Clayton E. Wire

Areas of Practice

• Labor/Employment: Plaintiff

From the Lawyer - Sponsored

Clayton “Clay” Wire is a Partner and trial lawyer at Ogborn Mihm LLP in Denver, Colorado. He represents whistleblowers who expose illegal conduct, seek government rewards, and guard against retaliation. Clay believes whistleblowers show exceptional moral courage and that, without them, our legal and economic systems would erode.

Clay handles whistleblower retaliation and bounty cases, including complex qui tam actions and sensitive claims, as well as those involving in-house counsel. He also represents clients in discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, and contract matters. His commitment is to hold corporations, healthcare institutions, and government accountable when they violate the social contract.

Clay frequently represents professionals, including physicians, nurses, in-house counsel, corporate executives, and accountants, who face wrongful termination, retaliation, or denied compensation after reporting unlawful conduct. These cases often involve overlapping ethical, fiduciary, contractual, and regulatory challenges, especially when whistleblowers hold senior or fiduciary roles. Clay and his team have deep experience navigating these issues.

Clay is one of few attorneys experienced in representing in-house General and Associate Counsel facing retaliation for reporting employer misconduct. These matters raise complex ethical and legal questions about professional rules and permissible disclosures. Clay has secured favorable outcomes for attorney and executive whistleblowers at major companies.

In addition to his whistleblower work, Clay litigates employment, civil rights, commercial, business tort, restrictive covenant, non-compete, and legal malpractice cases. He practices in both trial and appellate courts at state and federal levels. He has handled cases under the False Claims Act, Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Title VII, and other federal and state employment laws, including the landmark Genberg v. Porter, 882 F.3d 1249 (10th Cir. 2018), which expanded protections for corporate whistleblowers.

He received Case of the Year from PELA (Plaintiffs Employment Lawyers Association), and is an active member and leader in the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) and Plaintiffs Employment Lawyers Association (PELA) and has presented nationally on whistleblower law and employment litigation. 

Clay is respected by clients, opponents, and colleagues and has been recognized as 5280 Magazine Top Employment Lawyer, a Best Lawyers in America® for employment law, a Colorado Super Lawyer, and as Law Week Colorado’s Barristers Best “People’s Choice” for Plaintiff-Side Employment Lawyer. 

Clay earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, graduating in the top ten percent of his class. There, he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Denver Journal of International Law & Policy. After graduation, he clerked for Judge Nancy J. Lichtenstein of the Colorado Court of Appeals. He holds a BA in Editorial Journalism and Political Science from Colorado State University.

AREAS OF PRACTICE

• Whistleblower & Qui Tam
• Employment Litigation
• Business Torts & Fraud
• Commercial & Contract Litigation
• Corporation, Partnership & LLC Disputes
• Appellate