Carolyn Payne

Carolyn works with clients in the litigation group at Michael Best, where she draws on experience in both the public and private sectors. She previously served as a judicial intern to Magistrate Judge Kristen L. Mix of the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, drafting recommendations and orders on dispositive motions, researching issues including expert testimony admissibility, prisoner litigation, and employment law, and observing a range of federal hearings and trials. That role provided her with firsthand exposure to courtroom practice and judicial decision-making.

While in law school, Carolyn was a member of the University of Denver’s (DU) National Trial Team, where she gained invaluable trial advocacy experience through representing DU at competitions across the country.

Before entering law, Carolyn built a strong foundation in business operations and leadership at Ecolab, Inc. As a program analyst in North America Strategic Planning, she managed a $15 million portfolio of at-risk products, streamlined reporting processes, and led executive strategy sessions that reduced financial risk by more than $5 million. Earlier, as a senior supervisor in order response, she managed a 22-person team responsible for supply chain operations, coordinated expedited orders and vendor shipments, and oversaw performance reviews and training.

Solutions in action