Dale Pugh comes to The Sawaya Law Firm with an extensive and varied background.  He began his professional life as a military officer in the U.S. Marine Corps after graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy.  As the Marine Corps’ first computer logistics officer, his unit participated in the evacuation of Saigon and the rescue of the crew of the S.S. Mayaguez in 1975.  He was then assigned to Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. where he served as a ceremonial officer and military aide to the President. 

From the Marine Corps, Dale was appointed a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation where he became head of Soviet counterintelligence in Washington, D.C.  In the FBI, Dale recruited a KGB Officer to serve as a double-agent and he participated in every major espionage case of the Reagan era.

With the end of the Cold War, Dale left the FBI to become Security Director for Pizza Hut of America where he was responsible for the security and safety of over 10,000 restaurants and well over 100,000 employees. 

Dale holds a Master’s in Forensic Science from The George Washington University.   He has attained the distinction of being both a Certified Protection Professional by the American Society for Industrial Security, and a Certified Fraud Examiner by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.  He has taught political science at the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Foreign Relations, as well as at the U.S. Air Force Academy and Regis University.  Dale was the honor graduate for his class in Trial Practice at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.  During law school, Dale also served as the Grand Jury Investigator for the Denver District Attorney. 

Dale has conducted over 150 jury trials as a criminal prosecutor and a civil litigator.  At The Sawaya Law Firm, Dale handles a broad range of personal injury cases specializing in premises liability, product liability, wrongful death, and daycare accidents.  Dale’s experience and expertise as an investigator has been invaluable in his handling of automobile and work place injury cases.  Dale is married to Dr. Debra Austin, Lawyering Process Professor at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, and in his free time enjoys movies, Broadway musicals, and baseball.