Vernon Lawyers

I defend governmental entities and their officers against complaints asserting the deprivation of civil rights. These include all types of claims of alleged misconduct, such as excessive force, search and seizure, wrongful arrest, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, abuse of process, and denial of medical care, to name a few. At any given time, I am involved in multiple officer-involved shooting cases from inception, including investigations by the Department of Justice and press inquiries, through conclusion. I have a deep respect for my Utah police officer clients and their dedication to society at great personal expense. I listen carefully to determine...

Nathan D. Alder became a lawyer in October 1995, and clerked for a federal judge in Salt Lake City, Utah, then joined Christensen & Jensen, P.C. He has practiced at C&J ever since (www.chrisjen.com). His practice has been far-reaching and comprehensive in many areas. As a result of his abilities across the litigation spectrum, he has been privileged to serve as a frequent mediator; Mr. Alder has been recognized as one of Utah's top lawyers, as one of the Best Lawyers in America, and as one of the Top 100 lawyers in our five-state region (Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming).

James Ziter began his career in 1995 under the Senior Practice Rules as a Deputy District Attorney in Lancaster County, Nebraska. In 1996 Mr. Ziter founded ZITER | LAW, which is a multi-disciplinary law firm located in Salt Lake City, licensed and serving clients in Utah and Nevada.

I became an attorney so I could help others transform complex business, estate, or dispute issues into practical and straightforward solutions. I intentionally work on both the transactional (writing contracts, drafting wills, organizing businesses) and litigation (lawsuits, mediations, demands) sides of the law in order to best understand how to prevent and solve problems. In my estate planning and business law practice, I help families, individuals, and businesses. I represent clients with the development of an estate plan which might include trusts, wills, powers of attorney, and other estate planning documents. I also counsel clients in probate and trust administration matters. Outside...

Clayton Simms has been recognized by Super Lawyers, Utah Business Magazine and the National Trial Lawyers as one of the best criminal attorneys in the state of Utah.

Aggressive, strategic and experienced legal representation. Aviation, product liability, construction, contract and personal injury litigation.

Education University of Chicago Law School, 1992 - 1995 Chicago, IL J.D., June 1995. University of Chicago Graduate School Chicago, IL M.A. A.B.D., Graduate School of History Ph.D., Oral Examination fields included United States Legal History Yale University, 1982-1986 New Haven, CT B.A., Humanities, 1986 Rhodes Scholarship Finalist MVP Award Co-Winner, Varsity Ice Hockey Team Awards Include Best Lawyers in America, US News, 2014 Mountain States Super Lawyer, 2010- 2014 Top 100 Attorney in Nevada, Utah, Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, Super Lawyers Utah's Legal Elite,...

I'm a graduate of the University of La Verne College of Law in Ontario, CA. I practice law in Salt Lake City, Utah with a focus on immigration law. I speak English and Spanish.

I spent my formative years in hard-working farming communities in Northern Utah and Southeast Idaho. After high school, I moved to Provo, went on an LDS mission to Spain for two years, and eventually received a Bachelor’s degree in political science from BYU in 2007. After a couple years of traveling and working, I moved to East Lansing and received a J.D. from Michigan State University College of Law in 2012. I spent my summers during law school assisting migrant workers get legal assistance for various non-immigration injustices such as sexual abuse, physical abuse, inappropriate living conditions, unsafe work environments,...

Melanie Cook is licensed to practice law in Minnesota and Utah. She volunteers as an advocate for the Domestic Violence Pro Bono Initiative (Davis County) each Wednesday morning. Melanie is an adjunct professor at Broadview University and teaches law to paralegals. Also, Melanie mentors paralegal students with career goals and academic advice, providing volunteer opportunities at law firms and pro bono clinics throughout Salt Lake, Davis and Weber County. In 2012, Melanie received her Certificate in Advocacy and Problem Solving from Hamline University School of Law. In 2011, Melanie published an article entitled “Third Party Rights and Child Custody” in...

Joseph Pia is lead counsel on complex litigation cases in the areas of intellectual property, entertainment law, and commercial litigation. His peers have rated him as a Legal Elite and Super Lawyer, for having a high-degree of recognition and professional achievement. For over a decade, Mr. Pia has aggressively represented both plaintiffs and defendants. He is known for litigating a $60 million securities case through to the Utah Supreme Court and prevailing; and tens of millions of dollars in multi-jurisdictional cases. Last year, Mr. Pia represented parties in more patent suits than any other attorney in the State of Utah....

Emily grew up in Sugarhouse in Salt Lake City. She practices exclusively in the area of Trusts and Estates and enjoys helping people set up an estate plan tailored to their individual circumstances. During college she taught dance to children, was a substitute teacher in the Salt Lake City School District and operated her own greeting card company. She worked as a law clerk at her mother’s estate planning firm and her father’s intellectual property firm. She worked in the KSL Television newsroom as a producer for the public affairs program "Sunday Edition with Bruce Lindsay" and as an assignment editor....

I have practiced law since 1984. In my years of experience, I developed my approach which considers each client's individual and legal needs. While I prepare each case for litigation, my aim is to spare the expense and emotional toll of litigation and to help my clients achieve the best result as quickly as possible. Because my clients come from all walks of life, I choose to practice in a broad range of legal matters. Some of the issues I handle are family law, including divorce, personal injury matters, probate and estate administration, estate...

Daniel Black has been working at Stowell Crayk, PLLC, since February 2014. Dan specializes in Immigration Law and Criminal Defense. Dan graduated from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law in May 2014 and was admitted to the Utah Bar in October 2014. During law school, Dan interned at the Salt Lake Legal Defenders Association, clerked for US Magistrate Judge Dustin Pead at the US District Court of Utah, and was a judicial intern at the Salt Lake Immigration Court. He was awarded the 2013 Utah Pro-Bono Student of the Year award and was involved in the...

We focus on comprehensive estate planning, including matters of tax and business planning and health and financial planning. When planning hasn't happened or has been inadequate, we handle all kinds of probate issues and probate litigation.

My law practice focuses on insurance, cyber law, and employment law, with an emphasis in representing insurance carriers in coverage, subrogation/recovery, and bad faith litigation. I frequently advise insurers in the areas of analysis of liability claims, written opinions on coverage, and pre-and post-suit counsel on claims handling and litigation tactics. I also frequently represent carriers’ interests in coverage disputes/reservations of rights in liability litigation. I have successfully represented policyholders seeking coverage, procuring six-figure settlements in life, disability, and commercial liability policy claims. I have also successfully intervened on behalf of multiple corporate and individual policyholders in disputes over...

Brett’s practice focuses primarily on patent procurement, and includes extensive experience with both U.S. and foreign patents. Brett has drafted and prosecuted patent applications for a wide range of technologies. Brett has experience with patent appeals, patent re-examination and reissue proceedings, patent infringement analysis, and freedom to operate analysis, as well as experience with trademark prosecution and enforcement, copyright filings, and litigation.