For more than 4 decades, I have tried cases in front of Montana juries across the state, from Wolf Point to Missoula, Miles City to Great Falls, and just about every town in between. In doing so, I have earned membership in the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers, which accepts only the top 1% of lawyers in each state. My colleagues in the Montana Trial Lawyers Association awarded me trial lawyer of the year in 2013.
I spent my first 20 years of practice defending doctors and hospitals. As a result, I have an intimate understanding of how defense attorneys, defendant healthcare providers, and their insurance companies analyze medical negligence cases. For the past 25 years, I have represented patients in a wide variety of claims, encompassing all types of injuries, as well as wrongful death and products liability cases.
During my career, I obtained one of the largest medical malpractice verdicts in Montana and have had several verdicts in the million-dollar range, not to mention millions of dollars in settlements over the years. Insurance companies in Montana know that barring settlement, I am ready and willing to go to trial.
When I am not busy fighting for your rights, you will find me fly fishing along the Stillwater, playing with my grandkids, or working to support my community’s efforts to revitalize historic parts of downtown Billings.
• U.S. District Court District of Montana, 1975
• U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1978
• J.D. – 1975
• Honors: Graduated With Honors
• Law Review: Montana Law Review, 1974 – 1975
Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana
• B.S. – 1972
• Major: Mathematics
• Release Desk book, Montana Defense Trial Lawyers, 1989
• Montana Ultimate Trial Notebook – Voir Dire: The Beginning (Chapter), Montana Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocacy, 1998
• Unfair Insurance Practices and Claims of Serious Bodily Injury
• Presenter: A Trial Demonstration in an SUV Roll-Over Case, American Board of Trial Advocacy, 2002
• Presenter: How to Deal With Difficult Lawyers, National Practice Institute, 2000
• Presenter: Multi-Party Litigation, Montana Defense Trial Lawyers, 1999
• Demonstrator: Voir Dire, American Board of Trial Advocates, 1998
• Best Lawyers in America: Trial Lawyer Listing, 2001 – 2005
• Montana Trial Lawyers, Member, 2003 – 2008
• American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow, 2000 – 2008
• American Board of Trial Lawyers, Member, 1997 – 2008
• Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, Lawyer Representative, 1990 – 1991
• Montana Supreme Court Committee on Appellate Alternative Dispute Resolution, 1996 – 1997
• Federal Bar Association, Secretary, 2003 – 2005
• American Judicature Society, Member, Board of Directors, 2002 – 2005
• Brown Law Firm, Partner, 1978 – 2002
I spent my first 20 years of practice defending doctors and hospitals. As a result, I have an intimate understanding of how defense attorneys, defendant healthcare providers, and their insurance companies analyze medical negligence cases. For the past 25 years, I have represented patients in a wide variety of claims, encompassing all types of injuries, as well as wrongful death and products liability cases.
During my career, I obtained one of the largest medical malpractice verdicts in Montana and have had several verdicts in the million-dollar range, not to mention millions of dollars in settlements over the years. Insurance companies in Montana know that barring settlement, I am ready and willing to go to trial.
When I am not busy fighting for your rights, you will find me fly fishing along the Stillwater, playing with my grandkids, or working to support my community’s efforts to revitalize historic parts of downtown Billings.
BAR ADMISSIONS
• Montana, 1975• U.S. District Court District of Montana, 1975
• U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1978
EDUCATION
University of Montana School of Law, Missoula, Montana• J.D. – 1975
• Honors: Graduated With Honors
• Law Review: Montana Law Review, 1974 – 1975
Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana
• B.S. – 1972
• Major: Mathematics
PUBLISHED WORKS
• An Insurer’s Liability for the Tort of Bad Faith, Montana Law Review, Winter, 1981• Release Desk book, Montana Defense Trial Lawyers, 1989
• Montana Ultimate Trial Notebook – Voir Dire: The Beginning (Chapter), Montana Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocacy, 1998
REPRESENTATIVE CLIENTS
• Persons Injured by Medical Malpractice• Unfair Insurance Practices and Claims of Serious Bodily Injury
CLASSES/SEMINARS
• Advanced Trial Advocacy Program, Faculty of the University of Montana School of Law, 2001 – 2008• Presenter: A Trial Demonstration in an SUV Roll-Over Case, American Board of Trial Advocacy, 2002
• Presenter: How to Deal With Difficult Lawyers, National Practice Institute, 2000
• Presenter: Multi-Party Litigation, Montana Defense Trial Lawyers, 1999
• Demonstrator: Voir Dire, American Board of Trial Advocates, 1998
HONORS AND AWARDS
• Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory “AV” Rating, 1995 – 2005• Best Lawyers in America: Trial Lawyer Listing, 2001 – 2005
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS
• American Association for Justice, 2002 – 2008• Montana Trial Lawyers, Member, 2003 – 2008
• American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow, 2000 – 2008
• American Board of Trial Lawyers, Member, 1997 – 2008
• Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, Lawyer Representative, 1990 – 1991
• Montana Supreme Court Committee on Appellate Alternative Dispute Resolution, 1996 – 1997
• Federal Bar Association, Secretary, 2003 – 2005
• American Judicature Society, Member, Board of Directors, 2002 – 2005
PAST EMPLOYMENT POSITIONS
• Buxbaum, Daue, Harman & Fitzpatrick, Partner, 2003 – 2004• Brown Law Firm, Partner, 1978 – 2002
