Legal insight, business judgment and professional integrity
Regardless of company size or the business challenge at hand, our clients rely on our legal insights, business judgment and professional integrity.
Kirton McConkie has the highest rating for professional and ethical standards by Martindale-Hubbell and is listed in the prestigious Bar Register of preeminent law firms in the US.
A Big Win for Internet Consumers
The Court has specifically defined high speed internet service as a utility, allowing for greater protections for web consumers.
Who’s protecting your business overseas?
The Kirton McConkie international group has represented clients in more than 150 nations and every state in the U.S.
Who’s protecting your ideas?
When intellectual property is one of your primary assets, you need attorneys who understand how to blend legal and business strategies in your best interests.
Practice Areas
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Kirton McConkie’s Alternative Dispute Resolution section consists of experienced, trained mediators and arbitrators who assist parties in resolving disputes outside of a court setting. Collectively, the members of our alternative dispute resolution group have participated in settling or resolving hundreds of mediation and arbitration proceedings.
Our attorneys have extensive Arbitration and Mediation for backgrounds with issues such as:
- Business and commercial transactions
- Complex intellectual property transactions
- Real property and construction
- Medical malpractice and professional liability
- Personal injury
- Family
- Probate
Corporate
Kirton McConkie business attorneys take particular interest in how their corporate and securities advice affects a client’s overall business goals and objectives. From this perspective, we develop long-term client relationships built with trust and confidence—so much so that our attorneys are frequently asked to serve in a General Counsel role for many clients.
Our attorneys regularly work with domestic and international clients on business formation and financing as well as myriad corporate transactions, contracts, securities, mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures. Our clients have come to rely on our practical problem-solving skills and our know-how to optimize opportunities when they arise. Our experience drafting and reviewing contracts worldwide enables us to quickly and economically address complicated business issues.
The firm’s securities work includes private placements, regulatory matters, registration statements and public reporting. Kirton McConkie's corporate attorneys work closely with state and federal regulators on compliance matters, allowing us to better identify issues. In the area of banking and lending, we provide legal counsel for mergers, acquisitions, regulatory compliance, secured transactions, documentation preparation and negotiations.
The corporate law group has a collaborative relationship with other practice sections in the firm, allowing us to resolve the critical needs of emerging and established companies in a continually changing marketplace.
Family Law and Elder Law
To complement our commercial law practice, Kirton McConkie offers a select range of specialties for individuals and families. Our Family and Elder law practice includes adoption, divorce, elder and immigration assistance.
Please click on the area of interest to learn more about our legal services and the attorneys who specialize in each area.
First Amendment and Religious Organizations
The First Amendment and Religious Organizations group has handled significant issues in courts and administrative hearings across the country at all levels, including the United States Supreme Court. These constitutional and civil rights issues have related to the rights of religious organizations, free speech and free press, protests, defamation defense, civil rights violations and land use and zoning ordinances for religious organizations.
We have significant experience addressing and helping clients successfully navigate the unique and changing legal issues that religious organizations face. Our attorneys have successfully helped clergy and religious organizations prevail in litigation and administrative hearings regarding high stakes tort litigation and disputes involving clergy privilege and the constitutional rights of religious groups.
Our attorneys have particular experience in areas such as:
-
Domestic and international religious liberty issues.
-
Public policy and government relations.
-
Risk management consultation with clergy, social workers and educators on matters of child abuse.
Immigration
Kirton McConkie’s immigration attorneys handle all aspects of workplace immigration matters.
We work with employers to supply worker visas and to assist companies to stay in compliance with immigration requirements. Our attorneys also assist with administrative and federal judicial reviews.
The immigration lawyers and paralegals at Kirton McConkie have tremendous depth and experience with many facets of immigration law. Collectively, our immigration attorneys possess over 70 years of experience with employment-based immigration matters and have worked on complex immigration issues involving businesses and foreign workers’ employment-based visas.
Our immigration attorneys frequently strategize with companies to obtain employment-based visas and green cards for foreign faculty and staff.
The attorneys in this group are fluent in multiple languages including Czech, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Guarani, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mongolian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog and Ukrainian.
Intellectual Property
When intellectual property is one of your primary assets, you need attorneys who understand how to blend legal and business strategies in your best interests. You also need attorneys with a fierce command of litigation when your IP assets are being challenged.
As one of the largest Intellectual Property law firms in the Intermountain West, we bring a depth of knowledge to your unique business situation—whether domestically or internationally. We routinely handle matters involving electrical and computer-related technology, medical devices, pharmaceutical products, biotechnology, bioengineering and a wide variety of mechanical and chemical systems and apparatus.
Our attorneys have scientific backgrounds in physics, chemistry, biology and engineering and all are either registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office or have considerable patent litigation experience. Our intellectual property group is comprised of former patent examiners, former in-house counsel for major corporations and internationally qualified mediators.
The firm is recognized as an AV Preeminent Rated Intellectual Property Law firm by Martindale-Hubbell and is repeatedly recognized for excellence as a top patent firm by Intellectual Property Today.
We offer a full spectrum of intellectual property services, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade regulation, trade secrets, domain names, litigation and dispute resolution. The group has exceptional experience managing intellectual property portfolios for large domestic and international clients, specifically those with Asian and European interests. We represent Fortune 500 and other public and private clients in state, federal, foreign and international forums throughout the world.
What is the benefit of all this to you? Sound yet innovative IP tactics combined with real world practicality.
Kirton McConkie IP attorneys have been highly involved as past and current leaders in organizations such as the Intellectual Property Section of the Utah State Bar, the International Trademark Association, the Utah and national societies of The Licensing Executives Society International and the International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys.
Our intellectual property group has significant experience with:
- Trademark Litigation
- Trade Dress Litigation
- False Advertising Litigation
- Unfair Competition Litigation
- Lanham Act Litigation
- Domain Name Litigation
- Right of Publicity Litigation
- Advertising Litigation
- Trademark Cancellations
- Trademark Oppositions
- TTAB Proceedings
- UDRP Proceedings
International
Kirton McConkie has one of the most comprehensive and experienced international legal practices in the Intermountain West. We have represented clients in more than 150 nations and every state in the U.S. Collectively, our attorneys are fluent in 10 languages and many have resided outside the U.S. for extended periods of time.
We advise domestic and overseas clients on all aspects of their multi-national operations, including:
- Foreign entity formation
- Tax and regulatory compliance at home and abroad
- Business and legal risk management
- Labor and employment matters
- Expatriate management and immigration
- Expansion into new markets, mergers and acquisitions and import/export
- Real property acquisitions and dispositions
- International construction and architectural agreements
- Intellectual property prosecution and enforcement worldwide
- Immigration and visa matters
- Cross-border movement of employees
- Foreign probate and powers of attorney
- Ongoing support for business operations and trans-national litigation
Kirton McConkie has a network of domestic and international contacts and resources few firms can match.
Labor and Employment
Kirton McConkie’s Labor and Employment law section is among the largest in Utah. We have found that education and counseling are important tools to avoiding litigation and the associated costs. Our goal is to work with employers to provide employment law advice, build employee relations and avoid problems through careful planning.
The firm represents clients in all areas of the workplace, including discrimination claims, sexual harassment claims, ERISA, unemployment matters, wage and hour issues, avoiding retaliation liability, workers' compensation and occupational disease claims, ADA claims, employee benefits law, wrongful termination cases, misappropriation of trade secrets, non-competition/non-solicitation, reduction in force and reorganization, employee handbooks and personnel policies, executive compensation and civil rights.
Litigation
At Kirton McConkie, involvement with clients facing or initiating litigation begins by developing a strategy in the best interests of our clients. We consider an array of options such as trial, mediation and arbitration and work closely with clients to determine the best plan of action.
We provide a high level of quality representation for commercial and civil cases with a commitment toward cost-effective litigation management. Our litigation attorneys are active in federal and state courts as well as administrative agencies. The group is comprised of dozens of skilled litigators with extensive trial experience ranging from one-day trials to complex, seven-week trials. Members of this practice include a former judge and former United States Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and state court law clerks.
Areas of litigation include real estate and construction, employment, creditors’ rights, contract disputes and interference, shareholder derivatives, ownership disputes, intellectual property and misappropriation of trade secrets, insurance defense and other matters. Our attorneys also work to resolve issues when clients are served with subpoenas.
Our appellate lawyers have assisted clients in hundreds of appeals and important motions in forums ranging from the U.S. Supreme Court and Federal Courts of Appeals to numerous state courts. We cover a range of issues from leading-edge First Amendment questions to contract disputes, personal injury, insurance coverage, estate issues and business torts. In cases where an appeal is anticipated, we are often called to work with outside trial teams to assist them on key motions or to lay the groundwork for future appeals, which our firm would handle. This early integration approach allows our appellate attorneys to move quickly when a critical motion or appeal is required.
Natural Resources and Energy
Kirton McConkie represents clients in energy, water, mining, sustainability, impact analysis, and air quality. We have significant knowledge of wetlands and section 404 permitting, evaluation and remediation. Our attorneys represent clients before the Water Rights Division in court and have consulted on water rights issues in all the western states. We have advised clients in several jurisdictions about conducting environmental assessments of lands thought to have suffered releases of hazardous materials.
Additionally, we understand the entrepreneurial spirit and provide a variety of legal resources to clients developing start-up and early stage companies in the emerging alternative and renewable energy fields. This includes assisting clients to raise capital, particularly through venture capital sources, entity formation, corporate governance, technology licensing, intellectual property protection and working with complex EPA and state environmental regulations.
Real Estate
As one of the largest and strongest groups of real estate attorneys in Utah, Kirton McConkie has amassed a depth of experience handling real estate acquisition, disposition and development. Projects include the purchase, entitlement and construction of complex mixed-use developments, retail and shopping mall developments, office buildings, residential communities, apartment and condominium complexes, industrial projects, and timeshare properties. In addition, our real estate lawyers have extensive experience in the acquisition, sale and management of ranching and agricultural properties.
Our real estate attorney mixed-use expertise is highlighted by its significant role in the development of the largest retail, office and residential development ever undertaken in Utah—City Creek Center—which is significantly revitalizing downtown Salt Lake City.
The real estate practice has substantial experience in all aspects of zoning and land use issues, eminent domain, condemnation and commercial leasing as well as a wealth of experience in real estate financial transactions, including commercial mortgages, other borrowing and lending transactions, workouts, loan modifications, refinancings and foreclosures.
Our attorneys also have significant experience in all aspects of water law and are involved in myriad environmental issues, including wetlands, Brownfield sites and other properties with environmental impacts or concerns.
Tax and Estate Planning
Kirton McConkie has a long-standing tradition of excellence advising and representing clients on domestic and international corporate, partnership, non-profit and individual taxation issues. We also advise and implement financial planning strategies for high net worth individuals, business owners and senior executives on a range of estate planning strategies and issues.
