Vernal Lawyers

-Practice focused exclusively on serious personal injuries, automobile accidents, premises liability (slip and fall accidents), medical malpractice, and other severe injuries.

- Obtained numerous large injury settlements and awards, including one of the largest food poisoning cases to date.

- Regularly serve as Chairperson of pre-litigation screening panels for the Utah Department of Occupational and Professional Licensing to review medical malpractice claims for merit.

- 18 years experience.

- Adjunct Professor teaching "Torts: Personal Injury Litigation" to paralegal students at Salt Lake Community College.

- Bachelor of Science and Juris Doctor Degree, University of Utah. William H. Leary Scholar in...

Aaron began his career as a city prosecutor and then transferred to prosecuting felony crimes for the government. Aaron then went into private practice continuing to work on criminal matters including DUIs, Sex Crimes, White Collar Crimes, Drug Distribution, and more. He expanded his practice by becoming licensed in Utah and Washington and operating offices in both states. The firm expanded from just handling criminal matters to including bankruptcy, wills & estates, family law including divorce, child custody, and parental rights with all areas of criminal law. Aaron held many contracts working with the government including as a public...

Jason quickly developed an excellent reputation among attorneys across the state of Utah. His practice is focused in commercial disputes, contract disputes, business issues, domestic law and family law. Jason has been recognized for his outstanding efforts many times throughout his career. After graduating cum laude from the Reuben J. Clark Law School at BYU, the American Bankruptcy Institute presented him with a Medal of Excellence recognizing him as one of the top law students in the country. Mountain States Super Lawyers recognized Jason for his success in two different years by presenting him with the Rising Star Award, which is...

Before Logan stepped foot into the world of formal education, he had already been in the auto industry for eight years. At a mere 18-years old, he started as a salesman and often emerged triumphant among his 40 fellow competitors, becoming 'salesman of the month' on multiple occasions. As time passed by, Logan was able to negotiate thousands of deals - an accomplishment that lead him being promoted far quicker than expected; ultimately holding responsibility over numerous salesmen while aiding them in closing their final agreements. It is with pride that Logan reflects upon those fruitful business endeavors. Subsequently, Logan took...

Melton Law was founded by William L. Melton. William has taken pride in serving his clients and his community for many years. After experiencing his own encounters with the legal system he decided to dedicate his career to the pursuit of law. William has been involved in proactively changing to improve the community in multiple ways throughout his career. In addition to fighting for his clients in the courtroom, William is also actively involved in making changes at the legislative level. In 2015, William helped lobby and successfully pass the alternative parent-time schedule. This new law substantially increased the amount...

We provide legal services to small businesses in the state of Utah.
Dana Ball is a former litigation attorney who used to sue businesses. She has seen too many good business owners end up in bad situations, so today she helps them avoid common legal mistakes that land them in court. Dana’s 20 years of experience brings value and relief to small business owners who want to avoid the headaches and costs of lawsuits. Dana has made the whole process of having access to a lawyer easy and affordable with set pricing, ongoing legal support, and monthly plans to spread out the costs of...

Sam graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting in 2008 and his Juris Doctor from UNLV in 2011. He went on to receive a Masters of Law (LL.M.) in Taxation from Georgetown University in 2012. Sam’s practice includes estate planning, asset protection, trust administration, probate, guardianship, and business organization. Sam has established a strong reputation within the Las Vegas legal community for his expertise and provides continuing legal education courses in his areas of practice. Sam is fluent in Spanish and is licensed in both Nevada and Utah and is a member of the Southern...

Michael's passion is representing people at all stages of the criminal defense process in federal and state court. To that end, he has effectively and zealously defended numerous people charged with federal and state crimes. He has litigated highly complex cases, which include mortgage fraud, money laundering, ponzi scheme, racketeering, and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Michael recently argued a complex double jeopardy issue before the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. He has been selected by the Utah Federal District Court to be a member of the Criminal Justice Act Panel. In addition, he also has been selected to serve...

Michael Hoppe specializes in assisting clients in complex business and commercial litigation matters. He has broad experience representing clients in a wide range of complex litigation matters, including contract, construction, and other general business disputes. He has particular expertise in construction litigation, representing both large general contractors and owners in a variety of matters in several states involving defending or pursuing claims for construction defect, delay, acceleration, disruption, mechanics liens, and other construction-related claims.

Mr. Hoppe has substantial experience representing both companies and individuals in a variety of complex litigation matters. He has experience in state and federal...

I received my undergraduate degrees in History and Political Science from Boise State University, where I graduated with Distinguished Honors. I attended the J. Reuben Clark Law School at BYU, where I graduated with his Juris Doctorate in 2000. I was admitted to the Utah State and Federal Bar in 2000, to the Idaho State and Federal Bar in 2001, and most recently to the Nevada State and Federal Bar in 2005. I am also a member of the Utah Trial Lawyers’ Association, the Utah Association for Justice, the Central Bar Association. I was recently appointed by The Utah...

Mr. Barrett received his undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University (BA '93), holds a certificate in International Law from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law ('99) and is a graduate of Whitter Law School (JD '00). During law school Mr. Barrett was an extern Law Clerk to the Hon. James N. Barr, United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California. After graduating from Whitter Law School, Mr. Barrett served as Law Clerk to the Hon. Lee M. Jackwig, United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Iowa. Upon completing this...

He attended Centre College in Danville, Kentucky receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics. He lettered each of four years in Football and Track. His college football team won the conference championship his senior year, where he received all conference honors as an offensive lineman. Travis received his law degree from the J. Ruben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University in 1999. Travis’s areas of emphasis are family law, criminal defense, estate and legacy planning and mining law and Small Business start-up, formation and assistance. He maintains affiliate relationships with law firms in Las Vegas and the Wasatch Front...

Shortly after I graduated from law school, I started with a Salt Lake City firm where I represented persons who had been injured due to the carelessness or recklessness of someone else. I enjoyed what I did and took great satisfaction in helping real people, not insurance companies or corporations. I decided that this was the area of law I wanted to devote my legal career to.

I now own my own law firm, Kramer Law Group. We represent the same sorts of people I represented when I first started practicing. And I still enjoy it!

Our focus here is...

Linda Sun is a Chinese-speaking immigration lawyer located in Salt Lake City, Utah. As an immigrant herself, Linda is committed to providing quality, professional legal services. Please email, text to schedule a free consultation of your legal concern. Contact form requests are generally returned by an attorney within almost always the same business day.

Cheylynn Hayman is a member of the firm’s litigation group with an emphasis on employment law and employment defense.

With an eye toward helping clients avoid litigation issues, Ms. Hayman assists large and small employers in developing effective employment policies, procedures and handbooks. She has extensive experience with Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. She also has significant experience in the area of employment contracts, including executive employment agreements, non-compete and non-solicitation agreements, and...

Stephen R. Nemelka has been working in the legal field for over twenty years. He began his legal career focusing mainly on bankruptcy and criminal law but has since narrowed his practice to specialize in family law and all other domestic related fields. Mr. Nemelka holds firm to the belief that he can offer aggressive and competent representation while tempering the emotional and financial distress that domestic litigation can cause.

Kristal Bowman-Carter is an experienced attorney licensed in California since 1996 and Utah since 2011. She practices in the areas of estate planning, LLC formation, probate, and probate and trust administration. She assists clients in planning their estates with revocable or irrevocable trusts, durable powers of attorney, as well as other estate and tax planning strategies. She also helps clients with the administration of the estate of their loved ones. Kristal received her Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, California, and her undergraduate degree in French with a minor in Political Science from California State University, Northridge....

As a leading Utah commercial litigation and personal injury lawyer, Thomas W. Seiler has earned a prestigious reputation throughout the Utah legal community as a diligent, experienced and knowledgeable advocate. Mr. Seiler has earned the prestigious AV rating from Martindale Hubbell. He was recently named one of the top 100 Mountain States Attorneys by Super Lawyers magazine 2013 edition. In addition to serving numerous corporate and individual clients, he has long been committed to advancing the legal profession and serving the civic and community life of Provo and the state of Utah . Since 1991, he has served on...

Mr. Rammell graduated from the University of Nebraska College of Law in 2007, with distinction. In 2013, he earned an LL.M. degree in Natural Resources from the University of Utah College of Law. During his LL.M. he was awarded a scholarship from the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation and was a David C. Williams Memorial Graduate Fellow.

Joseph Covey concentrates his practice on corporate bankruptcy, reorganization and workouts with broad experience representing Chapter 11 corporate debtors, secured and unsecured creditors, bondholders, and unsecured creditors’ committees. He has represented large commercial lenders and secured bondholders in numerous multi-million dollar commercial real estate workout, foreclosure, state receivership, and federal receivership matters. Mr. Covey also represents lenders, borrowers and real estate developers in structuring and documenting secured real estate lending transactions.

Mr. Covey has lectured for local and national education associations on bankruptcy-related topics. He has been awarded an AV rating – the highest awarded by Martindale-Hubbell. Mr. Covey...

Jeffrey Hunt practices in the area of commercial litigation, with particular emphasis on First Amendment, media, and intellectual property law. Mr. Hunt has more than 25 years experience litigating complex commercial cases involving a wide variety of industries and legal issues, including copyright, trademark, and patent enforcement actions; injunctions; securities litigation; enforcement of non-competition, non-solicitation, and non-disclosure covenants for employers, foreign litigation and arbitration; and real property litigation. He has served as lead counsel on several high-stakes litigation matters for national and local companies. Mr. Hunt also has extensive experience representing direct sales and network marketing companies...

As a long-time partner in the firm’s commercial litigation group, Matt helps clients in a range of industries navigate and resolve often complex disputes. He specializes in prosecuting and defending breaches of contract in state and federal courts, and has tried and argued cases at every level of the trial and appellate system. Many of Matt’s clients work in the construction industry and turn to him for help pursuing and securing payment, clearing title to real property, and solving boundary problems. Matt also represents commercial landlords when leases run into trouble. He has experience in a variety of other business...

M. Eric Olmstead's practice focuses in the areas of Employment Law, Construction Law, Business Law, and Real Estate Law. He handles cases involving wrongful termination, sexual harassment and other Title VII-based claims, ADA, non-compete agreements and trade secrets. He also counsels and trains employers on how to minimize their exposure to the risks of employment lawsuits. He works with owners, contractors, subcontractors and suppliers in all phases of the construction process, including contract formation, bonding, liens, claims and litigation relating to these areas. Eric represents existing businesses in their legal needs, including contract drafting and enforcement, UCC, dissolutions and collections,...

Steven Christiansen has over 30 years’ experience with a broad range of environmental permitting, compliance, and enforcement matters, due diligence, environmental audits, RCRA and CERCLA remediation, air emission credits transactions, climate change, state implementation plan development, environmental legislation, NEPA, public lands permitting, environmental aspects of business transactions, brownfields redevelopment, and the administrative rule-making process. He also works in the areas of energy and public utilities law.

Mr. Christiansen actively represents mining, petroleum, chemical, energy, and public utility interests throughout the western United States and Canada.

Mr. Christiansen is licensed to practice law in Arizona, California, Washington D.C., and Utah. He was elected...

Tom regularly counsels clients concerning estate planning, estate taxes, income taxes, business planning, and real estate transactions. Tom takes time to understand his client’s needs and goals, and then structures solutions. Tom is detail oriented and works to minimize risks to his clients. He is actively involved in the community in a wide range of activities including supporting a legal services program at the Senior Center in St. George, St. George Exchange Club, Southern Utah Estate Planning Council, Venture Scout Leader, and volunteering to support kids in the Dixie Junior Livestock Show. Education •Washburn University School of Law, Juris Doctorate...

Attorney Benjamin C. Durham received his law degree from Brigham Young University. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish, and has traveled extensively in South America. In the course of his career, he has defended several high-profile prosecutions in Las Vegas, including such defendants as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, Aryan Warriors, and Rolling 60s Crips.

I am a partner-level attorney with 20 years experience in all facets of intellectual property law. My firm, Eminent IP, is unique in its approach to client relationships and cost-appealing fee structure that provides expert legal advice to business owners and their technical staff. Our lean overhead translates into extraordinary cost savings for the same high-quality work product that you would expect from the top firms in the country. If you need patent protection, domestically or internationally, we have the expertise to protect your inventions. Our expertise also includes trademark, copyright and related licensing and litigation....

With 20 years of tax and transaction planning for corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships and individuals, Mr. Rock advises new and established business on tax matters as well as corporate governance operations and transactions, new business formations, mergers and acquisitions, transfers, employment matters, contracts, joint ventures and real estate transactions.

Matthew is a member of Parr Brown’s Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Law team. Before joining Parr Brown, he was a partner at another Salt Lake law firm. He also served as a clerk to the Honorable Justice Matthew B. Durrant of the Utah Supreme Court.

Licensed in both Utah and Nevada, Mr. Jensen has assisted clients on a wide range of natural resource transactions, administrative proceedings, litigation, appeals, and legislative lobbying. Specifically, Mr. Jensen has advised clients in regards to water rights, mineral title, mining permits, geothermal energy issues, oil and gas development, stream alteration, section 404 wetland permits,...

Mike Baker advises clients with respect to domestic tax matters and employee benefits and compensation. His clients include emerging companies, venture capital and private equity funds, and highly-compensated individuals. Mike frequently advises regarding choice of entity, conversion between entity types, tax-free reorganizations and taxable exit transactions. Additional areas of expertise include qualified small business stock, equity compensation, tax code Section 83(b) elections, phantom equity, deferred compensation, and tax code Sections 280G and 409A. Mike has represented clients in over 400 M&A transactions, including transactions with consideration in excess of a billion dollars. Mike also advises executives with respect to the negotiation of...

I received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah in 2005 and a J.D. from The University of South Dakota in 2009. I have been practicing personal injury law as an attorney for over 5 years. Before law school, I worked at Siegfried and Jensen for over 4 years in various positions.

I have come to realize the issues and problems that a person has to go through when they are forced to deal with a personal injury. I found great pride helping people deal with their personal injuries and after a while decided I wanted to become an attorney...

Mark Pugsley's practice is focused on financial fraud, investment disputes, FINRA Arbitrations, and whistleblower cases filed with the SEC, CFTC and IRS. He frequently handles civil enforcement actions and regulatory investigations brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Utah Division of Securities, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) involving individuals, brokers, brokerage firms and investment advisors. He also handles receivership litigation, clawback cases, Qui Tam or False Claims Act cases, shareholder disputes, investor class actions, and internal investigations involving private and publicly-traded companies.

Jared Goff graduated with honors in engineering and law, and has 18 years of experience as a registered patent attorney. He practices patent, trademark, and copyright law, and focuses on technology areas that include computers, complex mechanical systems, simple devices, and product designs. He has helped individuals, small companies, and some of the largest companies in the world to secure their ideas. He is located in Provo, Utah and represents clients throughout the United States.

Douglas D. Smith
Franchise Smith, LLC
Attorney handling matters in franchising and multi-unit operations
Birthplace: Idaho Falls, Idaho
Education: Brigham Young University,
- Bachelor's degree in political science, 1976;
- J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University,
- Juris Doctorate, 1978
Licensed in Oregon and Utah

Doug Smith has specialized in franchise law since 1981 with an emphasis on structure and drafting of franchise agreements and disclosure materials; selection and registration of trademarks; compliance with state and federal franchise and business opportunity laws including the preparation of relevant disclosure and registration materials; and franchise related litigation. He has a working knowledge of French and Romanian.

He has...