Parr Brown Gee & Loveless

07/27/2026

Environmental Law Alert: Shareholder Marina Thomas on the EPA's clarification of the applicability of the Clean Air Act's Acid Rain Program for islanded power generation facilities, and why it matters.

Read the full update here: https://parrbrown.com/epa-clarifies-acid-rain-program-applicability-for-islanded-power-generation-facilities/

07/21/2026

Please join us in welcoming Emily Strong to Parr Brown!

We have been fortunate to have Emily as one of our Summer Associates, and now, as a member of our Business and Finance practice, she will focus on helping our clients with estate planning, corporate tax issues, charitable giving, and more.

Emily received her LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law, and her J.D. from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law.

We're thrilled to have you on board, Emily!

Find out more about Emily and her practice here: https://parrbrown.com/attorney/emily-strong/

07/09/2026

Parr Brown officially welcomes Ian McLaughlin to the Firm!

After his experience clerking with the Utah Supreme Court and the Utah Court of Appeals, Ian joined our Commercial Litigation practice, where he where his focus includes LLC membership disputes, securities litigation, employment law and entertainment and trademark matters.

Ian received his J.D., cm laude, from BYU, where he also received his undergraduate degree.

We're fortunate to have you on our team, Ian!

Find out more about Ian and his practice here: https://parrbrown.com/attorney/ian-mclaughlin/

06/10/2026

In a noteworthy decision, the Utah Court of Appeals has delivered a significant win for Parr Brown clients, reviving major claims arising from a catastrophic construction-site fire that destroyed a neighboring residence.

Parr Brown represented two individuals whose home was destroyed by a fire that began at a multi-story apartment project under construction in Ogden, and resulted in the tragic loss of their pets. The homeowners brought claims against the developer and contractor of the project, alleging that they failed to exercise reasonable care in securing and managing the construction site. The district court dismissed the claims, concluding that the defendants owed no duty to protect neighboring property owners from damages caused by a third party who allegedly started the fire.

On appeal, the Utah Court of Appeals reversed the district court’s summary judgment ruling and held that "landowners owe a duty to adjoining landowners and inhabitants to exercise reasonable care when they engage in construction activities on their property.” The ruling reinstates multiple claims and provides important guidance for future construction and property-damage litigation across Utah. This outcome reflects Parr Brown’s continued strength in sophisticated appellate advocacy and complex civil litigation.

The Parr Brown team of attorneys representing the homeowners includes Dick Baldwin, Steve Glauser, Daniel Sorenson, and Jonathan Schofield.

If you are evaluating a potential appeal or seeking experienced appellate counsel, contact Dick Baldwin, Chair of Parr Brown’s Appellate Practice Group, at [email protected] or 801-257-7967.

06/04/2026

We are excited to announce today that twenty attorneys and five practice groups have ranked in Chambers USA 2026 Utah!

Parr Brown's ranked practice areas are Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Real Estate Law, Natural Resources and Environment, and Business and Finance.

Parr Brown's ranked attorneys include first-time honoree David Reymann, Jonathan Hafen, Robert Clark, Jeffrey Hunt, and Stephen Hale, all for Commercial Litigation; Stephen Hale, Bryan Johansen, and Jim Wright for Construction Law; Robert McConnell, Lamont Richardson, Barton Gertsch and David Gee for Real Estate Law; Matthew E. Jensen, Kass Wallin, Marty Banks, Daniel Jensen and Steven Christiansen for Natural Resources and Environmental Law; Seth King, Michael Schefer and Doug Waddoups for Corporate/M&A Law, and, Cheylynn Hayman for Labor and Employment.

Congratulations to all of our Chambers honorees!

05/28/2026

Meet Parr Brown's 2026 Summer Associate class!

Every year, Parr Brown is fortunate to host a Summer Associate class of the best and brightest law students. Meet our 2026 team of future legal superstars!

In the coming months, these accomplished law students will work closely with Parr Brown attorneys across multiple practice groups. They will be gaining hands-on law firm experience and expanding their network of legal and business professionals. And in return we are looking forward to learning from their distinct backgrounds, fresh ideas, and valuable perspectives. We can't wait to see the impact they will make!

Left to right: Hayden Kent (2L, University of Utah Law), Yi Qian (2L, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law), Mackenzie Hill (1L, BYU Law), Nathan Rich (3L, BYU Law), Reese Strom (1L, BYU Law), Justin McCain (2L, BYU Law), Nelson Lotz (2L, University of Utah Law)

Not pictured: Sonya Chechik (3L, University of Utah)

Find out more about Parr Brown’s Summer Associate program here: https://parrbrown.com/careers/

05/21/2026

Parr Brown Shareholder Marina Thomas will be speaking at a June 11, 2026 online webinar co-hosted with Ramboll, focused on Utah air quality issues and developments. The webinar, titled "Navigating Utah Air Quality" will feature an in-depth look at the complexities of air permitting and the ever-changing regulatory landscape in Utah.

Register now via this link to join the webinar - 2 hours of CLE accreditation is pending approval:

In this webinar, we’ll walk through the complexities of air permitting and the evolving regulatory landscape in Utah.  We will cover the fundamentals and unique regulatory hurdles of Utah air quality permitting in the Wasatch Front and the Uinta Basin. Utah has unique challenges with background a...

05/11/2026

Parr Brown Gee & Loveless secured a major appellate victory for the firm’s client, Yesneiri Maldonado-Velasquez, vacating a defense jury verdict in a wrongful death case against Ron J. Peterson Construction, Inc. The landmark opinion reaffirms that companies operating commercial vehicles on Utah highways may be held accountable for operating unsafe equipment even when minimum federal standards are met.

Ms. Maldonado-Velasquez sued Ron J. Peterson Construction for negligence and causing her husband’s death, including using the kind of trailer that increased likelihood of injuries – an “enhanced-injury” claim. The District Court granted summary judgment to Ron J. Peterson Construction, concluding that it had no duty to modify the trailer because it complied with federal minimum safety standards. Based on that ruling, Ms. Maldonado-Velasquez was prohibited from presenting evidence to the jury about the condition of the trailer and how it contributed to her husband’s death.

On appeal, the Parr Brown team argued that the federal minimum safety standards do not displace common law duties relating to safely operating equipment on roadways. In its published opinion, the Utah Supreme Court agreed, ruling that the district court improperly excluded critical evidence and wrongly narrowed the legal duties owed by the defendant, requiring the case to return for a new trial.

The Parr Brown team representing the plaintiff includes Dick Baldwin, Rodger Burge, Steve Glauser, and Daniel Sorenson.

The ruling represents another significant appellate victory for Parr Brown Gee & Loveless and underscores the firm’s strength in complex litigation and high-stakes appeals. Businesses or individuals facing complex appeals or seeking experienced appellate counsel may contact Dick Baldwin, Chair of Parr Brown’s Appellate Practice Group, at [email protected] or 801-257-7967.

04/01/2026

Congratulations Austin Bybee! We're pleased to announce that Austin has been promoted to Shareholder.

Austin's focus within our commercial litigation practice includes probate, estate and trust litigation as well as construction, real estate, and fraud and tort litigation and disputes.

We know the best is yet to come, Austin!

See the link in the comments to find out more about Austin and his practice.

04/01/2026

Congratulations Bryan Call!

We're pleased to announce that Bryan has been promoted to Shareholder.

As a member of Parr Brown's Business and Finance practice, Bryan's focus includes tax planning, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate structure, organization and governance. He also represents clients before the IRS, the Independent Office of Appeals and the United States Tax Court.

We're excited to have you as our new Shareholder, Bryan!

See the link in the comments to find out more about Bryan and his practice.