Holland & Hart LLP has been named 2015 “Utah Firm of the Year” by Benchmark Litigation, a guide to America’s leading litigation firms and attorneys. The 2015 award marks the third consecutive year Holland & Hart has been named “Utah Firm of the Year.”
Five Holland & Hart Utah-based attorneys were also recognized by Benchmark as “local litigation stars,” Blaine Benard, Brett Foster, Craig Galli, George Haley, and John Harrington. The firm was ranked as “highly recommended” in the state, and one peer recommendation said, “Holland & Hart is, of course, going to be the big fish around here. They have a huge name in this region.”
Firmwide, 20 Holland & Hart attorneys were selected as “local litigation stars” or “future stars.” The firm was also honored for being “highly recommended” in Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, and Wyoming.
Benchmark Litigation annually identifies the leading U.S. trial attorneys and firms at the local and national levels. The publication’s rankings and editorials are the result of a six-month research period including extensive interviews with litigators and clients. The results include attorneys and firms that receive exceptional praise from peers and demonstrate notable casework over the past year.
“Being recognized not only by our clients but also by our competitors is a testament to the standards of excellence Holland & Hart holds across our firm and throughout our full range of legal practices,” said firm chair Liz Sharrer. “These recognized individuals and the team of attorneys in our Litigation practice are some of the most talented and experienced trial litigators in our region.”
The five Holland & Hart Utah attorneys selected as regional “local litigation stars” by Benchmark include the following:
Blaine Benard is recognized for his work in General Commercial, Intellectual Property, and Product Liability litigation. Benard represents business clients with matters involving business disputes, healthcare, and protection of intellectual property. He advises a wide array of clients, including an international aerospace and defense contracting company, an international commercial airline, energy, mining and natural resources companies, manufacturers, financial institutions, and other businesses.
Brett Foster is recognized for his work in Intellectual Property litigation. For more than 20 years, Foster has experience in navigating complex litigation proceedings and has significant experience in patent, trademark, trade secret, and copyright litigation. Foster has served as lead trial counsel in United States District Courts throughout the country, and has substantial appellate experience in cases before the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, and the appellate courts in Utah and Arizona.
Craig Galli is recognized for his work in Energy and Natural Resources and Environmental litigation. Galli provides counsel to companies and government agencies in a variety of natural resources, environmental, land use, and energy-related cases. Prior to private practice, Galli worked as a Senior Trial Attorney with the Environment and Natural Resources Division, U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.
George Haley is recognized for his work in General Commercial, Insurance, Energy and Natural Resources, and Antitrust litigation. For more than 30 years, he has experience in complex commercial litigation, assisting clients to resolve their most critical disputes. Haley’s trial experience includes bet-the-company cases, defense of Clean Air Act cases, litigation related to the oil and gas industry, legal malpractice defense, intellectual property, antitrust matters, class actions, and insurance coverage disputes.
John Harrington is recognized for his work in General Commercial litigation. With more than 30 years of experience as a trial lawyer, Harrington provides counsel to clients in complex civil and commercial litigation. He advises clients in matters including unfair competition and trade secret disputes, insurance insolvency litigation, bankruptcy adversary proceedings, royalty issues, and take-or-pay litigation. He also has significant experience in oil and gas litigation.
Learn more about Holland & Hart’s Benchmark Litigation rankings here.