News Archive

Kirton McConkie Associate, Analise Wilson, was awarded the Young Lawyer 2013 Pro Bono Publico Award. Click the article title above to read how Analise has helped a 90-year-old widow save her home.

Kirton McConkie client, Smart PJs, won Boise’s Hottest Showcasing Startup for the "World’s First Interactive Pajamas." David Conklin, intellectual property attorney, has done all of the company's intellectual property work, including filing two patent applications and registering the trademark, SMARTPJS.

Kirton McConkie is pleased to announce its legal alliance, TAGLaw, was recognized as Elite in the Chambers Global 2013 rankings guide for legal networks.

Kirton McConkie was selected as an Official Honoree in The 17th Annual Webby Awards in the Law category. With 11,000 entries received from all 50 US states and over 60 countries, the Official Honoree distinction is awarded to the top 15% of all work entered that exhibits remarkable achievement.

As of May 14, 2013, Utah will have a new domestic Asset Protection Trust (DAPT) statute authorizing the creation of trusts with such significant asset protection features that Utah should now be considered among the best jurisdictions in the nation for self-settled spendthrift trusts, along with (and perhaps ahead of) Nevada, South Dakota, Alaska and Delaware.

On April 11, 2013, a Kirton McConkie client, represented by R. Willis Orton, Cameron M. Hancock and Stephen W. Geary, was paid $1.55 million as part of a buyout of interests in an LLC.

Kirton McConkie's client Municipal Solutions was featured on the cover of ICMA’s January/February issue of Public Management magazine. Company consultants Chris Hillman, Colin Baenziger, Jim Thomas, Rick Davis and David Evertsen are highlighted in the cover story.

Kirton McConkie congratulates client City Creek Reserve, Inc. and its partner Taubman Centers in its collaboration on City Creek Center. The mixed-use development was recognized twice in the prestigious 2012 International Property Awards as Best Retail Development, USA and one of the top three winners for Best International Retail Development.

ALM recently recognized Kirton McConkie as a top intellectual property law firm for Fortune 500 companies.

Michael Johnston, Shawn Richards, and Adam Wahlquist were elected Shareholders at Kirton McConkie.

Kirton McConkie attorneys David Wahlquist, Ryan Frazier and Loyal Hulme were successful in obtaining judgment dismissing all claims with prejudice and awarding clients Ron Thorne and Grantsville Holdings, LLC attorneys fees and costs.

Law enforcement seems to have discovered a way to fine the Internet. If you are an app developer, it is time to get equally serious about legal compliance. The California Online Privacy Protection Act of 2003 will finally be enforced by the California Attorney General’s Office. Any app developers caught in the law enforcement privacy protection net are subject to potential fines of $2,500 per download.

Kirton McConkie's entry into the Interactive Media Council’s Interactive Media Award (IMA) competition garnered the Best in Class, the highest honor presented by IMA.

Kirton McConkie real estate and charter school attorney Joel Wright worked on recently passed legislation allowing Utah Charter Schools more favorable financing rates. The Utah Charter School Finance authority priced a $17 million in revenue bonds for The Ogden Preparatory Academy.

Under the new program, the school's interest rate was lowered, perhaps the lowest in the U.S. on such a transaction, to 3.68 percent  and AA rating from BBB- at 5 percent.

On November 23, 2012, Judge Todd Shaughnessy of Utah’s Third Judicial District Court issued an order dismissing a Missouri plaintiff’s breach of contract civil lawsuit filed against Missouri defendants represented by Kirton McConkie’s R. Willis Orton and Adam M. Kaas. 

Kirton McConkie intellectual property attorney, Kenneth Horton, has provided IP legal counsel to Aribex since 2004 and was responsible for all intellectual property due diligence during the acquisition process.

Kirton McConkie client Utah Medical Products was sued for false advertising and trademark infringement. Intellectual Property attorney, Dax Anderson, successfully transferred the case from the plaintiff’s home venue in Georgia to California where the law was more favorable to the client’s position. Once in California, Mr. Anderson successfully obtained summary judgment on the plaintiff’s claim for false advertising and worked with a co-defendant to obtain summary judgment on the trademark infringement claims. 

Willis Orton, a Shareholder with Kirton McConkie, will attend an international conference in Brussels hosted by TAGLaw®, a leading alliance of independent law firms from around the world.

Kirton McConkie intellectual property litigation lawyers Todd Zenger and Dax Anderson successfully represented client CleanCut in a lawsuit against Rug Doctor for patent infringement. At trial, Rug Doctor argued CleanCut’s patents were invalid. The jury, however, found Rug Doctor willfully infringed, induced others to willfully infringe multiple claims of CleanCut’s patents and awarded damages based on Rug Doctor’s willful infringement. 

Kirton McConkie is pleased to announce three attorneys were recognized by Best Lawyers of America as a 2013 Lawyer of the Year: Von Keetch, Lynn McMurray, R. Gary Winger.

Only one lawyer in each practice area and metropolitan area is honored as the Lawyer of the Year, making this accolade particularly significant. Receiving this designation reflects the high level of ability, professionalism and integrity. 

Kirton McConkie lawyers negotiated a settlement which was $1.8 million less than the trial court had previously ordered the client to pay.

Kirton McConkie is pleased to announce 14 lawyers in 13 different categories were selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America for 2013.

Stephanie Wilkins Pugsley, Of Counsel with Kirton McConkie, and her father, retired Utah Supreme Court Justice Michael J. Wilkins are now part of exceptional panel of neutrals with Mediation Services.

Kirton McConkie telecommunications attorney, David Shaw, was invited to be involved in the White House initiative, U.S. Ignite Partnership, which was announced last week. The purpose of U.S. Ignite is to promulgate gigabit applications throughout the country. Kirton McConkie client, UTOPIA, is a charter member of U.S. Ignite.

Kirton McConkie lawyers R. Willis Orton and Shawn T. Richards successfully prosecuted a criminal contempt proceeding against their client’s civil lawsuit opponent.

Kirton McConkie had 37 attorneys recognized as Mountain States Super Lawyers for 2012. The Super Lawyers selection process is based on peer evaluations and independent research on the candidates.

Kirton McConkie Business and Tax attorney Paul Savage was recently admitted to The United States Court of Federal Claims. Mr. Savage’s legal practice focuses on domestic and international business, taxation and dispute resolution, including international tax planning, civil tax controversy and tax-exempt entity governance.

The Court of Federal Claims is authorized to hear money claims founded upon the Constitution, federal statutes, executive regulations, or contracts, express or implied-in-fact, with the United States. Approximately one-quarter of the cases before the Court involve tax refund suits, an area in which the court exercises concurrent jurisdiction with United States district courts. The cases tend to involve complex factual and statutory construction issues in tax law.

Read Hellewell, a Kirton McConkie Shareholder, was recently honored by the Utah State Bar with the Distinguished Real Property Practitioner of the Year Award.

The Real Property Section of the Utah State Bar annually presents the Distinguished Real Property Practitioner of the Year Award to a real property lawyer who has distinguished himself or herself in the practice of law in the State of Utah. The recipient exemplifies the highest professional and ethical standards of the members of the section.

Mr. Hellewell joins two other firm recipients— Rob Hyde in 2009 and former Shareholder Denis Morrill (now at Avalon Healthcare) in 2001—who also received the award.

Kirton McConkie Litigation lawyer Rick Armstrong successfully represented defendant High Mark Development in an appeal from an action alleging fraud and breach of contract in connection with the sale of a commercial building. In O’Shea v. High Mark (Docket No. 37869), the Supreme Court of the State of Idaho affirmed, in a 3-2 decision, the judgment of the Seventh Judicial District in favor of defendant, High Mark Development, including attorney fees.

Kirton McConkie received The Office Building Project of the Year for 2011 by the Associated General Contractors of Utah for tenant improvements on the Kirton McConkie Building located at 50 East South Temple.

Kirton McConkie received an arbitration ruling in US General Construction Company, LLC v. Vernal City.

Kirton McConkie was ranked as a U.S. News - Best Lawyers Best Law Firm for 2011 - 2012 in 10 areas of law

Kirton McConkie is pleased to announce eight lawyers were selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America for 2012.

Kirton McConkie announced the largest radio industry transaction in the country in the past five years and one of the top five deals in Utah during the past five years. The Deseret Management Corporation (DMC) and Bonneville International Corporation (BIC) sale of 17 radio stations in four markets to Hubbard Broadcasting, Inc. closed on April 28, 2011.

Kirton McConkie’s David Shaw, a Business attorney specializing in information technology and telecommunications, served as borrower’s counsel for the Utah Telecommunication Open Infrastructure Agency (UTOPIA) to close a one-year extension on a $185 million letter of credit.