Introduction
In 2018, after 21 years of distinguished service for the Orange County Superior Court, Judge Colaw retired and currently serves as a mediator, arbitrator, and private judge. After 11 years on the General Civil Panel, Judge Colaw served for 9 years on the Complex Civil Panel, where he developed an unparalleled track record, presiding over a broad spectrum of challenging cases including employment class actions, construction defects, toxic torts, CEQA and other multi-party complex matters.
Judge Colaw is a long time active member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)and Association of Business Trial Lawyers (ABTL). He is the proud recipient of many judicial honors including several “Judge of the Year” awards from various organizations. Prior to serving on the bench, Judge Colaw was in private practice for 20 years representing both plaintiffs and defendants in all types of civil litigation. Judge Colaw, a United States Navy veteran who served two tours of duty in Vietnam, is an alumnus of the Santa Clara University School of Law, and the University of California, Los Angeles.
Practice Areas
Hobbies & Interests
Judge Colaw is a sports enthusiast who yearly in autumn travels to college football meccas for big games with his brothers and sons. He especially loves all classical music, most jazz, some pop, enjoys photography, bicycling, the beach, cooking French cuisine with his spouse, and travel anywhere, although especially the USA and Europe.
Testimonials
"Judge Colaw was excellent and impressive."
- Attorney on an Employment Negligent Hiring case
"Judge Colaw was kind and caring. He also was very clear in sharing his perspective of our case. He was an absolute blessing to me and my client."
- Attorney on a Construction Breach of Contract Matter
"Good listener. Effective listener & communicator. No sugarcoating – appreciated that. Quite likable."
- Attorney on a real property dispute
"Did a good job getting key information to the other side."
- Attorney on a Business/Contractual Dispute
"Judge Colaw was fantastic; it was one of the better mediation experiences I’ve had. We did not settle the case on the day of mediation, and he continued to work with and for us, and we resolve the case a week later. I will, and already have recommended Judge Colaw to others."
- Attorney on a Medical Malpractice Matter
"Judge Colaw was great—I would definitely use him again. His understanding of the issues, approach to dealing with people, and demeanor were simply excellent. He is a rare find and I look forward to working with him again."
- Attorney on a Personal Injury Auto Wrongful Death Matter
"I thought Judge Colaw was very good and I would definitely use him again. We were very impressed with the effort put in by the judge and how well prepared he was to understand each side's position."
- Attorney on a Personal Injury Matter
"He really established a great deal of trust with our client."
- Attorney on a Personal Injury Auto Matter
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