On Thursday, July 3, 2025, the Presiding Disciplinary Judge of the Supreme Court of Colorado suspended attorney Charles John Vanstrom for six months following a stipulation to discipline. Vanstrom, who holds attorney registration number 20479, must petition for reinstatement after serving his suspension.

The case is entitled “In the Matter of Charles John Vanstrom,” with case number 25PDJ45.

The disciplinary action stems from Vanstrom’s handling of a legal case while working as an independent contractor for a law firm. In 2021, the firm filed a lawsuit on behalf of a client, which led to the opposing party filing an amended answer that included multiple counterclaims, seeking substantial economic and non-economic damages.

As the case progressed, Vanstrom increased his involvement, particularly after the court lifted a stay on discovery in January 2023. Subsequently, the firm’s lead attorney had minimal involvement, relying on Vanstrom to manage the case. Despite receiving an extension to submit discovery responses, Vanstrom failed to provide timely responses to the opposing party.

When the opposing counsel moved to compel the discovery, a hearing was held in which Vanstrom appeared without his client. He attributed the delays in submitting discovery responses to communication challenges with the client. The court granted the motion to compel, allowing additional time for Vanstrom to provide the necessary documentation, and mandated that the client attend the next conference to account for his lack of participation.

In early March 2023, Vanstrom forwarded the discovery requests and template responses to the client, who responded promptly. However, Vanstrom did not submit any responses to the opposing party. A court conference in late March noted the client’s absence, leading to sanctions for failing to respond to discovery. The court dismissed the client’s claims with prejudice and granted the opposing party’s counterclaims, which sought damages approaching $2 million.

No one talked about the order or the February 2023 discovery mandate with the client until the firm’s lawyer reached out in May 2023. Vanstrom did not maintain up-to-date records of his communications with the client.

The lack of timely communication and diligent representation led to Vanstrom’s violations of Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct (Colo. RPC) 1.3, requiring reasonable diligence and promptness in client representation, and Colo. RPC 1.4, mandating reasonable communication with clients.

According to Avvo, Mr. Vanstrom acquired his law license in Florida in 1991.

A copy of the original filing can be found here.