Meet Sullivan Green Seavy Jarvis

Phone: +1 (303) 440-9101

John Sullivan is a founding partner of the law firm of Sullivan Green Seavy LLC. His practice has focused on representing local government entities, individuals, and local and national corporations in matters involving land use, real estate, business, commercial, and bankruptcy law. Mr. Sullivan earned his law degree from the University of Colorado and holds a BA from Colorado College. He was admitted to the Colorado Bar in 1987 and is licensed to practice in all state and federal courts in Colorado and in the United States Court of Claims.

In the local government area, Mr. Sullivan and his firm currently serve as special counsel for the City of Thornton, Town of Erie, the City of Thornton, and Phillips County. Mr. Sullivan together with Ms. Green has represented the Town of Erie, Gunnison County, the City of Thornton, and Colorado Mountain College in litigation and in other matters involving oil and gas regulations, workforce housing, and local ordinances. Mr. Sullivan and his firm also represented the City in the case of City of Fort Collins v. Colorado Oil and Gas Association, 369 P.3d 586 (Colo. 2016). Mr. Sullivan is a frequent presenter on local government land use authority.

In his own community of Boulder, Mr. Sullivan has served on the Board of Directors for the CU Alumni Association, the Boulder History Museum, the Boulder Swim Team, and the Boulder Rotary Club (Club President 2019-2020).

Phone: +1 (303) 355-4405

Barbara Green is a founding partner in the law firm Sullivan Green Seavy L.L.C. where she practices local government, land use, and environmental law. Ms. Green holds a B.A. from Northwestern University, an M.P.A. and J.D. degree from the University of Colorado in Boulder, and a Masters in Humanities from the University of Colorado at Denver. Ms. Green has represented a wide variety of local governments and other public entities since the beginning of her legal career in 1985. Ms. Green together with the firm, serves as the Town Attorney for the Town of Silver Plume and as special counsel for the Town of Crested Butte and many other municipalities and counties. As part of her local government practice, Ms. Green also serves as General Counsel to Northwest Colorado Council of Governments, and Counsel to the Rocky Mountain Low-level Radioactive Waste Compact. Through this representation, Ms. Green has advised elected and appointed officials on all nature of legal questions, drafted dozens of municipal and county regulations and land use codes, defended local government regulations and decision-making in state and federal court, represented municipalities and counties in state and federal rule-making proceedings and permit processes, and negotiated intergovernmental agreements.

Ms. Green's environmental law experience includes matters involving hazardous and solid waste disposal and clean-up, federal and state mining laws, CERCLA, the Endangered Species Act, NEPA, and the Clean Water Act. In these areas, she represents local governments in front of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission and Division, and the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board. Additionally, Ms. Green represents local governments in rulemaking and regulatory processes conducted by the Bureau of Reclamation, the Bureau of Land Management, the United States Forest Service, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Ms. Green is a member of the advisory council for the Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute, the advisory council for the University of Denver Law Review, and Vice Chair of the Sonoran Institute. She is a past member of the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board, and is certified as a mediator for intergovernmental disputes by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. Ms. Green has written and lectured extensively on local government matters and is a contributing author to Colorado Land Planning and Development Law, a publication of APA Colorado. She is also a contributing author to Local Environmental Regulation in the Mountain West (March 8, 2016), Miller, Stephen R. and Green, Barbara J. B. and Thomas, Edward and Frank, J. Lawrence. Prior to attending law school, Ms. Green served as Town Administrator for the Towns of Oak Creek and Yampa, and was Assistant City Manager for the City of Steamboat Springs.

Phone: +1 (303) 322-0366

Jo Lauren Seavy is a partner with the law firm of Sullivan Green Seavy.  She has practiced  with the firm since 2001.  Ms. Seavy, who is a Colorado native and third generation attorney in her family, was admitted to the Colorado Bar in 1988.  She is licensed to practice in all state and federal courts in Colorado.  Ms. Seavy holds a BA from Colorado College and received her law degree from the University of Denver in 1988, where she was a published author and member of the Denver Law Review and a member of the Family Law Quarterly.

Since her admission to the Bar, Ms. Seavy has developed diverse skills and experience in civil, domestic, and appellate matters.   Her extensive experience in family law matters includes divorce and legal separation proceedings, parental rights and responsibilities, parenting time, child support, property division, spousal maintenance, post-dissolution modifications, pre and post nuptial agreements, and complex multi-state jurisdiction cases.

In striving to attain their goals and objectives, Ms. Seavy works with her clients to explore successful settlement through negotiation, mediation, or other forms of alternative dispute resolution.  If a case must be resolved in court, however, Ms. Seavy is an accomplished trial attorney with over thirty years of experience throughout the state.  

Ms. Seavy also devotes a substantial part of her practice to estate planning and probate matters.  She is experienced in preparing wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and living wills.  She also works with clients to establish guardianships and conservatorships, and handles all matters relating to the probate of an estate.  In addition, Ms. Seavy represents clients in highly contested and complex probate litigation.

As a Colorado native and lifelong outdoor enthusiast, Ms. Seavy has a great interest in issues relating to historic preservation, conservation, recreation, and responsible development in the state.  This interest provides the inspiration for Ms. Seavy’s work in local government matters.  With a deep commitment to these issues, Ms. Seavy represents local government entities in a wide range of matters.  Along with her partners, Ms. Seavy provides services involving land use and zoning regulations,  preparation of ordinances, resolutions, and contracts, litigation, and counsel concerning Board functions and management. 

Ms. Seavy has volunteered in the community for many years, with a focus on assisting those who would otherwise not have access to vital legal services.  As a longtime volunteer with Metro Volunteer Lawyers, she assists the American Indian and Alaska Native community in Denver, helps individuals develop advance directives, and provides advice on transactional and litigation matters.  Beyond the legal profession, Ms. Seavy loves the opportunity to mentor young students and has volunteered for decades at a local animal shelter.

Phone: +1 (970) 596-5039

Torie Jarvis has a decade of experience practicing local government, land use, and environmental law. She joined Sullivan Green Seavy as a partner in 2022. Ms. Jarvis has practiced law in Colorado since 2013, based in Montrose, Colorado. Ms. Jarvis has a B.A. from Wake Forest University and J.D. from Lewis and Clark Law School.

Ms. Jarvis together with the firm currently serves as special counsel to many municipalities and counties. She has served as the Director and Staff Attorney at the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments (NWCCOG) Water Quality/ Quantity Committee since 2013. She supported SGS as a contract associate attorney prior to joining the firm. Ms. Jarvis also served as the Planning Manager for the land use planning firm Dynamic Planning + Science from 2019-2022, managing long range planning and resiliency projects in Colorado and California.

Ms. Jarvis has drafted practical, customized local regulations and policies for local governments as well as model water quality protection standards and water savings measures for the NWCCOG Region. Her expertise includes municipal and land use law, environmental regulation, permitting processes at every level of government, water quality and oil and gas regulation, and hazard mitigation planning.

Ms. Jarvis is a founding member of the Colorado Water and Land Use Alliance, an advisor and facilitator for the Sonoran Institute Growing Water Smart Trainings, and Chair of the Upper Colorado Wild & Scenic Stakeholders Group. In her own community of Montrose, Ms. Jarvis is a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for the 7th Judicial District and serves on the board of the Friends of the River Uncompahgre (ForU).