. The ADR process is effective, and provides a predictable outcomes with a reduction of litigation or pre-litigation costs and gives all parties involved a final agreed upon resolution.

Marianne has furthered her experience in mediation by completing the 40-hour mediation certification course through the Colorado Bar Association. She has also completed Advanced Mediation Training with the Association of Attorney Mediators.  She was a mediator with Jefferson County Mediation Services while the program ran, and is listed with the U. S. District Court of Colorado Roster for Private Professional Mediators. She was a professional member of theMAC (Mediation Association of Colorado) as well as a past board member. She is a Past Chair of the ADR Section of the Colorado Bar Association.

In addition to having participated in hundreds of mediations as an attorney advocate, she now provides mediation services as a neutral third party to a dispute, whether or not the parties are represented by counsel and whether or not a lawsuit has been filed. She also asts as special master and handles arbitrations.

• University of Michigan, Bachelor of Science
• University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
• Completed 40-hour mediation certification course through the Colorado Bar Association
• Advance mediation training through AAM, NADN and the Colorado Bar Association

• Admitted to practice in the State of Colorado
• Admitted to U.S. District Court of Colorado
• Member of the Colorado Bar Association
• Denver Bar Association
• First Judicial Bar Association (Jefferson County)
• Colorado Women’s Bar Association, through 2021
• Section Member of the ADR, Family Law, Business, and Small Firm Sections of the Colorado Bar Association
• Member, Association of Attorney Mediators and NADN
• She is listed with the U. S. District Court of Colorado Roster for Private Professional Mediators, as well as a professional and r of theMAC (Mediation Association of Colorado).

Full day and half day rates are available.  Ms. Lizza-Irwin charges $290.00 per hour, typically shared equally by the parties. 

Online video-conferencing with "virtual" separate rooms is an option for mediation and arbitration at no additional cost.