Founder Of The Mahoney Law Firm

Dennis M. Mahoney, age 86, passed away on August 24, 2021 at home, in the comfort of his wife of 58 years, LaVonne B. Mahoney. Denny was born on January 18, 1935, in York, Pennsylvania, the son of Charles D. Mahoney and Marjorie D. Mahoney.

Denny graduated with honors from Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He then attended Temple University in Philadelphia, PA where he graduated 4th in his class of 125. After graduating, Denny moved to Colorado to complete his medical training in obstetrics and gynecology. While working at Presbyterian Hospital in Denver, Denny met and fell in love with LaVonne Bridges, a laboratory technician from Meade, Kansas. They were married on December 15, 1962.

Shortly thereafter, Denny served for two years, 1963-65, as a Captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corps, delivering hundreds of babies.  During his time in the Army, Dr. Mahoney had the opportunity to testify as a treating doctor in a military court matter. This exposure sparked his interest in the law, and eventually he decided to attend law school.

Denny continued to practice medicine while he completed law school. He graduated first in his class from Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He was a member of the law review and received several academic awards. After graduating in 1968, he and LaVonne moved back to Colorado, which Denny referred to as “God’s country.”

Dr. Mahoney moved back to Denver and entered private practice as a medical malpractice defense lawyer. As a partner at the law firm of Johnson & Mahoney, he defended doctors in malpractice cases for more than twenty years. In 1990, Dr. Mahoney established his own law firm and began representing victims of medical malpractice. His sons Paul and Kevin joined his firm in 1993 and 1995 respectively. Dr. Mahoney’s excellence has been recognized by his peers as he has been listed in the book The Best Lawyers in America.

Dr. Mahoney dedicated his legal career to helping victims of catastrophic injuries. He did this with compassion and tireless effort. His sons, Kevin and Paul, continue to practice law with these same principles that their father instilled in them. Kevin and Paul are proud to continue the tradition of excellence of The Mahoney Law Firm.

Family And Personal Life

Denny and LaVonne raised four sons. Denny was a devoted husband and loving father, always placing his family as his top priority. In wintertime, he could be found on the ski slopes of Breckenridge, chastising Texans to stay off the expert runs. In springtime, he could be found prowling the sidelines of his sons’ lacrosse games, “working” the refs.

Never shy with his analysis or opinion, Denny was well known for both his joy in the successes of his family, and his disdain for an opposing team or unsavory politician. He was known for telling good stories. He would sometimes embellish what may have actually happened for dramatic effect or to emphasize a point, oftentimes with a wink and a smile.

Denny is survived by his wife, LaVonne B. Mahoney; his four sons, Chuck (Jenna), Paul (Rita), Kevin (Andrea), and Bo (Amanda); and his sister, Marjann Bower. He is also survived by thirteen grandchildren: Connor, Cameron, Lindsay, Luke, Caroline, Mariah, Sean, Phelan, Bricín, Caitlin, Jack, Emma, and Paige.

Denny is preceded into eternal life by his parents, Charles D. Mahoney and Marjorie D. Mahoney, and his brother, James C. Mahoney.

Honors And Awards

Dennis was selected as a Colorado Super Lawyer in 2007-2018 in the Plaintiff Medical Malpractice category. Only 5% of attorneys are selected as Super Lawyers.

In 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, Dennis was chosen by 5280 Magazine as one of only 7 attorneys in the state of Colorado as a Top Lawyer in the field of plaintiffs’ medical malpractice. Less than 3% of the attorneys in the state were chosen as Top Lawyers. 2020 SuperLawyers selection in the field of Insurance Coverage.

He is a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, which is limited to attorneys who, while acting as lead counsel, have achieved awards or settlements in excess of $2,000,000 for an individual client.

Dennis M. Mahoney, MD was selected among America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators® for 2018. Selection to America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators® is by invitation only and is reserved to identify the nation’s most exceptional trial attorneys in high-value, high-stakes legal matters.

To be considered for selection, an attorney must have litigated (for either plaintiff or defendant) a matter (1) with at least $2,000,000 in alleged damages at stake or (2) with the fate of a business worth at least $2,000,000 at stake. These minimum qualifications are required for initial consideration. Thereafter, candidates are carefully screened through comprehensive Qualitative Comparative Analysis based on a broad array of criteria, including the candidate’s professional experience, litigation experience, significant case results, representative high-stakes matters, peer reputation, and community impact in order to rank the candidates throughout the state.

Only the top 100 qualifying attorneys in each state will receive this honor and be selected for membership among America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators®. With these extremely high standards for selection to America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators®, less than one-half percent (0.5%) of active attorneys in the United States will receive this honor – truly the most exclusive and elite level of attorneys in the community.